FranVT

Buying When Pigs Fly on Wednesday when I get paid (I am very strict with my retail spending!). Will check out the other book too!

I gave him half a left over roast chicken (meat removed from bones of course), lots of hugs and tummy rubs and lots of praise. I think he was a bit baffled but happy anyway!

Cool yep I used to go on a forum you were on. I'm applying to James Cook med for next year, gulp! Hope I get in.

I am in Rocky too, I wish I could help out Atlas and I have an appointment with gooddogs.com.au next Saturday for some one-on-one focus training, if you like I can let you know what they're like and whether they're worth a go? The lady I spoke to on the phone was really nice.

Woohoo!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Thanks! Also, I think I remember you from another forum ... are you in the medical field at all? Thank you!

We passed Thanks all.

If it was within walking distance I would definitely be having a glass of wine beforehand! Either way I will have one afterward Whether to drown my sorrows or celebrate. Maybe other people in my class will join me. I am getting really nervous lots of butterflies in my tummy now. I wonder if I'm allowed to use treats in the actual test? Probably not hey.

We thought Atlas had ruptured his right cruciate but he had only strained/bruised it. We had to be very careful for awhile as it was likely to rupture if we let him run around a lot. He got his from running up and down the fence, the twist/turn at the end was really hard on his puppy legs. ;) I can't give you any more info, he was on anti-inflammatory injections once a week for six weeks and that cleared it up really well. He'll never be able to do agility or anything though - not that he would, he's so lazy.

Troy can do it, just PM him and ask. By the way, have you read Jane Killion's book "When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs"? If not, read on! Jane is a breeder and trainer of bull terriers and competes in conformation, obedience and agility with them in the USA. This is the training resources page from her website: http://www.madcapbullterriers.com/index_files/Page650.htm She also helps run a mailing list about training bull terriers: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/positivelybts/ Sometimes it can help a lot to trouble-shoot issues with people in your own breed. Yes someone told me about this book and I thought it sounded PERFECT, then I promptly forgot all about it ;) so I am ordering it right now it sounds just the thing for Atlas and I can't wait 'to go through the training stuff on her website and will join the mailing list too. Thanks so much! I will PM Troy after this reply. Yes socialisation is another thing we are working on as well, at the moment he is quite dominant and humps everything which really is not going to end well for him one day so I am working on that and we are getting him the Suprelorin implant soon too (OH is really having trouble letting go of Atlas' balls ). I won't stop I want everyone to see what a great and wonderful dog he is. The other day at the vets he was so good, everyone was wary when he walked in but they were all impressed with his obedience in the end Yep, he sure is! Such a spunk and the love of our lives Shall try to be calm/assertive tonight so he picks up on those vibes. That thing about promoting people when the dog knows the exercises even if he's not perfect does sound like the obedience club I go to, they're all for that stuff especially in beginners classes. And honestly he is pretty damn good really I'm sure I am worrying over nothing. Hehehehe I know all about zoomies! Atlas is mad for them! He loves to just spin around in circles making weird noises too. Focus is definitely his problem and recall is also a big deal for a dog like Atlas I will not be leaving the next class (intermediate) until his recall is as perfect as possible. PMing Troy now!

Oops! So sorry Yep I would rather that they "failed" us so we could repeat the class and get a more solid result than just passed us because they felt sorry for me ahaha, but still! Yep I am actually quite good at "zen"-ing away my nerves, jiggling them out through my fingers and taking deep breaths and asserting confidence so I hope I can do this tonight so Atlas can just concentrate on me and my commands. I know he is a good boy and I won't let a potential "failure" make me think less of him, or myself. That's true I never thought about it like that! And yes he is a bull terrier, he is a typical one, very stubborn and much more interested in other things (specifically other dogs and smells on the ground) than listening to me with any consistency. Honestly he is better than probably 2/3 of the other dogs in the class though, there are some little dogs that handlers are really struggling with especially with 'stay' because they are always wriggling around! Atlas is good at stay especially drop/stay because he is kind of lazy, and stand/stay because he is much happier standing than sitting. He doesn't like sitting much at all. Your post made me feel heaps better! Can I move this thread to training or can only Troy do that? So sorry again I didn't even think ;)

Tonight is Atlas' graduation from beginner dog obedience and he still doesn't do absolutely everything on command first time. He is about a million percent better than he was at the beginning of the class but still not perfect ;) What if we don't graduate and get left behind and have to do the class again!? I am so nervous and I don't want to be nervous because Atlas will pick up on it and be nervous too. Also should I do lots of training this arvo to get him ready or just a little bit? I don't want him to get sick of it / bored / too tired. I finish work at 3:30pm and I was going to do a little bit with him then then none 'til obedience at 7:30pm maybe that will be enough of a break? Argh freaking out!!!

Great! Thanks Sway! Shall book an appointment.

Just to update, finally got a response from a couple of vets including my own vet who will put it in for $160 and says it lasts around 12 months. Does that seem about right to everyone here?

Good idea! I will give them a call. I really want to take Atlas through obedience competitions and I know I have to move fast and keep on top of him, stubborn guy!

Hey guys, I totally get that looking at a website doesn't tell you everything about a company or trainer but if someone could just have a glance over this (like a trainer or something) and let me know if they think these people sound good or not that would be great I would love to take Atlas to private lessons so we can work closely together but I don't want to waste my time / money on someone who is just a .. waste of time and money! http://gooddogs.com.au/index.html Thanks! -Fran

Ooh! Okay! I will try that! This forum rules so much good info! Spot on... we did the same with Kobe when he insisted on pulling on the lead when walked.... just sharp pops on the lead to rein him in... we were continually telling him to "heel"! when we did this.... so now (after a fair amount of repetitive training doing this) he will pretty much always heel on the lead without being told, as well as off the lead - until I give him the ok to "go ahead". The idea for the little lycra bag for his..er... "bits" made me crack up . Thats brilliant. Thank goodness Kobe has an abundance of hair down there, so we don't get the "dangles" ... its only when he roles over for a pat on his pink bits (my silly name for his innner back legs) that you can see them and its like "woah, put em away"!!!! He is really not much of a puller on the lead! He will heel pretty well he likes being next to me isn't super obsessed about being ahead, except with other dogs, but even then a quick correction normally fixes it. It's more about him listening to me when he is on the lead, like when we stop I want him to sit automatically (as we learn at dog obedience) unless I say stand (boy that was interesting, he was the best at "standing" when told, but in my opinion it was "not sit", not "stand" hahaha) and he is good at stay when he's still and paying attention. I wish I could get him to watch and pay attention to me more!

Yep we are using a check chain and he is SO much better on that than a flat collar! He doesn't really pull on the lead when we're walking unless he wants to get to something and I do the "pop" method on the collar if he does that. I think it's because I just chat away to him all the time that he has learned to ignore my prattle! In our class we were doing socialisation exercises where we lead the dog through a slalom course of other dogs / handlers and he is really good at that, just looks straight ahead with only occasional glances to the dogs we're going past, I'm not sure whether it's just that he doesn't like what food we give him (we have tried lots of different kinds of kibble and other foods) or that he doesn't have much of an appetite but he is not really food driven. We can put his food down on the ground for dinner and he will give it a sniff, wander off and have a lie down, maybe play in the yard, come back and eat it later if at all... it's really odd most dogs are drooling for food all the time. The only time he really wants food is when we're eating (we always eat first). It is bizarre.

partially dominance and mostly having gotten away with blue murder so far with you guys if he tries to get on the couch push him off if he doesnt listen MAKE him listen. Feed him only out of your hand, give him a correction etc Hormones a not driving this behavior as I see the same in desexed dogs and bitches. He's just trying to rule the roost and needs to be taken down a couple of pegs. I have a 60kg entire male and he listens. He can even leave and ignore an entire bitch if I say so, it comes down to consistancy in training and persistance. Dont let the dog win :D Thank you so much! We are being super consistent and much more firm with him and your comment about getting away with blue murder so far is spot on! He was so cute and had such a sweet disposition that we were a bit slack with him but we are taking control again now. When you say "make" him listen, what could I do to do this? My trainer suggested that when we're walking to do lots of left and right turns and if he's not paying attention he'll get walked into and dragged along. This doesn't seem to work as he simply doesn't mind being walked over or into or anything! I try to do the "watch!" command and reward him when he watches, but he is not super keen on treats really (except McDonalds fries and I can't just be giving him those all the time) and at dog obedience any progress we've made goes out the window as he only wants to sniff the ground and get to the other dogs to play. If we thought Atlas had any ACTUAL DA that will be life-long, we would NEVER breed from him as we want to not only improve the breed but make sure we are not contributing to the bad rep that these dogs have. I honestly believe it is just my lack of dominance (he is actually my partner's dog but I undertake most of the training, hahaha) and like you said his dominant as opposed to insubordinate position in the pack that is causing the TINY, TINY bit of DA we've seen. I have never seen him go for a dog unprovoked, and only seen him react to provocation once or twice. I 100% agree that we would NEVER breed from him if we thought the DA was a "permanent" issue. The other day in obedience we were told to do an exercise where we approach another handler and their dog and pretend we're meeting in the street for a chat. I put Atlas into a drop/stay and the other lady who had a VERY excitable little cavalier was the one having problems, Atlas just lay on his tummy wagging his tail madly and looking up at me like "please that doggie is being silly and running around can I please get up please c'mon I want to play!" but he did not move an inch or try to get up even though this dog was just about jumping all over him. He is getting so much better. I would still love to see a behaviourist though! There aren't any anywhere near me, I'd have to take him 600+km away to Brisbane. Which I would not hesitate to do if at any time in the future I thought it was even slightly becoming a problem.

Best dog I even had slept on my bed all her life, with her head on the pillow. She was totally obedient but the absolute boss of all the other dogs so not "submissive". At jumps up on the bed and lies on the pillows, I tell him "get to the end!" and he hops up and wiggles his way under the blankets. Some guard dog hey! I think I'll wait 'til At's next appointment at the vet's to discuss it, I don't think they really do phone calls and I don't want to pay $55 just for a chat with no actual doggie consultation.

Oh my god can you imagine! Hahahaha oh my god I am laughing so hard at the image of me trying to "demonstrate" that on national TV! Totally, I never let him do it anymore, I used to think it was cute when he was a puppy and when I was more ignorant than I am now (still fairly ignorant!). I let him lie up there (he falls asleep straight away) to take a photo for proof, then made him get down. I don't even let him up anymore. Not ideal but I figure better late than never. He also sleeps in our bed ;) :p just down the end near our feet....... under the blankets ..... *hangs head in shame* Yep his DA is not that bad at all, he plays really well with other doggies especially submissive ones with enough confidence to play back. My mum's toy poodle (she got him when our mini died) Jack is very dominant and is actually the only dog I have ever seen Atlas bow down to, even on At's own territory! Hahahah it is so hilarious. I just want to do the best I can for his breed and his hard-wiring so that it doesn't become a problem.

Maybe he needs a special lycra pouch for them. Yeah like a little sunsuit that goes over and straps over his rump or something! You are onto something here poodlefan I think we should go into business together ;)

Thanks! I should have done a search first, sorry :p Maybe they are out of date - we are regional Central QLD after all! ;) Thanks poodlefan (I am also a poodle fan - recently sent the poodle my mum bought when my parents divorced to the rainbow bridge after 12 years ). Ted my oldest Mini Poodle boy turns 12 today A friend of mine has her boy on Suprelorin. It definitely does seem to take the edge of the "bulletproof teenage boy" behaviour but does shrink the testicles considerably. Atlas sure does have gigantic testicles, I wouldn't mind them being shrunk, esp. as they are very pink and sunscreening them is not my favourite job! Teehee..

Thanks! I should have done a search first, sorry Maybe they are out of date - we are regional Central QLD after all! Thanks poodlefan (I am also a poodle fan - recently sent the poodle my mum bought when my parents divorced to the rainbow bridge after 12 years ;) ).

Definitely doing that - even if we do the hormone implant thing we will certainly still work as hard as we can (as we are doing now) to curb his "enthusiasm". His dominance comes out in not paying much attention to me when we go to dog obedience or on walks, as well as stuff like getting up on the back of the couch to lie down behind me in the "highest" spot (see pic). So I'm not massively worried he's not aggressive towards people at all, only sometimes towards dogs if he thinks they are threatening me (what a gentleman ) but I know that this is still behaviour that has to be nipped in the bud. He's only 20 months old. Good to know! I guess I will keep doing my research, I am interested in whether there is a reason my vet doesn't do it (I only spoke to a receptionist/nurse) so I might give her a call and make an appointment. I just wondered whether any DOLers had used it to any good effect. Pic:

Last night at obedience training I was talking to our trainer and told her that we had not decided yet whether we wanted to breed from Atlas as he is full register and has lovely bloodlines and our breeder thinks we should, but we want to make sure we do all our research and do everything the right way. I said that I thought neutering would take the (mild) dominance behaviour out of him and she said "well I got my dog a hormone implant that acts in the same way, why don't you try that? It lasts for 2 years". I thought that sounded tops but the 2 vets I called today (our usual vet and one just around the corner) have never heard of it. Has anyone here heard of it? If so, what is your opinion?