Sue & Waldo

I'm up for cake :D Great-when are you back and where are you going?

so what would foundation work for obedience include? Sue, I'm happy to show you some fun stuff in person one day Although, I think you will have some good people around you to help out! Em had foundation work with 3 sports in mind - I loved The Focussed Puppy and there was fun stuff in there for puppies of all descriptions. I also did lots of fun recalls, 2 food game, playing rough and breaking off (between Em and me and between Em and Zig), steady feet (priceless for retrieving, obedience and agility!), clicker training, shaping, taught a 'ready?' cue and a release cue etc. Find out all the things that are important to your pup and use them as rewards (food, toys, tugging, retrieving, going outside, playing off leash, having a drink, going in the car, playing with another dog, sniffing and exploring etc etc). Use a VERY high reward schedule. Especially when you start to teach something like heel work - that position has to be the best place in the world! Something I consider very important is engaging 100% with pup for 30 sec (for example) and then giving them a release cue to relax - then whenever you say 'ready?' pup is willing to give you 100% attention as well. I see so many people when training or trialling that turn their backs on their dogs (more figuratively) to talk to someone or when they make a mistake. The dog takes that as a cue to relax and start getting distracted in the middle of a training session, which becomes very self rewarding. Even between runs at an agility trial Zig understands whether he can relax and sniff and pee or tug and warm up in preparation for our next run. Does that make sense? Oh, and if you don't look/feel like a complete dill playing with your puppy you're not trying hard enough Yeah that makes sense-we could still meet up though. Eat cake? Work? As for making a fool of myself-I was working on my footwork in the local shopping centre when I realised a security guard was watching me very closely.

so what would foundation work for obedience include?

What do you mean by foundation work?

Awesome work!!!!

I need a breed that is non-shedding which is a bit limiting. I am looking at a mini schnauzer. I hope to get one soon. thanks for the note about my name but I think I want to shange it.

As some of you know I lost Cindy this week and have sort of started looking already. Cindy was my only dog so I am feeling it. I just have trouble coping without a dog. I miss training, my friends and club. I know I could go without a dog but I am not sure I could face it. It has been a shocking day today. I spent hours raking the back garden in case there was more chocolate hidden there (CIndy stole chocolate and buried it). It is a personal thing and it possibly depends on the number of dogs you have as well as how all involved (fur and skin bods) cope with the loss. ETA Must change my name but can't bring myself to do it

AWESOME WORK

Oh shucks-thanks. I am hugging DD dog who is having a sleep over here. So nice!

Well done!

Thanks-bet there is no mud or wet grass that she has to drop in now! Her hovering drops in damp grass cost me at least 2 passes. But you would remember that day too. She was the light of my life. As my DH said "You are in a state of deep heartfelt grief" I did the last poo patrol today. Couldn't bear to do it before this. Sometimes i can explore getting a new dog and at times I can't. Don't think I can bear to be without though! Thanks again for your kind thoughts. Was she your only dog? You poor thing, it's just so awful but it must be even worse if you now have no dogs. At least I have the other 3, and I have been out today with one of them at herding practise. It's the best therapy ever, doing dog stuff with dog loving people. And I think the best way to honour the memory of the one who's gone is to enjoy activities with other dogs. Yes she was our only dog so hard! DD dog is here tonight which is nice.

Thanks-bet there is no mud or wet grass that she has to drop in now! Her hovering drops in damp grass cost me at least 2 passes. But you would remember that day too. She was the light of my life. As my DH said "You are in a state of deep heartfelt grief" I did the last poo patrol today. Couldn't bear to do it before this. Sometimes i can explore getting a new dog and at times I can't. Don't think I can bear to be without though! Thanks again for your kind thoughts.

Thanks everyone.

Thanks for your thoughts and kindness-i was so thrilled with her title. It was a very quiet house tody.

thanks everyone-had a mild meltdown last night as I packed up her bed and bowls etc. she was a very special dog!

Thanks everyone for your hugs and thoughts. Such special memories of her!

I am proud but just had a melt down as she was not waiting for me when I got out of the shower. I did smile when the vet described her as brave though. When she was clipped she hid from the dog in the mirror because she didn't recognise herself. Worse was when we were walking with my daughter and her dog she hid from the rabbits. Thanks for the kind words.

So sorry-

Thanks Jules-I appreciate it

My beautiful Cindy aged 4 1/2 passed away last night from chocolate toxicity. She ate dark cooking chocolate and in spite of our best efforts she did not survive. Cindy was the first dog I ever trained - I learnt so much from her and the house is so empty. I miss her. I hardly know what else to say. Thank you to so many DOLers who supported and encouraged me in our training.

Oh Jules-I am so sorry. I hardly know what to say. All my love to you.

oh well I think it is good I will get drilled more than Orlando, once we get our footwork pace down pat everything else will fall into place, I dont seam to keep the same pace all the way through heelwork & thats what he wants to really work on at this point I recorded a metronome onto my mobile phone to keep my pace at a steady pace-nothing else worked!

Well done everyone! Awesome results.

Cindy is like that too but our previous dog....I had to do the whole thing (he was very special)

This article may help you Help my dog is afraid of car rides! Many dogs experience fear and anxiety when placed in a vehicle, and unfortunately, not many know why. Part of it may be that the only time your dog enters a vehicle is for a trip to a stressful location (veterinarian's office, shelter, a place he dislikes for whatever reason). The key to removing the anxiety is a fairly lengthy desensitization process. As with all desensitizing attempts, things must be taken slowly. Each step should be taken over the course of a few days. This allows your dog to get used to a non-threatening environment enough so that he or she will learn to associate the car with good times, rather than stress-inducers. Step One : Arm yourself with treats and goodies, and walk your dog around the car with the doors open a few times. Let him or her sniff wherever he likes, let him stick his head inside. If he handles this well, give him plenty of treats and praise. Do not treat if he shows anxiety, just continue to circle the car until he relaxes, then treat and praise. Step Two : After a few days of circling your car (yes, I DO realize how silly you may look doing this, I've done it too), your dog should be relaxed in the presence of an unmoving vehicle. Today you once again arm yourself fully with drool-worthy treats, and leaving all the doors open and the car engine OFF, coax your dog trough the doors of your vehicle. This is not as easy as it sounds by a long shot. While many dogs have no trouble actually entering a vehicle, some will be stressed out by the mere thought of being put into a car. If your dog is one of the latter, try these methods to find one that works for you. Also try to avoid forcing the dog into the car as this will set you back to Step One. •Lure her into the vehicle using mouth-watering treats •Throw a favourite fetch toy into the vehicle for her to retrieve •Walk her through on a leash if she is well-trained to "heel" wherever the leash goes •Have a favoured human sit in the vehicle and call her name •Sit in the car yourself and wait until she's ready to enter on her own Leave the doors of the car open so that your dog may leave at any time. Let her explore the vehicle at her own pace, making sure to always leave her exits open, and treat lavishly for every time she is in the vehicle. Ignore all anxiety from her. Do NOT coddle her, or try to reassure her, as this only reinforces the fear. Step Three : Close the car doors when your dog is inside, but leave the windows open, and the car engine off. Pet her through the window. Talk to her. If she shows anxiety, ignore it, but if she sits calmly, reward her. Don't leave her in there long, just a few minutes at a time. Join her in the car too, but continue to leave the engine off. Step Four : Start the car with your dog inside (who should now by calm inside, as well as outside). Don't leave the car, and don't leave the driveway, simply sit there with her a few times. Step Five : By this time, your dog should be behaving calmly and relaxed inside the car with the engine running, and yourself in the driver's seat. After sitting in the car for a few minutes, take her for a short drive around the block. Just a short one though. Reward her relaxed posture, ignore any drooling and shaking. When you've returned to your home, lavishly reward her for a job well done. Repeat as necessary, this may be a short step, or a long one, dependent upon how quickly your dog realizes that the car is not delivering her to a place of terror. Step Six : Take her someplace FUN. A dog park, a beach to run and swim at, somewhere fun for HER. It is very important to remember that dogs tend to associate delivery methods with the end result. If the end result of a car ride has always been a stressful vet visit, the association must be changed or your dog will never learn that the car delivers to fun places as well. I strongly recommend repeating this step at least four times a week, for the rest of your dog's life.