woodbyne

Thanks you have put my mind at ease. All my dogs are and have always been desexed so this is a new thing to us and her not being my dog was a bit stresfull. Thanks heaps

Hi

I'm currently minding a friends dog for a few months shes a show/breeding bitch so is entire. Usually shes madam hypo but this morning shes quite flat she ahd puppies 6 months and 4 days ago ( i only know the precise time as we have one of her puppies) the owner said she might come into season and i think shes on the way in. This morning shes quite flat temp normal gums normal no pain just quite when we minded her before she was 3 weeks pregnant and did the same thing for a few weeks into her pregnancy so i'm thinking shes just hormaonal coming into season. Anyone else had this? Can't contact the owner at the moment will try again tommorrow as they are away. Shes not sick i don't think just quiet

Don't get me started the neighbours beagle killed 3 of our lambs last year. We came home to finding him about to chase down a 4th lucky for him we don't have a gun. When we cought him and took him home with blood all over him the bloody neighbour says "oh i guess thats what dogs so" My husband was furious and told him to keep him locked up. I understand that sometimes they get out by accident but when you have no fences its no accident. I have to admit my dog on 2 occasions has escaped -gate accidently left open and i was stressing what might happen thankfully she returned home and i assume no damage done as i had already called all our neighbours hoping they had seen her. can't blame the farmer and the poor little lambs the mothers would be devestated ours were walking around calling their lambs for about 2 days. Don't under estimate the affection a ewe shows to their babies they are far from dumb animals.

Pretty much - it's much easier when you see it I think. The idea is to have the dog driving hard for the treat (so don't give predictable commands or you will slow them down). If you do your prep work right then they eat the treat and are flying back along the "line" you have established in anticipation of throwing the next treat, when you give the command. You can decrease your criteria a little when you increase distance and then build it back up again. You need quick reactions, though - otherwise it becomes dull to your dog and they have no idea what they are being rewarded for.

so last night i put her bowl down and revved her up then released her she was a bit confused and looking at me like mmm why are we doing this. but it was the first time sowill keep going thanks so much i'll keep you up to date on our progress

Also think about your body language... the second I tense up or get frustrated one of my dogs shuts down. Sniffing the ground can be a displacement behaviour.

The other day at training someone upset me and I stupidly tried to train my dog afterwards... I asked her to heel and she looked at me like I was a stranger. I spent a few minutes calming down and having some fun with her (2 food game, her favourite tricks, lots of rewards) then tried again and she was perfect

You guys are great Can i ask what the 2 food game is?

Thanks

Having been through an incredibly challenging stage with my Dally, I would make her work for every scrap of food she gets - I like Vickie's idea of dropping back on the formal training and using motivational games in a more relaxed approach. "The Focussed Puppy" is a great little book - available from Clean Run with free shipping. One thing about playing motivational games - ALL our training should be just as much fun, particularly if you want to get a highly distractible Dally in the ring ;)

Currently, my youngster is in season so Zig is a little bit distracted by the "ladies" at training Yesterday at training he broke his sit stay for the first time that I can recall to ask a lovely bitch next to him out on the town :rolleyes: I very quietly returned to him, gave him a verbal NRM in a bright voice and he wagged his silly tail as I heeled him back into position (NOTE: no cranky body language!!!!) No dramas and he was rewarded heavily on my return (in position). I left him in a sit stay for the drop stays and the lovely girl next to him decided that she did indeed want to go out on the town with him and went up to him not once but twice! He wagged his tail so hard that he nearly levitated and his eyes were wide with delight but he did not move a muscle because I have made it incredibly rewarding to ignore temptations - often he gets the food treat afterwards and also gets released to sniff etc. This is the result of 4.5 years of training!!!

I'll look up that book now ummm 4.5 yrs of training oh well at least by then she will be slowing down anyway and probably wont be botehred nicking off. I often feel i have left the run to late but not by choice. I have found feeding her all her dinner by hand is hard as she can only eat raw meat and vegies and brown rice no kibbles at all so i'm trying to think how i can make her dinner into some sort of cooked cookie or formed treat.

My advice would be to give her a break from training for a couple of months.

Spend the time building fun motivation games in a low distraction environment (eg lounge room), then backyard, then paddock etc.

I know how frustrating it is, one of my previous dogs was like this. I tried to build motivation with him using training. It didn't work. After spending a couple of months just playing games with him, he came back to training a totally different dog and stayed motivated till the day he died.

The good thing about just playing motivation games is that your expectations are a lot lower than, say weaving/heeling etc. It tends to put the joy back into things for both of you.

Any good books on the type of motivational games to play?

Sad thing is shes only just come back to training.... Gawd will we ever get to trial.....and you are probably right i'm putting to much pressure on her not that i did it consciously but thinking it through maybeeee. Sad when my daughters pup is progressing 100% fater than mine.....looks like i'll be going to trials and sit on the sideline watching her.

What health issues has she had? Sounds like sometimes she is still not feeling 100%

My allergy dog is similar, sometimes works well, other times you can see he is just not interested.

The major issue was seizures thats now under control by grain free diet and it was also caused by low calcium levels so thats also under control.

Before seh was desexed (was showing her so didn't desex her but now in nueter) she had polycystic ovaries

For no good reason she would suddenly have chronic diarea with debilitaing stomach cramping that also hasn't occured since the change in diet. So for us the change in diet seems to have cured thing i stricly measure everything and don't change a thing and she never gets anything other than whats on her diet plan even when she looks at you with pathetic eyes you know you can't risk it. Thing is when shes finished training shes perfectly normal so i don't hink its a health thing more an attitude thing but happy to listen to anyone.

I had the same issue with my kids 10 years and 7 years. I told the on the day as they were really upset i didn't think they needed to be upset for days before hand they knew it was coming when i told them what we had to do and were understanding needless to say devestatingly upset. My vet doesn't allow kids under 12 to go in when the animals is actually given the needle and i was thankful for that i had a friend come and mind the kids and they got to say good bye byt hubby and i went to teh vets and had out own time as well.Its never an easy thing but time is really only the nest healer.

Hi

I'm feeling rather frustrated with my training sessions. I have to train at home by myself as its a long long drive to the closest club so i'm hoping for some helpful advice.

Background:

Dalmatian 4 years old had numerous health issues now all undercontrol (touch wood) hence the lag getting into serious training well not serious training but routine training. I have previously trialled 4 other dals to ADMs CDXs never made the elusive UD. This girl is giving me a nightmare.

One day shes consistent and loving training tail wagging and i think brilliant yep we will get in the trial ring then what a difference a day can make next day nope can't remember a thing. We are working on weavers at the moment she was progressing nicely then yesterday dummy spit halfway through the weavers dropped her head and took off nose on the ground up to the gate to get back into the house paddock. Shes at teh gate dying to try and get in. I encourage her to come back and its like i have beaten her to death now shes got no focus at all tail down and wont even look at me. I have no idea why this behaviour happened and she wasn't spooked by anything near the weavers or anything. i get her to do a jump and a tunnel shes pretty half hearted about it and then i call it quits for the day.

This morning i go out and she did one perfect go of the weavers (her level not competition) i stupidly give her another go and she spits the dummy again. Shes not highly motivated by anything so training is bloody hard work. We have been doing NLIF which has worked ok but quite often she really doesn't care if she doesn't get a pat or her dinner.

I'd love to hear from anyone with a hard dog to motivate and how they worked around this all my other dals have been piggies and ball freaks. I just don't know what to turn to next shes just so inconsistent is it me or just her temperament. I'm feeling a bit disheartened and wondering if she doesn't want to train whats the point problem is i love it and love going to trials to talk with people and another dog is not an option for us might end up with two like her anyway.

My kids have always come to trials since before being born. My son is never too impressed hes not an animal lover my daughter on the other hand now is training her own puppy and got to take one of our older girls in to the massed dog obedience demo at they royal. Train them like dogs and they will be fine... oops did i say that.... I usually find people with out of control dogs also have out of control hypo kids....

BTW Bribery also works well....or it that positive reinforcement

I wanted a dog any dog as a kids my parents said i could have a "Rockwheeler" but one day at my grandparents place the people accross the road from her where babysitting some dalmatians. I ran back home saying i wasnted a "dash hound" thinking thats what they were called you can imagine my fathers surprise from "Rockwheeler" to "dash hound". He said what do you want one of them for they are too small i said no they aren't they are big come and have a look. So over we go and the rest is history the owners of the dogs had already bred the two of them (they were show dogs and reg breeders) and waiting for babies so we put our name down sadly the litter was lost and we ended up with a dalmatian bought from teh newspaper but luckily for us from a registered responsible breeder and so the addiction to spots began.

My husband has working kelpies and my daughter just got her first dog after hanging out for a jack for 5 years we finally allowed her to have one and now my addiction is changing over to the small bundles of energy like dally energy in a pocket rocket and heaps less food bill....her addiction to jacks came from helping a friend show her jacks and she had been helping show hers for all that time.

Ok i have been stewing on this for almost a week last weekend we went to a dog show and camped there two nights. We were one of the first there to set up camp and not a dog poo insight and how did things change.... by Sunday you could not walk 3 meteres without spotting one and someone even had the hide to allow their dog to poo right at the back of my car.... Far out people we are supposed to be the responsible ones just cause you aren't in the ring or just around it doesn't give you the right not to clean up after your dogs people can see you. On two occaions i had to give a plastic bag to 2 different people as they were about to walk off and not pick up both were looking around to see if nayone was watchingand both said oh i was just going to get a bag. ummm if you are walking or toiletting a dog would you not take a bag with you.... Sorry its my pet peeve luckily i live out of town but i still pick up after my 3 dogs EVERY DAY and they have run of the 5 acre house paddock....

I tried to get into earthdog a while back, and emailed a few people about where to find classes or fun days or anything at all to do with it. And never heard back, and I didn't find anything when googling it. Seems it's not all that popular, or if it is, they don't want do be found.

It's cool though, I'd love to get into it.

The one in NSW is run by the jack russell club apparently the dachshund club also runs some training days. We have our first training day in August we just watched a few you tube videos and learning from them probably totally wrong but shes running through and having fun.

Hi

Anyone do earthdog. we have a 5 month jack pup hubby just built 2 tunnels for her first go raced through it we even added the right angle extension on. I love it addicted before even starting i think. i love seeing dogs do whats natural for them.

Thanks guys looks like the stilboestrol is still they way to go will find out next week. Hers is only minimal and she has no idea she does it.

My bitch 3 year old is desexed and has started leaking a small amount of urine only when in a deep sleep. She is due for vax in 2 weeks so i will ask the vet then but i think it might be a bit of hormone incontinenace my old girl who has now passed away had the same thing. I used to give her a stibolestrol tablet once a week (i think that was the does it was a while ago so can't remember exactly) but wondering if anyone knew if there had been any advance in the miedicating of this problem.

Thanks

Having owned trained and trialled working kelpies in all fields one thing to remember is that kelpies love movement thats what they were bred to look for so if you are just standing around or moving slowly the other dogs moving wil be way more attractive to his attention. Even when training heeling you have to be moving be intersting to the dog walking in slow straight lines is way too boring for a kelpie short sharp quick accurate lessons are the way to go. Babaies also have a very short attention span. Have fun and enjoy learning with your baby

For country exhibitors to try and exhibit in Sydney its a nightmare Dogs NSW are no longer allowed to allow you to camp on the grounds only a special dates so for us to try to get to a specialty we have to try to find accommodations thats dog friendly and as i only have 2 show dogs plus 2 kids thats accommodation in a hotel for 4 of us the cost of accommodation plus petrol is a bit prohibitive to me thats making it an elitist sport.

It used to such fun camping on the grounds meeting new people at least the city folk can do that when they want to make up their petrol champions!!!

I was actually asked by the vet if my dogs poo is white as ses on a natural diet due to severe allergies to grains apparently its a good sign and shows the body has diegested all of what it should?? No idea if thats correct just what vet told me and sound correct as my working doogs are fed kibble based diet and alsways have larger softer poo at least the white ones you can see and don't squish on your shoe if you tread on it.

Good luck Hunny. I know how stressfull it is. Touch wood our pup is goiong ok no limping for a week now but i'm going to continue to rst her for at least another week. She now gets outside off lead for an hour in the morning and an out in the night so far so good still not allowed with the big dogs i want ot make sure shes really strong. I think she has enjoyed this and has now unofficially become a house dog which is a secret between my daughter myself and the pup don't tell hubby.... he thinks its temporary.

Hi

Rest rest and more rest. We have been resting our pup in a crate now for 3 weeks walking only on lead and she is almost 100%. On the weekend we let her off lead for a run around supervised to make she she didn't jump off anythign stupid or go up the 2 tiny stairs we have. I also put rapidgel on her muscles before i let her off to warm them up a bit so far so good seh got an hour off lead this morning and no limping. Its painfully slow but so far its paying off.

Can't believe how good shes been in between toilet stops and playing with students she has crashed in her crate.Even my boss let her out and was on the ground playing with her. Spoilt little jack....mmm now to do some work....

So exciting... My puppy has come to work with me today she is a little jack russell who is recovering from a pulled muscle in her shoulder area so has been on bed rest but i had to go to work today and hubby will be home late so guess what shes come to be a librry dog today. At the moment shes sleeping. I have been worried about her missing out on socilaisation as she is on rest for a few weeks but obviously it hasn't affected her she walked in like she owned the place and has had many cuddles problem is i didn't realise she was so doggy smelling till i bring here inside here ooops my house must be doggy smelling.... haven't noticed it inside at home......

We feed our working dogs coprice working dog. Cheap no fancy colours in it like red and green kibble. dogs don't do massive poo after eating and its keeps weight on and shiny coats.

My show/pet try hard obedience and agility dal eats a natural diet die to too many food alergies to list and grains and low calcium cause her to fit and our jack baby eats a combination of natural and puppy kibble, cans ets getting her used to as many things as we can so far no allergies.