Weasels

lol @ pole dance :p I was practicing a sit-down-stand sequence at a training day recently and someone walking past said "make up your damn mind!" :laugh:

Yes, reward in the position you want :) There is an online heeling course available that just started but you can still sign up - http://denisefenzi.com/2013/05/23/heeling-games/ ($65 for an 'observer' spot) which is all about building motivation and should help with understanding reward generally if that's the kind of thing you're looking for :) If you can video your own training it can help a lot to see what you're 'really' doing too.

I agree with Kavik it doesn't sound like moving to a tug will necessarily solve the problem. Do you use a clicker or marker word? It's generally the easiest way to fade a lure if they know the reward doesn't have to be in sight to be coming. Even if you go back to capturing an uncued behaviour (like lying down) with a marker, then producing a reward from a table or somewhere sneaky. Also introducing behaviour rewards (sometimes called 'life rewards' or the Premack Principle) like being allowed to go sniff or go run that you can use anywhere anytime, might help :)

K9 Positive Works is slightly NOR but travels - https://www.facebook.com/K9PositiveWorks Georgia or Cecile at Paw Prints do in-homes I believe - http://pawprintspettraining.com.au/ or if you are extra SOR - Dog Charming near Rockingham - http://www.dogcharming.com.au/ Should all be able to help :) I have heard good things about Kathy but never met her, although I heard a rumour she may be moving more towards classes than one-on-ones? Not sure if it's true but she's well regarded either way. Not familiar with Del at all I'm afraid. Good luck :)

NOR or SOR? Group class or in-home training?

Lesmurdie is 'on-leash' but the times we went there we only saw one other person (with an off-lead dog) :) It's lovely.

Agree about the tracking people - but do you have mice? Chess really only turned on to using her nose after the first time she caught a mouse. Spends most of her day checking the gutters and snuffling the wood heaps now. (Since the mice can hide but not be accessible it seems to ramp up the sniffing compared to something that either gets away or err... doesn't )

I use running with me as a reward for Weez too :) The kelpies love any activity, so it works well! I've inadvertantly been working with Snook's trainer to help Chess calm down around other dogs :laugh: I always think of her more as 'fun police' than reactive, but I think it's still good for her. Poor girl, I've focussed so much on Weez's problems I tend to just assume she's fine, so it's nice to spend time on helping her with her discomforts :)

Naaww how small is the toy Nacho humps?? :laugh: Interestingly, Chess used to hump her bed regularly when we lived in the suburbs but has only done it twice since we moved to acreage and she runs around 'helping' people all day. So pretty sure in that case it was just boredom/excess energy and we never worried about it.

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:laugh: cute :D -- I'm not training at a club at the moment and have organically started using "f*** ya then" as a no-reward marker. I foresee this becoming a problem in the future

Just proving I was listening! :p

You're rewarding at the front of your body, with your right hand. Try rewarding with your left hand, where you want him. He's following your hands. Even with my 'good' heeling dog I keep my hand on my left hip to show where to stay. I'm shocking for rewarding with my right hand too ;)

Can you translate that to english for us Snook?

Never trust a hearder I was listening to a podcast about typhoid mary today, I noticed some similarities. Especially that having 'good intentions' and claiming conspiracy will only get you so far with the public, but if you keep doing stupid or negligent things it will all turn against you in the end.

Sending good vibes to little Louis, take care of yourself too CC

I figure it's a successful day when I can just call a dog by its correct name and gender. Now that I think about it I should really replace "good boy/girl" with "good dog" too

But IME it's me saying it that's the problem :laugh: When I'm with a trainer, after they've explained something I automatically say "OK!" and off shoots the dog Happens to me all the time at herding, I'll never use "ok" again Justrace how about "go"?

I'm a big fan of training what "No" means, if nothing else because that's what a bystander is most likely to yell if my dog is heading for the road/pile of snail pellets/whatever. But I also see a lot of people who a) don't train it, just assume the dog knows what it means and b) don't really have a criteria for what it means in their own head - and use it interchangeably for "stop" "drop it" "leave it" "quiet" "go away" etc. etc., then the word doesn't really have the effect the owner is looking for. A worthwhile word to train though, IMO. For me it means "stop moving" (although I admit I use it as "go away" when I'm exasperated, but then more as part of a sentence about how annoying they are ).

Well the niche of anti-flouride conspiracy theorist has already been filled in SA parliament, so MA had to add another bow to his quiver to set him apart.

Plus a GSD named Torah in Warnbro

I'm really appreciating all the herding training the kelps have done right now! The neighbours at the place we're living at now have about a dozen sheep right next to the dogs' main exercise paddock, and the kelpies haven't put a foot towards them since they arrived 6 weeks ago. Two years of training seems to have taught them when the sheep are 'theirs' and when they aren't :) I would hate to think the trouble we'd be having otherwise!

What an amazing girl. Thinking of you today Piper

:hug:

:crossfingers: PME!