FalconRange

I'm not sure, but I'd imagine that it's possible you could be asked to stop using the collar or even leave the event. If you're a SACA member you potentially could also be given a warning or be given further consequences for going against their rules, especially if you were on their grounds. Honestly though, I think it's a little bit dumb that the major public dog body doesn't support the use of valid and effective training tools that are safe when used correctly. If even the public face of dog owners won't support their use, it's no wonder individuals, organisations and governments start to form uninformed opinions about whether they should be allowed or not.

I think desexing would work in her favour, actually. If she is healthy enough to survive, her being a desexed, 'rare' breed means that she is more likely to be on sold to a pet home than ending up in a puppy farm/BYB situation. What I would be doing is keeping an eye on gumtree and the trading post etc., and maybe also contacting obedience/agility clubs and asking if they have a magazine/bulletin that people can advertise in asking members to keep a look out for her. Dog people are the first ones who would notice another dog around, especially one new to their area, a 'rare' breed, a puppy, and such a striking looking dog.

Prong collars are not banned in SA, but e-collars are, which may be the source of confusion. Here is a link to the SA Animal Welfare Act 1985. Part 3 Section 15 details the e-collar ban. What may also cause confusion is the SACA (DogsSA) ban on both prong and e-collars at any of their shows, trials and exhibitions, under section 52 of their SACA Rules document which can be found here. I believe K9 Pro also stock a prong collar cover if you are concerned by opinions of members of the public and want to avoid such (uneducated) attention.

http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/about/public-awareness/education/careers This is a page on the AQIS website. I realise it's aimed at high school students, but I guess there are some ideas of training involved listed there. Perhaps email them via the contact details down the bottom to get some more information? They may be able to point you in the right direction.

If you're in Adelaide as well, you can advertise lost and found dogs on the facebook page Lost Dogs of Adelaide.

Give Jane Harper from Dogs on Track a call. She's a behaviourist, and will be able to let you know what the possible outcomes will be, rather than the surmises of Internet randoms. Best of luck, and stay positive.

Jane Harper from Dogs on Track is often highly recommended by QLD members.

Dogtainers were very good when I flew my boy. Crate was organised and ready to go without any hassles. Edit - Because I was travelling with him like you will be, I went through the airline (Virgin) to transport him, and used Dogtainers for the crate hire. Call Qantas booking services and see if they can put you through to their luggage/special requirements department perhaps? That's how we got there, anyway, and I booked my own ticket on the phone at the same time. Just make sure with Qantas freight that you don't need a Vet certificate to clear him for travel. When I was looking at airlines, I noticed that Qantas stated that you may need one, but I'm not sure whether it's needed when you travel with the dog. Virgin told me they didn't need one, but airline policies differ, I guess.

You could also consider crating him/putting him in the car when it isn't your turn to do something. This way, he gets lots of short bouts of training with lots of rest in between.

The current favourite here is the Everlasting Fire Plug. I did have a brand unknown treat ball which was a hit, but it disappeared over the fence never to be seen again, and was no longer available from Petstock either, sadly.

I don't normally post stuff like this, but I love the way the filmmakers have used the Sibes so effectively here. They're just beautiful. Something for Kate - Survival Expert Also, as you can tell, I have no idea how to embed videos here. It's worth watching though!

You need to think very hard about what you like about your dog, and whether this will be affected if you get a second one. Do you like that she is closely bonded to you? Potentially she could bond to the other dog more. Do you like spending time with her? That time will decrease. Have you trained her to the point where you are happy with her level of training and living with her? She could learn bad habits, or you might not have the time to train her further. Are you happy with how easy it is to live with her? If she and the new puppy don't get along, managing two dogs and maintaining separate routines can be very difficult and frustrating. Are you financially able to support two dogs? Do you have time to spend with them separately? Why do you actually want two dogs? Is it really for her companionship? Or is it because you want another puppy? If for companionship, how disappointed would you be if they didn't like one another? I'm not trying to criticize, simply trying to provide the other side of the argument. I'm also not expecting a reply. I'd rather you took some time and thought carefully about your answers.

By not letting a non-permanent resident adopt, the RSPCA is making sure that they know where the animal will end up, hopefully for the rest of its life. Had they let someone adopt without permanent residency, that dog will likely need to find a new home in the not-too-distant future, and this new home may not be up to the standards that the RSPCA or other rescues/shelters demand. If the adopter was also not genuine, the dog may also potentially end up being passed from place to place, on the street or worse. Dogs are pack animals, and whilst most dogs are able to cope when ownership changes or when placed into a foster to forever home situation, dogs that come back into rescue again after being adopted out may find it difficult to adjust or cope without their families. They have no comprehension of visas and limited time visits, and in some cases breaking that bond with their owner when they go back overseas can affect the dogs quite a bit. Not allowing you to adopt, even temporarily to get them out of the shelter for a while, is less about a financial decision or a judgement of your capabilities as an owner, and more about ensuring this dog has the best chance of finding a permanent home. In saying that, if you really want this dog, either to take home when you have finished your course or just temporarily while you're here, perhaps if you made some connections with a local rescue organisation and drew up some paperwork, you might be able to have a chat to an RSPCA manager and organise to pay for and adopt the dog from them and then foster it for the rescue organisation. Over a fostering or trial period, if the dog is one you wish to keep, great - foster failures are always celebrated! But if you aren't compatible, you can always foster it until it finds a permanent home. This option does involve a lot of organisation and dedication, but I would think that if you're willing to do that and develop a relationship with a rescue organisation, this would demonstrate to the RSPCA at the very least that you are interested, involved and reliable, hopefully enough to let them give you a try.

Where in SA are the Club's? I live near Border Town and given what I've been reading about Victorian Clubs, I might opt to travel in the opposite direction! Cheers. www.dogssa.com.au Go to Clubs and Activities, then Affiliated Clubs.

I'm not sure recommends would be the right word. He utilises them, but only where appropriate, I'd imagine. He's very good at analysing each case and adapting his methods to suit the individual dog/s needs.

How are his teeth? Not wanting to take larger treats (ones that may actually need chewing) and not finishing meals could possibly relate to dental pain.

Talk to the instructor/s and see how flexible they are. Explain your situation and goals. Even if they might allow you to do some work on equipment after others have finished so you can do it the way you are happy with. Don't feel forced to do it their way.

http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/breeders/boston-terrier.asp Here's the DOL list of breeders. Probably the best thing to do would be to get into contact with the breeders in your state, have a chat to them and see if you can catch up with them at a show or trial, or if you might be able to visit them at home. This will give you a feel for the temperaments of the dogs, and might allow you to learn more about them, whether they are suitable for your family, and maybe even build a relationship between you and the breeder. Best of luck!

Lovely work Bedazzledx2....you might be able to help me with a problem I have with training heel. I hold my hand as you do, as a target & she will follow it well enough, but in training, as soon as I give her a treat, she thinks the exercise is over. She will go quite a distance before I treat & I am extending this duration, but she then thinks it is all over. Looking at your videos (other than the one above), the answer is probably staring me in the face.....is it that you don't treat in position, but you treat when you release. I was taught to treat "down the drain" ie while in heel position. Hope I havn't confused anyone & sorry Teela for barging in on your topic. :) I'm not sure if it would work for your dog, but have you considered using two types of treats as you're working? One high value, one not so high. Hold the two types together in your hand, but mid-exercise treat with the not-so-high value, and then at the end with the high value just before the release. Hopefully the smell of the high value treat will keep her going until the end? Keep it short though! =)

http://www.fordogtrainers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=82_85&products_id=71 This one here has a D ring. Looks to be in the US. Edit: another here too. This one in UK. http://www.fordogtrainers.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=842

Jane Harper is a behaviourist who comes highly recommended by Brisbane DOLers. Her website is here: http://www.dogsontrack.com.au/index.htm RSPCA QLD also has a behaviour hotline that is apparently quite good also if you have questions you'd like to discuss over the phone. Best of luck for the future.

Thanks everyone for your experiences! You'd all convinced me to give it a go, and my copy has just arrived in the mail today. Will let you know how we go. :)

Christmas lights. December walks must be done before dark, and sometimes even then we have to go home part way through. Silly boy. :)

Why would they be so hostile against clickers? I don’t understand how it would be a bad way of training? Does anyone know the argument against clickers? We used clicker training for our Frenchie and she picked up all her training so quickly! From my personal experience, it has been an excellent way to train my puppy by targeting the right behaviours. Our club discourages the use of clickers in class as if more than one clicker is being used, especially in close proximity to neighboring dogs, this can cause confusion for the dogs. Your neighbour might be marking the correct behaviour for their dog, but your dog may interpret it as correct for them when that may not be the case. Clicker use at home is not discouraged though!

Hi all. Has anyone on here ever tried out Susan Garrett's Crate Games DVD? I'm considering trying it out when I introduce my dog to the crate concept, and just wanted to know whether anyone has found it useful or worthwhile. My dog is probably older than the target audience of the DVD (not a pup any more!), but I suppose similar results could be achieved, just perhaps at a slower rate.