Kavik

Susan Garrett uses cut up raw chicken necks and dried fish as treats for training (not sure how practical that is for you :laugh: ). Some of her dogs are not as keen on food. My guys love food, it does make things easier, I normally use cheese as treats. If he loves the ball so much I would use it as a reward for training, no free fetch sessions.

Here is an Australian supplier http://www.agilityclick.com/category9_1.htm Whoops - too slow!

If you sign up to her newsletter I'm sure she will send out the information on when the next one starts. My guess is November as that is when the last one started, and is also when the contact course finishes (for those of us with the more basic membership). She has said in the contact course that the next one will be in the fall (so this season - Canadian fall). http://susangarrettdogagility.com/ http://www.clickerdogs.com/

Susan Garrett is going to open Recallers 4 soon - well worth it IMO! There are a lot of fun games for developing recalls but also relationship building, drive building and self control games. I've done two of the games already this morning!

Why don't you end on a high and finish before he gets too tired?

It sounds like a long time to ask him to concentrate to me! Are you able to keep the same level of enthusiasm up for the two hours? If you have a hard time keeping the same level of enthusiasm up it would be hard for him to as well! Are they expected to work the entire time or do they get some 'down time'? Is it possible for you to excuse yourself part way through to give him a break before the time he gets to the point he can't concentrate? Put him in a crate or in the car? In agility classes, I will do some relationship building exercises before and after our runs, and when we are finished I put Kaos back in his crate until it is his turn on the next sequence. That way I am only asking for his full concentration for a short amount of time, and I can give him my full attention and concentration at that time as well.

Thanks everyone! Looks like the book is the go! Will have to have a look at it! And yes looking at Kelpies tollersowned :)

Thank you, that looks helpful and interesting!

Following on from my thread on temperament testing a future sports prospect puppy. I know NOTHING about conformation! And I know it is important that a sports dog has good conformation. So I would love to find out more about conformation in so far as how it is important for sports, what to look for, what to avoid etc. Pictures would be great!

How awesome does it look! I only just found out about it too, through a friend liking on Facebook.

You can use a word as a marker instead of a clicker - "YES!" being the most common but you can use what you like. Where clapping would be difficult is where you want to be using your hands as well (for holding treats, lead, objects eg dumbell). One of the things people often say is that they feel they need more hands when clicker training, and clapping uses both of them! So this is where using a marker word may be easier instead.

DeltaCharlie, that is a tough one! I would have just reattempted the weaves as well - since there are no refusals. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who gets confused :laugh:

Thanks DeltaCharlie that is good advice to have someone plan a course for me for the first time :) If I am unsure about a course I ask for help when possible even in normal classes. I watched some of the snooker at the FOA on the weekend as well to see what people were doing.

Thanks Amypie! I had a read through the rules right before starting the topic, and tried to find out what happened in my mock run through - he back jumped a red jump after doing it properly, and whistle was blown, and I didn't realise I was supposed to go straight to closing sequence :laugh:

I haven't yet attempted to do Snooker, as I find it confusing, and worry about confusing myself and my dog :laugh: but there is a trial coming up next month which offers it and I am considering entering. Any hints or tips on how to understand it better/how to run it? We had a mock run through at training, and I stuffed up :laugh: My aim for the first one will probably be to make it as flowing as possible rather than go for maximum points.

I've met a dog that was said to be a mini Aussie.

It is different work as they get older. I find I worry about them less once they get a bit older - when tiny bubs I did worry about whether they were breathing when they were sleeping especially if the nap was long or overnight. At least you feel more human once you are getting decent sleep and once the hormones settle down!

Everyone is different. Personally, I am a massive mess at the start when bubs is just born - if I could get through the day in one piece I was happy :laugh: It was great to have dogs to walk to keep me busy, and prevent me from going insane, but I don't think I could have coped with a new pup and integrating with a dog aggro dog (I have one too), or do it justice with the training I have planned. I am very puppy clucky now though with my youngest bub being 17 months old, I now feel much more human :laugh: and really keen to try out some of the training ideas I have learnt with Kaos over the last year. Luke goes to school next year so I will only have one at home.

I think it is more confusing for the handler :laugh: Each discipline trains differently, sometimes even within each discipline there are different methods of training and handling a particular exercise or sequence. Where you may have issues is if the method you are using for one discipline conflicts with the method you are using in another discipline. In mindset for the handler as well as for the dog. So the best thing is to try to understand your chosen method and make sure you don't have conflicts in your chosen sports.

I think it would be OK if you have different environmental cues - eg often for shaping you are using a prop you want the dog to interact with or you are in a certain position (on a chair, kneeling etc) and this would cue what you are trying to do. As long as you aren't trying to teach the same behaviour two different ways.

I think it looks like a paralysis tick

Very cute! :D

From the Fire Brigade website: http://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=549 Each year the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB) carries out hundreds of animal rescues. The Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) relies heavily on the NSWFB and other emergency services to rescue animals from chimneys, stormwater drains, swamps, trees and inside walls. Our specialised rescue equipment such as wall cutters, aerial platforms and extra-long extension ladders, combined with our horse-lifting slings, reptile-handling kits, and thermal imaging and search cameras, assists greatly in animal rescues.

Yep Fire Brigade would be your best bet there - they have the proper equipment. When I worked at WIRES this is who we would call for animals in trouble that were high up in trees etc. We didn't have the equipment to go high and our insurance did not cover volunteers going up high on ladders for rescues.

Here is a radio interview with Gary Jackson about Migaloo. I did a scent detection course through NDTF and he was one of the guest speakers, also gave a demo and training session. You've got to be on the ball if you want to absorb all the information when he is speaking, that is for sure, he speaks quickly :laugh: http://www.4kq.com.au/shows/laurel-gary-mark-morning/highlights/migaloo-the-bone-hunter