Cosmolo

For those who don't look in the rescue forum, we will be travelling to both Sydney and Canberra within the next few months and there are currently places available within these sessions. While some of the workshops are geared toward rescue, they are all suitable for the dog owner as well. http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=185935

Limping, holding leg up completely, then is fine- then limping again. He has been rested and on anti inflams since Thursday and seems to be improving but we will be seeing our regular vet maybe tomorrow i think. It is very hard to keep a 13 week old JRT quiet..!!!

Just wanted to say i do sympathise Erny- while we don't have the same issues, we sometimes struggle with Dexter- getting tablets into him and then getting him to eat during the same time frame he has to get tablets. He can smell a tablet in ANY food so we just have to shove them down his throat- but he then becomes suspicious of anything we try to feed him as he thinks it may have a tablet in it- he will refuse anything, even his favourite training treats or roast chicken! And he gets that stressed when we give him tablets that he salivates and shakes. And unfortunately he has had to have many more tablets in his short life than any dog should so it becomes a vicious circle. Wishing Mandela well- he looks beautiful in the photos.

I am waiting to get a proper diagnosis from the vet before asking the breeders opinion which we will definitely do- i just don't want to worry her when it may be as simple as a strain or something. Jed, Gilbert is only 13 weeks old so i realise there is an awful lot of development left to do. I am just paranoid about having another dog with joint issues as we already have one with HD and ED. Great explanation too- thank you.

If you are looking at a Weim, you would need to be committed to alot of exercise and mental stimulation in the early stages where physical exercise is limited. Make sure you do plenty of research with regards to the breeder you get a pup from as Weims can be prone to anxiety- if you're aware of this you can tailor your training to suit but it helps to start out with a pup from bold parents with good nerves.

There is a chance Gilbert may have a luxating patella- seeing vet this week. I know very little about luxating patellas as i have always had big dogs. I would like to hear stories- particularly when the dog was diagnosed and how it was treated- from those who have experienced it with their dogs. Thanks in advance

Why does anyone care what method someone else uses if it works for them and is not detrimental to that dog? The only time i ever have an issue with positive trainers (note, not positive training) is when claims are made that corrections are cruel, not needed for all dogs, a reflection on a poor relationship or poor communication between dog and handler etc etc. And in reverse, i am sure those who train 'positively' get sick and tired of hearing people talk about bribery and dependency on rewards etc. Who cares if the dog is rewarded with praise or food? Why is trialling the measure? I believe in ongoing rewards- rewards that motivate my dog. If i chose to trial, i would use remote rewards, not stop rewarding. As i don't trial, when i want great improvements or special work, i have food or toys with me. Doesn't mean that when i sit in the couch and say drop that the dog doesn't do it because i don't have food.. The dogs learn pretty fast they have to do it regardless but there is a marked difference in their work mode and relaxed mode responses- one of my dogs is bursting to work when he does and i don't need OR want those same kind of responses at home- that does not translate to no response!!

I realise we need to wean to a point- but why do we need to wean off rewards completely? If someone weaned me off money completely, i'd probably stop working after a period of time.. Whats the problem with having a dog work for something? Personally i think its silly that dogs can't be rewarded in the ring anyway- but then again the trialling ring is not my measure of success. I think e collars and drive training can work rather well together and i think alot of the international schutzhund community use both. Positive training can achieve high levels of reliability with some dogs, with others it can be limiting- (i have seen both with exceptional trainers, it wasn't that those who were limited with their dogs weren't 'doing it right') but that doesn't make it wrong!

I have avoided confrontations by putting all of our dogs into a drop and stepping between them and the unknown dog. I know though that once i do this, i had better step up and take care of things as the dogs all default to us! When one of our dogs was attacked- badly, 3 of our others were there (off lead). Fortunately they all listened when told to move away and drop- if they had gotten involved, we would have had a dead dog.

The biggest training problems come through inflexible extremists- whether they be 'food only' or corrections only. Flexibility, an ability to assess the dog in front of you and choose the technique to suit is vital in any trainer. The issue is, people who use 'corrections only' think food is a bribe and people who use 'food only' think every correction is abuse. neither of these things are correct and there is a whole lot of beautiful grey area in the middle of the extremes!

No particular reason- just the breeders i have met with lovely dogs have all been rough or broken. A smooth would be fine too

The offering of behaviours for rewards is fine- its a good thing for dogs to offer nice behaviours without commands. Instructors rewarding dogs for coming to them instead of owner- not so good! Did the dog who sat outside the circle get to join the class eventually? I do use appropriate corrections as i believe the situations where i use them warrant it. Our group classes are much more difficult to run though because we have methods and equipment to suit each dog, ie- in one class we will have dogs on harnesses, headcollars, flat collars, martingales and maybe one or two correction chains. I totally understand why others choose not to do this because its tough and we only have small classes with 2 instructors. Within a group, when instructor attention is divided and the group inexperienced, i think leaning toward more positive is a safer option. But for us, we never rule out anything- different things for different dogs AND owners.

Rough or broken coat Jack Russell from a reputable breeder would likely suit well, provided the necessary training and socialisation is provided.

I think you need to speak to the trainer about the mouthing- its something you want to nip in the bud as soon as possible.

Make sure the puppy school is run by an experienced trainer- if you are already booked in i think you should give them a call on Tuesday and perhaps see if they are able to spend a little extra time with you before or after class to answer a few questions. Does your puppy cry every time you put him in the crate? Is the duration of the crying decreasing?

Has he spent every moment of the last 3 days with you? He needs to learn its okay to be alone as well. If he is chewing on you until you are bleeding- you need to stop him much sooner- as soon as he goes to mouth is the time to stop him and then redirect him 20 seconds later to a toy. You need to stop the mouthing first though, before giving a toy- how you do this can vary depending on the puppy hence i would suggest attending a quality puppy pre school to learn. When he bites the lead, put a finger on either side of his top jaw and give a little squeeze until he lets it go. 3 days is not a long time- he's unlikely to have bonded with you yet.

Can he spend more time in the backyard? Is he going to puppy pre school? Are you doing any training to stimulate him?

In Melbourne there are no 'dog parks'- there are multi purpose areas where dogs are permitted off lead. They will encounter children and joggers and cyclists and many people who don't have dogs. I believe this is different to the fenced specified dog parks you have in other parts of Aus. I think children should absolutely be in the multi use areas, but that young children should avoid the fenced dog specified areas. And i can tell you- if 3 dogs with muddy paws came and jumped all over me, i would be furious! Why do people have to be so disrespectful? Why do dog owners have more rights than someone doing a photo shoot?

Yes, consistency can change things that quickly.

I think provided experienced people are instructing, dogs are well conditioned and owners have realistic expectations, its no issue for giant dogs to dabble in agility.

We had a newfoundland do agility with us- he loved it. Perfect partners, i think your girl would be fine- she's smaller than the newf we had dabble in it.

I run puppy school at vets and other locations and the schools cover the same information regardless of where they are. Make sure your school is run by an experienced and preferably qualified dog trainer and you'll be fine. View a class beforehand if you can and take note of what happens with the more 'difficult' puppies. Are they helped or ignored? Do fearful pups get more confident during class or more fearful?

It saddens me that there is not more focus on the puppies critical period of development AND the dogs need for social contact- leaves it wide open for the puppy farms to say their dogs have shelter, food and water so they're all good.

When you say you ignored him till you couldn't take it anymore, does that mean you le him bark for a few hours and then let him in? If so, i think he has trained you very well and a behaviourist or decent trainer would be a good idea. If you have ignored and then caved, its possible you have made him very resistant to extinction training (ignoring) which means it will now take alot longer to work.

Huski- consider the difference between temperament and behaviour. It might help to explain where others are coming from.