Two Best Dogs!

I only do fleas when they pop up. Heartworm I do monthly, as there have been locals with positive pets. The heartwormer I get comes with other wormers which I reckon is good considering dog's penchant for eating feral cat poop and fox poop ew. it's a monthly one. I do vaccinate once per year with the C5. Wouldn't be able to attend obedience without it and considering how many dogs passing by, puts my mind at ease.

I'm in store right now but they're $20 in small medium and large They look to be reasonably designed. USB charges, reflective. I grabbed a medium so fingers crossed it fits. The large was too large for us at its tightest. I've been meaning to get some kind of visibility Thing to help on night walks *edit* They have a blinking and a lit option! They come in yellow, red and blue. Mine is yellow but looks green XD

We had a nice night tonight :) Nothing big! Just, T and I were watching a pug and thinking of saying hello (owners had offered) but I guess pug was tired or something because YAP GROWL YAP GROWL YAP when we started getting closer but T just "nope" and turned around and walked the other way without prompting! (then ignored the pug the rest of the time it was yap growl yap at us. I tried to give it some space) I got us a new ball and we practiced our figure 8 homework in the store... Then we went to other pet store and T let J (male) pat her for the first time ever! Then one of the other staff members started coming over, T looked at them, put her head back into J's hands, then walked over to new staff member and did the "pat me pls" lean. She also dropped and made herself comfy at the feet of R(male) while I patted the baby python (sooo cute and soft) and she stayed in the drop while excited whippet puppy was being a puppy about 1m away with another staff member. Loose body language! She was even a bit silly with the puppy agility equipment, an excited husky passing by and the kitten adoption pen (was just being silly and a little naughty, so brought her back to calm but it was nice seeing her relax a little with a waggy tail and voluntarily walking away from me) Another customer and his kid complimented us while I was patting the python and T was ignoring whippet puppy. I was very flattered! I was also confident in Thistle's current relaxed state so we went over to the kid and let her say hello (i did show kid how to say hello, for T - hold hand out flat - if she rests her head in it tadah! you may pat and she likes you. apology for all the drool). Thistle even did some tricks for the kid. Then since Thistle was looking around and wagging and sniffing R's feet, treat party and left on a good note. So a nice day of many little success and a bit of showing off And she's back up to 31kg :) she dropped down to 28kg last month so I was concerned, but back up! 31-32 seems to be her healthy weight. My confidence is a little bit back up too :)

Yes! I know Sage but wasn't sure if appropriate to mention ☺️ I have only met her properly once but thistle and I like to watch and walk past and we know we are not a big distraction for her class. I've been watching her on Instagram too ???? Her expression is so calm for such a young puppy. A very pretty woman indeed ???? And in such a good home!

Ah that one is Legend! I have been trying to work out who had who! Your distraction recall video is inspiring and amazing! Your puppies are amazing, I just went through all your videos :laugh: They are a credit to their breeding and raising and ongoing support :) I love watching them. and I love the puppyculture. She might be a bit big for it now, but I've been taking the basics and applying them to Thistle. Never too late to start i reckon :laugh: practice for future dogs

We've desensitised enough that I can just use the nail clippers now, but have used both dremmel and dog scratching board. I rotate depending on length/front vs back (i swear front grow much faster?!) I actually prefer the scratching board, as it was faster and more efficient for big thick dog nails. I was concerned about her pawpads but turned out it was a non issue. She has quicked herself on occaison with this method, but doesn't yelp or fuss so I am careful with only letting her at it for a minute or two (that fast) The dremmel kit I got from bunnings for $30, it's a slower but neater method with more accuracy. Dog was a bit unnerved by the noise tho. Find she works better if put in a stand. *I* don't like the smell of the nails being filed and careful not to heat up the nail. Wheatens are fluffy on the underfoot? I saw somewhere recommendations to poke the nails through a stocking before using the dremmel to avoid fur getting stuck for the longer haired canines.

Poor bugger, I wish you both the best of luck I'm hoping that breeder isn't still breeding that particular pair, if some of his litter mates are also so badly affected

Update. After 188 days (4months23 days according to my phone) the mystery pooper/s are back. Twice this weekend! Cause: all this wet weather lately depleted my deterrent mix so I had to google my own thread to remember how I made it. Would recommend

City suburbs! I forgot the chow, but he's still a puppy. Exceptional fluff. Very excited. In the actual city after work I have seen the same people walking a greyhound, a small white oodle, a heeler x and the dachshund lady. I do not like her, she holds the lead too short the poor little thing is near choking all the time and sometimes front legs can't reach the ground I see her a couple of times a week, but haven't gained the courage to point out...

I'm of the opinion most breeds and dogs are perfectly fine potential family pets as long as the family put in the work to train them/exercise them. I did note with interest today, that basic levels at my dog classes is about 50/50 small and big dogs. But my level it is mostly big dogs and final level entirely big dogs except for one amazing whippet (i love that whippet). My class today consisted of a couple of huskies, couple of staffies, couple of labradoodles, couple of labradors, a dachshund, a terrier mix, the gorgeous heeler, a very good schnauzer, a kelpie/bc/lab mix and myself (large mix). Usually there are 2 rotties but not today. Not-in-class-but-passing-by dogs included a schnauzer, a mini poodle, 2 border collies, a golden and an ambiguous SWF. Could hazard multiple guesses on why the decrease in small dogs, just thought it was interesting. These are all family pets. I'm taking this as an opportunity to list off local dogs: - Most recent discovery, a greyhound! S/he has border collie type markings. I'm always stunned by the size - old lady with 2 border collies - 2 rude pomeranians - equally rude chihuahua - 2 JRT - some kind of bulldog? - 4 staffies - bichon x - 4 SWF/ambiguous SWF - 2 angry and scary GSDs - 1 not angry GSD - husky - 3 large mixes - my most favourite cav ever *_* - medium bully type dog, always muzzled but seems obedience - Neo Mastiff! He went missing last year but they found him again. He's very sweet. - Great Dane X - Pug (but bigger than expected???) - Chuck It Heeler There would be more, I can hear dogs in backyards but have never seen them, most likely because we walk at odd hours to *avoid* other dogs. These are just ones I see out and about or in front yards.

Putting the full study here: A genetic assessment of the English bulldog Niels C. PedersenEmail author, Ashley S. Pooch and Hongwei Liu Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 20163:6 DOI: 10.1186/s40575-016-0036-y © The Author(s). 2016

Snook that is all so amazing! He has come so far, what a champ. Justice for champion dog of the year! Even the scary dog with the scary fence! This is how close to dog park we are right now, scaled all the way back because now working on her enthusiasm to go greet. Close enough she'll glance at the running/playing dogs (two currently wrestling in the screenshot) but far enough away that she'll disengage herself and sniff the ground/only whine a little bit. Someone asked if we wanted to join them but I declined, said I have a very rude dog, so we are training. I like that there are two fences between dog park (raised grass obscures the 2nd one) and car park and keep my car door open for any emergency retreats. I read a quote in the BAT 2.0 book about tarzan dogs and read more on it, paraphrasing: dogs who are insecure+unsocialised and do over the top rude greetings to help determine if the other dog is a threat - and that clicked with what I think our current stage is. She's not *terrified* of the average dog anymore, but is still very insecure and feels better if she can run up in their face before they run up into hers. Which, obviously, is not something I am planning to let her do! So hoping BAT can teach her the calm. She's still grounded btw. I'm not angry more but the young lady is still grounded for letting teenage brain take over for a clump of grass. It is looking like we will be watching lure coursing in sept more than participating. and to buy a new ball. I really liked that ball.

I know! She's usually such q good girl! A lesson learned - when I am stressed keep her on the long line!! And she did recall after blowing me off so I made a big fuss over that. But I don't handle heart attacks well ???? And we lost ball ???????? But earlier she was a good girl outside park doing some bat 2.0 a little excited but not off her head or anything.

ARgh! Just argh! Thistle is being such a...just, such a dick teenage dog right now! Probably feeding off how stressed i've been lately but argh!! Today she has jumped on me repeatedly, whined non stop and, I'm pretty mad about this one but I tried not to show it, hared off on our weekly park adventures for no apparent reason! As in, she wasn't chasing a rabbit, there were no dogs, no people...just decided "HEY IM GOING TO RUN 500m in ONE DIRECTION"! Glanced at me then kept going at my call back. Which ended up with her scarily close to a (quiet, speed bump filled) road and gave me a good scare because there was one car meandering along. Heartattack! Her offlead (even with the long line attached) permissions have been revoked until I can build up her check ins and reliability again. Just...just so frustrating! I have put her outside with a bone so she can't see me stomping around, and going to a friends house to cool down in a bit so we don't get more frustrated with each other. I should be over it by tonight, just want to bitch about it to let it out. And we lost our ball We're being tested for lvl 4 tomorrow and I know we won't pass, but if by some miracle we do...I'm thinking i might decline because we can't work reliably right now and lvl 4 is a lot of offlead. Just... ARGH some days can be so frustrating! Good thing I love her and a lot more good days than bad days.

I love this thread!

Didi is my favourite DOL dog and her owner my favourite DOL person! ???? Look at those puppy faces! Yay for new friendships!

First night home (kinda scrawny and slinking and eager to please but insecure and not really what i expected in a dog and no training) Now: (big smart gorgeous goof 25+ tricks and counting) I think it would be an understatement to say I am very pleased with how she is going. Bumps in the roads and all (I love her so much!)

It was a news article but i'm linking the source. Link! :)

Yes I find BAT2 gets very confusing! I am mostly referring to the posters and the mark-and-move flowcharts. Everything else...to technical and overwhelming... I think this BAT 2 stuff, even our lazy rough version of it, is really helping! We got lots of comments today on Thistle's calm. I think because before class I go around doing a bit of BAT to remind her on it, since in class is working-mode and smaller range of choices. So she'll sniff grass and look at a dog then choose to keep sniffing or turn another way and i reward for that. But today the dog near us is new to class, he was a little excitable and kept jumping towards us, at one point he got right into Thistle's face (and she went stiff) so I was about to "let's go!" and move us a bit further away and she deliberately turned her head away and snorted/exhaled/fake-sneezed! We still "lets go" so out of leash distance but inside I was cheering very loudly as we moved away and she kept her heel to me. Many treats and the trainer praised us both too. Thistle honestly didn't seem bothered by any of this, didn't get all overly excited, didn't whine, just moved and sat back down. It is so small but I am very happy :) PS she didn't bark, eyeball or stiffen up over anyone (did give the odd side eye, baby steps)

Please note the market is now on saturday and in a new location. This is far from me so I am not likely to attend but hopefully those of you who live near there can now enjoy the market! Special comments by organisers: Stall holders include: Please click on THIS LINK to see photo samples from each stall) Christmas in August Best Dressed Dog competition RSPCA Cupcake Day Luna's Cucina and Collars Earth Healing Therapies - Lisa Morrison Leah Lux Tame - Animal Artist Sylvie Martin - Cross Paws Dog Trainer and Dog Behaviourist Barkers Bakery Cheltenham Cat Rescue Tin Can Town Inc Stellian's Rolls Pipsqueaks Photography My Dachshund Online Volks Coffee Bichon Frise Australia

And our nightly rehab went amazingly well! :) Her mouth was open a lot (normally she's so tense it is closed. Curious, cautious and sniffing, but mouth closed) and her movements/ears were a bit looser than usual. I just followed along behind, rewarding disengagement and only guiding/distracting on occasion i.e. past the bunny cage/rspca kittens, when we inadvertently were surrounded by ppl from different directions and she froze (got her in a heel and weaved to a more open area) Our big things were: - young alsatian type dog lunging/barking - Thistle stiffined, whined once then turn around and led us away. She yawned a lot and shook herself. Then we did some tricks in a quiet corner to calm down - surprise whippet!puppy running up to us while distracted with greeting male!staff member (T was approaching/sniffing) - T didn't snap or flinch at it and I "lets go" and we did a very smooth 180 and calmly walked off. Very pleased with T. Also, the puppy classes next focus after that was on teaching your dog to pass other dogs/let others pass politely - no running and jumping :laugh: - she's looking at the new store manager. previously she was pretending he wasn't there Of interested note, I saw someone else training a dog too. Big bully mix, I wasn't sure what they're working on so I gave them space as they were giving everyone else big space. S/he was a very good dog though, lots of focus.

I hope these work...these are some snippets of the BAT 2.0 book that I really liked and I'm finding useful - including posters that I've printed out for the shed/quick reference. https://www.dropbox.com/s/hghnrd4kqs21mpl/BAT%2020whole2.pdf?dl=0 And a pdf of just the posters - things like signs to reward, signs of reaction-imminent, flow charts etc. https://www.dropbox.com/s/o3kmk50ffhrd4vf/BAT20posters.pdf?dl=0 Anyway, we're off to our Thursday 'social rehab' which is now on friday's because work is busy. aka hang around in various pet stores watching people and sniffing staff. Tomorrow I'm thinking we might go bush. Not to the snow tho - it won't be thick enough to be worth the trip. I did some satellite map browsing and spotted some clearings we'll go check out. Should be big enough for some chuck it while I work on building a real ball obsession I have ordered "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals" By Turid Rugaas. It's by someone who had an unsocialised reactive dog and it's about what did/didn't work in teaching their dog to become a dog savvy dog social master of dog etiquette. aka teaching me what to look for and praise in our controlled doggie play dates.

I've checked my emails - it is definitely tracking I am going to go *watch* in a few weeks. My mistake :s So for the (now known different) nose works I would ask the trainer if he has any local suggestions - but I really do want to hold off until I am in his class. I fear I'm giving a negative impression. I really want to do something from scratch with this trainer which is why I am holding off dabbling elsewhere ???? How he explains things always makes sense and clicks in my head so well, so starting from step 1 with me as "blank slate" is something I want to try. I've put enough foot in it, I'm hiding now ???????? I am not explaining my plans well ????

Ahaha, I have misrepresented! We are not banned or prohibited, it is simply that the teacher who is most experienced in it teaches lvl 4 but I am in lvl 3 with teachers who are better experienced in other things like RallyO. Each class gives you a taste/start up knowledge of some kind for you to try. Absolutely nothing stopping me from starting now :) except me wanting to do it under head teacher's tutelage :laugh:

You guys are speedy! I think lvl 4 does both and I had not realised they were different. I have seen another yellow space dog learning to find hidden tea bags and T's kelpie friend learning to follow human prints! I was more eager over the tea bag finding (and other items) because I figured it be like 101 box game? Where dog learns to interact with environment and it makes more confident? I am a bit embarrassed to have mixed terms! So nosework is what I am looking forward to for Thistle! Start out at dog school then look into the local places :) I am going to go watch something similar soon but I must clarify now with the ppl if it is nosework or tracking since not realised difference... Still go and watch and learn tho :) I want to try and learn bits of everything! Eta. I do not know where. I am following other dog owners and just watching.