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Can everyone please give me a rundown as to how their classes are set up at every day clubs. We have agility, general public obedience and then more advanced/pre-trialler/trialler obedience.

I haven't even thought about teaching weaves yet, the only method I'm really familiar with (i.e. trained myself) is 2x2s.

We are starting off with a really low if not non-existent level of foundation skills so our current training is absolute basics. Contacts and weaves will have to wait unless they want to work through it themselves.

I do have a few quite motivated students who have the 2x2 DVD and they are working through it on their own, I am encouraging them to bring any issues to class so we can work through them. I suspect there is a lot of learning from mistakes but that's all part of dog training, at least they all know now that any mistakes are theirs and not the dogs. That wasn't the case less than 6 months ago, so we are making some progress.

Production has moved to NSW now, according to our rep. She had no samples for us last time because their machine had been dismantled and moved to Smeaton Grange.

I personally prefer BH to RC, sure there are even better options out there, but they are quickly becoming unaffordable (even at staff discounted rates!)

Something has changed with the BH as the size is different. My last bag had a heap of fines and broken pieces in it, and as I only buy it for training treats I'll finish the bag and give something else a try.

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Hmm I was thinking of a way to do course maps without paying for CRCD or the iPad app, and then I remembered this little beauty http://www.agilitymaps.com :thumbsup:

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Thanks, but I'm really after specifics of people's favourite books and DVDs because they found them most useful.

I haven't purchased a book or DVD for agility purposes for several years, as I do either online courses or wait for OS presenters. Obviously I have a decent agility DVD range mostly obtained from CR, but I thought there might be something I've missed along the way and I am keen to get suggestions on the general behaviour, instructing, pet dog side as well as competition obedience.

Jess not sure where you are but is the club aware that Dogs Vic have their own library? I am one of the helpers and we have quite a selection of DVDs and books on all the various sports and on instructing so it maybe worth someone in the club coming for a looksee to see what we have and deciding what they might like for the club's library. :)

We usually do a bulk purchase from Clean run when they have free shipping. Dogwise is another we order from.

Yes the club is aware, but we are in rural Vic so access to the library isn't that easy I want to encourage learning especially for our instructors and up and coming instructors. Great tip though for those closer, and also as a way of getting a look at anything before we purchase. :D

Hi everyone,

I've got the ok to start a resource library for books and DVDs for training for dog club, so I'm after some of your favourite resources and the best place to purchase them (potentially as a job lot to take advantage of OS postage if necessary).

I'm after resources for instructors and up-and-coming instructors, agility and competition obedience.

They have to be books or DVDs, online courses are out obviously. I have some good ideas as a start but would welcome any other ideas that people can add to the list :)

Thanks in advance,

Jess

Kelpie chick on here makes the most awesome tug toys ????

I'm in Western Vic, but I take my dogs to Whittlesea to Malcolm Ware. He's worth the 6 hour round trip, especially regarding lameness type issues. Quickest way from Ararat is via the highway/freeway on the outskirts of the city but with some GPS assistance you could avoid the Ring Rd.

Last week I had a lady tell me her dog had become seriously ill from eating from a bag of Supercoat. Before she realised the food was the (likely) cause she gave the bag to her neighbour, which resorted in her dog vomiting.

She returned to the store, and the clerk said Purina had visited to buy up all remaining bags of Supercoat from that batch, of which there were none left.

She asked where the food could be analysed, and I've found a lab that would do chemical, toxin, and heavy metal screening but it would cost $700. I gather she has little money available for such an analysis. I contacted Purina Australia to ask if they would fund the analysis, but they didn't reply. They normally give me a lacklustre reply at the very least.

Does anyone have any clever ideas?

If Purina did distribute a bad batch and neglected to announce it to consumers then that's very concerning.

Without knowing what specific issue you're looking for, then the number of tests required increase substantially and so does the cost.

If the owner of the dog wants to pursue the issue further via testing, do some research on the most common issues when it comes to pet foods. It might narrow the options down, but I would be inclined to add mold/mycotoxins to that list of tests required.

The owner needs to pursue it further through Purina, keep on going up the chain of authority until she receives a satisfactory answer - especially regarding any ongoing health implications. Reimbursement of all associated vet bills would be nice too.

Wow Sally that's freaking awesome news!! :D Massive congratulations to you and Ziggy!!!

I would leave the A/C on, but it means I have to lock the dogs in the section of the house which has A/C and I don't like doing that.

I have tiles in several places in the house, and they are quite cool. I set up a fan aimed at some damp towels on the tile floor, some big frozen ice blocks for them to lick and soak into the towels and leave a huge ice block in their water as well. Never come home to hot dogs with that set up for them :)

Dr Malcolm Ware at Whittlesea - worth the trip, sees quite a few agility dogs already (including my three) and has pretty much become my vet despite being 3 hours away. He's brilliant!

Me and my stupid questions!

When training especially young dogs, would it help the dog, if the handler wore white long sleeve tops say with different colour pants. In retrieving circles we wear white tops as the dogs can see us easily, especially at a distance and if cover/trees behind us.

Nevertheless in short drills we still wear white for clarity.

I'm not sure anyone gives it that much thought here yet. One of my former clubs wore shirts that had two different coloured sleeves years ago but it never really took off. It's only been recently that there has been some discussion around what the dogs can see and can't see with equipment colouring.

This covers some of the contrasting colouring with clothing, but mostly related to indoors: http://agilitymach.hubpages.com/hub/How-Does-a-Dogs-Color-Vision-Affect-Canine-Sport-How-do-Dogs-See

Spend some time at trials and training looking at dogs whose temperament and drive you like - it might come in a package you don't expect.

As for 'drive' I love this blog post...

http://thedogsnobs.com/2014/10/27/love-the-one-youre-with-idiot/

There is a big difference between sufficient drive for a 3 day seminar and the drive level of the dog you're looking at in Vic... I have the "super consistent" and the "drivey", and they are wildly different dogs in their requirements for training, handling, strength and conditioning.

Hi all, I'm sure a google search would turn up places in my area but I'm after personal experiences if possible :) Thank you :)

Dog solutions run a good puppy pre school at one of the local primary schools. Karen is the contact person, a quick google will bring up her details.

I frequent a beach which is used for working racehorses, as well as a local trail riding company and leisure riders. I always call my dogs in to my feet and put them all in a drop when the horses are getting close, and make them stay there until the horses are well clear. Very rare that I don't get a thank you :)

We even helped a rider whose horse decided to play up (just back in work and too much spring grass) when he sighted the dogs at a distance. The rider lunged him closer and closer to where we were still playing (her request) and finally he decided to behave. He let out some pretty spectacular action whenever his circle and the dogs paths were close.. Glad I didn't have to put my butt in that saddle ;)

I have access to the forum even as a late-comer, but I'm not exactly a beginner to canine conditioning. It's been an interest of mine for quite a few years, if I could find a reputable course that would let me study it professionally that's what I would be doing.

I've been eyeing this course off the last few days, I was interested in signing up for round 2 but it says you have to do Class 1 as a pre-req.

Has anyone done the 1st class when they already have a pretty good history of this kind of work on the fit paws gear? Did you get much from it?

Has anyone signed up to Bronze level for Class 2 and managed despite not doing Class 1?

You can do bronze with no pre-req. I read that the other day when I signed up

Thanks Tassie and Scottsmum - I signed up for Bronze for round 2, but also signed up to access the materials from the first session retrospectively. I thought there would be a lot more to it than what there is so I'm a bit disappointed I wasted the money on the first session. I hope I get something out of the second class.

I've been eyeing this course off the last few days, I was interested in signing up for round 2 but it says you have to do Class 1 as a pre-req.

Has anyone done the 1st class when they already have a pretty good history of this kind of work on the fit paws gear? Did you get much from it?

Has anyone signed up to Bronze level for Class 2 and managed despite not doing Class 1?

I used to use a cheap tarp, then an old mattress protector and a cotton sheet over the top. Remove the sheet for washing when needed. Tuck the edges into the gaps between the seat itself and where the seat joins the car. That was fine for everything from beach runs to every day travel, so the blanket/sheet tucked in will be just fine (and much cheaper) for the occasional car trip.

My Lab x went through a wood chewing phase at around 8 to 10 months of age, she chewed through the wood latticework on the back decking.

Dogs supposedly don't like citronella oil, so I bought a 1 L bottle and painted it lightly on the wood. No more chewing :) I also made sure she had some recreational bones in the backyard i.e. old dino bones, to use her teeth on instead.