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Has BDOC changed its training days? Was Sundays last time I went, but haven't been since about July last year :D

I use a martingale on my dog - I got it from K9 Force on this forum. I've used it on her since she was about 4 months. Its always been adjusted so I can JUST wriggle it over her head. I don't ever leave it on her unless she's on lead or at obedience, there's far too much stuff for her to get caught up in in the backyard or the back of the car etc.

Count me in on the course imprinting!! I get lost on practise courses - hate to think what I'll be like once I start competing and having to memorise more than one course :rolleyes:

Yay :rolleyes: Will probably be the 4th of Feb, only got obedience on at my club that day... I have a fair idea where Darcy will want to be. Tough choice but I know she'll cope :rolleyes:

If you go to BDOC I will see you there.... sometimes My club does 4 week training blocks and then has a two to three week break. I've become too much of an agility addict (good thing my dog agrees! :rolleyes: ) so will be coming up to BDOC in between times to get some extra training in, plus the benefit of a different working environment and different instuctors. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the offer silvertravis, I managed to find a blackdog one at the big petstore near Bunnings. Was just that I was heading that way today (I don't live there) and wondered if anyone knew where I could get one I ordered two from a website a week ago but they haven't arrived yet. Love the look of the i-clicks, will get some with my next clean run order

Can't remember seeing any in any of the petstores (haven't tried that big yellow joint next to Bunnings though). Is there any vets that stock that kind of thing? Is there anywhere I could get one.... my usual list of net stores is either shut for Xmas/NY, has a minimum order or charges like a wounded bull for postage for a small piece of plastic (or all of the above!)

I wasn't planning on taking a break over Christmas but it just happened Took her for a walk on the beach last night before heading to twilight training, we were a bit early so did some retreiving and drive games for a while, did an hour obedience class and she was still looking for more.... so I guess she's telling me she missed it and is glad to be back at work

I try and use low-fat when I can, so I cook up chicken breasts and cut them up for treats. I put them in a small glad sealable lunch bag and straight in my front jeans pocket. Tried a small black dog bait bag but find the glad bag just as easy Have looked at the 4legs treats, might get some this arvo

Hi Ausdogs, I'm not from Ballarat, I'm about 90 mins away but I used to drive up to Ballarat and go to Ballarat Dog Obedience www.bdoc.com.au I've since found a closer club ;) They have agility and fly ball, there's a fair bit of info on their website. Good luck with the move! ;)

I heard my pup bark once or twice as a real young pup, i.e 8 weeks but literally didn't hear her bark again until she was close to 6 months. She'll bark if she needs to, but she rarely needs to. I orginally put it down to her kelpie dad having a lot of "eye" in him (kelpies tend to be either eye dogs or barkers) but I've since figured out thats just her! ;) She's half lab and definitely has that big deep lab bark - first time I heard it was when I walked around the side of the house in the dark and scared the cr*p out of her - she then returned the favour :D GG - my dog is the same. I think she would lick an intruder to death ;)

Thanks Staff'n'Toller - sounds like much more fun than ordinary obedience, specially for young dogs ;)

Can I ask a silly question please ;) I've heard the term Rally-O mentioned on here several times, what actually is it referring to? ;)

Having spent the last few years studying natural horsemanship before I got my first dog, I have to say there are a lot of similarities. Horses have no real use for praise (still did anyway, more for my benefit than theirs), where the release of pressure is the reward. Its not a big step to add praise to that equation for a dog. Making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult (setting the dog up to succeed) Four phases of firmness. Working through the "suggest, ask, tell, move your feet now!" stages to get a responsive animal. Using the same method of checking - seen that discussed several times here. Consistency!!!! In one program of NH you are not to use any verbal cues until you are up to a specific stage in the program because of inconsistent use of verbal cues. Often wonder whether it should be the same with dog training - I'm certainly no angel in this aspect! JMHO

I work full time, but I'm lucky that my hours are good and 40 hours is normally it for the week... ;) I do some informal training with Darcy every day. She normally gets a walk of a morning, if I walk up the local hill (where she's off-lead for most of it) then we do a few recalls and releases. If we walk around the streets then she has to abide by her on-lead rules - sit before crossing the road and waiting for release, plus a few random heels here and there. I try and do some formal training at least every second night. Sometimes we work on new stuff, the occasional trick, some agility training manouvres and weaving, retreiving and focus and control. Its always a game, always take "the toy" as reward. Rarely longer than 1/2 hour and I rarely work on one thing for longer than 10 mins before changing to something else. We also do a few mins of training for meals morning and night. Might just be a basic sit and wait before I say OK, at a bare minimum she gets at least a few minutes of training a day :p

I have actually considered a Toller after seeing them at Ballarat and the K9 workshop, but seriously considered adopting a rescue dog as well. Won't be for a while yet, Darcy keeps me on my toes for now

I really wanted to do agility, I looked at getting a kelpie or a BC but having grown up with kelpies as working dogs, I couldn't do it.... I have this "thing" about working dogs in town backyards.... don't get me wrong I'm not criticising anyone here, thats just my choice. :D I'm still not sure I could do it. ;) I love labradors but hadn't seen any competing so wondered how they would go in agility (I have now though!) So when a friend mentioned one of her kids school teachers had kelpie x lab pups FTGH (registered sire and dam, just a mismate litter ) I decided that was a pretty good halfway mark She's well bred for a mutt!!! ;) What my next dog will be I have no idea - but I'm well and truly hooked on agility, Darcy's doing a great job of teaching me how to handle a fast dog so it will have to be another quick one!!!

Is there anywhere in Aus I can get the Training in Drive book from? I'd love to get my hands on a copy but if I order off Dogwise I'd have to order a few books/DVDs to justify the postage Damn!!!! Credit card's gonna cop another hiding

oops.....

Congrats on the arrival of your baby girl Sparty! What did you name her? CTD - red hair's recessive, meaning it can skip a generation thus it often comes from grandparents Congrats on your new arrival as well! Love BC puppies - so cute! We were working on stays the other day, our class is normally really good which can be a bugger when you want to practise with other dogs breaking, but one decided that stays were not to be the order of the day and incited a riot! Felt sorry for the owners of the 3 who broke and decided to play but was exceptionally proud of my dog who stuck it out!

Little miss fidget fart may have given Indi a run for her money on that one Been a right little sh*t since actually, guess who's currently revisiting NILIF because I've let her get away with murder over the last week I knew I should've made the drive to Lysterfield, decided that I'd probably taken in enough info for the moment after Ballarat, and chickened out at the thought of a 7 hour drive the next day with a workshop in between.

I feed both - would like to do full BARF but so expensive to get any remotely "different" in rural Vic.... $4 for a 15 cm section of roo tail at the closest pet food store As for getting my hands on things like turkey necks, I've got no chance. So I feed EP Lite and bones (mostly lamb) and vegies and fruit when available. I also give her a dose of Health Booster from Vets All Natural, wasn't completely convinced she was getting everything she needed out of the little I feed her (very very easy doing dog!). I mix the HB in with a small amount of fat-free yoghurt and 3 fish oil tablets for her coat. She looks pretty good on that, still a little too heavy for my liking so her diet's a work in progress, as always

I agree - a big thank you to Sharon for your hard work in organising it all, and to Vanessa for the "setting" for the day! What a beautiful spot! Great to meet some fellow DOLers, just realised I've missed a few that I didn't officially meet, but know who they are now Have a heap of new training plans for Darcy... plus using my new agility gear that I bought off Pippi Hope you got plenty of sleep dog cos look out :D

Even different breeds when you're in small clubs... we had a dal rock up the other day, created a huge amount of interest from my dog who's probably not seen one since she was also a young pup. Something I wouldn't have though of.