Just Midol

A really smart guy. He's a researcher, researches animal behaviour. Considering that's the exact field I want to get in and even more specifically he has put a lot of effort into researching the same breeds I want to then the experience of going to one of his seminars is invaluable to me. Google him?

Yay. It looks as though this one is within my budget, all up I'll be looking at a fair bit of money but this is one seminar I do not want to miss. I wonder if I can get a discount for the novotel, I do security for our local one sometimes.

As Tony and Huski said.

What happens if you live in an area that doesn't have any accredited or recognised dog trainers? Buy a car... or a bike. I don't know? Converse with a trainer over the phone on what you can try?

In what way. They're already tight. I'd like to see restrictions tightened on shock collars for novices - I see those in the wrong hands as cruel. I'd like to see a requirement added that you must provide proof from a dog trainer (and an accredited trainer or at least a recognised trainer) that you've taken reasonable steps to fix it. I'd also like to see restrictions applied to e-collars. Also to any kind of correction collar. We agreed. Do you have that warm fuzzy feeling as well? Crisovar, I never said it was cruel. If I thought it was cruel then I wouldn't support it at all.

I disagree with this, simply because there are too many people out there who would use it as a first option rather than a last option. Even as it stands now, people will try "bark" collars but will refuse to put one that delivers a static shock on the dog because it's considered "cruel". As long as it's done as a last option I don't care, but I agree with the restrictions on it and if anything I'd like them tightened.

I feed roo tail when I want to drop weight off the dog. 5 pieces for $5, each piece gets cut in half and each dog gets a piece. So $1 a day for the sibes. Montu gets a roo tail and a chicken frame though so it's not as cheap to feed him on roo... I think yours is a Ridgie so you'd be feeding more than I feed to Montu?

Kk, disclaimer: This question is GENERALISING. In general, is the average fear aggressive dog going to be more or less aggressive when in neutral territory? GENERALLY. Not ALL dogs. AVERAGE. I made those words capitals because I really don't want to see "all dogs are different" and I know some of you will be thinking it So just humour me

Couple of you wanted to "borrow" my leerburg DVDs. Shoot me off addresses in the next 3 days and I'll aim to post them out on Friday next week, but I'm slow so I need multiple days to write addresses on envelopes. Will be shooting off all 9 (or 8) - can't remember. I know there were about 6 of you, if you've already given me your address then you're not included.

Lareal, Montu was quite into his orbee so what I did was cut the stitching to one of my smaller tugs and join the two together. Montu would be chasing his ball but would grab the tug. Within a few days, I could remove the ball (I just changed tugs though) and was seeing the same desire for the plain tug. Just an option if your dog doesn't go for the tug.

Which club did ya leave?

Ever? Even if a dog is an only dog and the owner works 10 hours per day? There is no value at all in playing with another dog? What about enjoyment? I don't ket my dog play with every dog we come across, but I'd hate to think of the life he would live if I never, ever once allowed him to play with another dog. I work 12 hours a day and my dogs easily get enough stimulation. I'd have no problems if they were never allowed to spend time with another dog. In fact, they only spend time with dogs within my family. Outside dogs = no. But you have more than one dog. What if you only had one? Then they'd get no play? I can provide all the stimulation they need. If I couldn't then I wouldn't get a dog. ---- Our only decent dog beach is an offleash beach. If anyones dogs approach mine and jump on them then there is likely to be a fight. It would be their fault. I expect people to have excellent control of their dogs on unfenced beaches and parks. If it is a fenced park, then my expectations drop.

Ahhh, thanks romm, wanted prices of the tugs but if there are none then it doesn't matter Shaped means our internet connections have been slowed down as we download too much Erny, thanks. My leerburg tugs are not what you'd call easily squeezable and if anything I'd say they are very, very firm - some photos will be great. I'll grab some from dogquip eventually as well as Montu needs a middle step from his "very soft" to the "very firm" tugs - he can't get his teeth into this one. He does clamp down on it but not as well - his soft one he'll happily grab in mid air but this one he hesitates.

Hmph. I am also shaped. Someone read it and give us some base prices!

These are old prices (attached). Email him for new ones, I got this last year Erny, how hard are his soft tugs (if you have any). I have some large tugs from Leerburg which are pretty hard/solid. I had to remove some of the stuffing from my smaller tug from him to get Montu onto it.

Ever? Even if a dog is an only dog and the owner works 10 hours per day? There is no value at all in playing with another dog? What about enjoyment? I don't ket my dog play with every dog we come across, but I'd hate to think of the life he would live if I never, ever once allowed him to play with another dog. I work 12 hours a day and my dogs easily get enough stimulation. I'd have no problems if they were never allowed to spend time with another dog. In fact, they only spend time with dogs within my family. Outside dogs = no.

Congrats!

The risk is very small, I agree with Corvus. But it's a risk which if I could remove, I would. sandgrubber, keep us updated.

Agreed. Dunbar was talking about doing it when the pup is young and still dependent. It would still work on one of my adults, but the other wouldn't turn a hair if I disappeared for 5 minutes. If I disappear for a day she misses me, but that's no good for training recall :p Yep, would have worked well for Axle as a pup but then he had a recall as a pup anyway I find the main problem I used to have with recalls was recalling the dog when I knew they wouldn't come back & recalling too many times. On walks now I only recall Gizmo 4-8 times (over 25 minutes) and even some days that's too many and his enthusiasm drops. He still returns relatively quickly but you can tell he isn't "enjoying" it. Montu's recall is suffering as I've not done much work on it. If he catches a scent (usually a rabbit) he runs for about 50m (we're on 8 acres so he can do that without crossing into the neighbours house) and realises he left me and comes rocketing back. I really need to work on it.

Hiding works great for dogs who actually give a shit whether you are there or not Works really well with Montu.

afaik she uses low level stim and from memory she got the manual from Steve.

It's what I do, and I up the reward.

The fatality rate in Australia is 40% from memory.

Here's Lou Castles reply to a question about using crittering for snakes Me: Could the Crittering approach be adapted to teach a dog to ignore snakes (or reptiles in general), eg using a captive snake? Lou: I think that more than the dog just "ignoring" the snake is called for. I also think that it's best if the dog is trained on the poisonous snakes (not just any snake) that may be in his environment. I know of dogs that have been trained on non-poisonous snakes and many of them now fear rope, garden hoses and anything that even remotely resembles a snake. He goes on to say that he developed his Crittering approach to make sure police dogs wouldn't chase cats. The exercise would be much easier to set up if you could use a python rather than a deadly species. So any information on how dogs are likely to generalise from one species (or genus) to another would be very helpful. Ahhh, yes, I see his point. You want the dog to actively avoid it, not just ignore it. Could you use a Python AND a Colubrid, that way you've got slow moving snakes and fast moving snakes. I see no reason why they wouldn't generalise but I've never done it. Colubrids are venomous but are much easier to get licenses to keep. With the fearing hoses and stuff part of it couldn't you also use their scenting abilities to try and avoid this? Whenever I have quered snake proofing on here I get almost no responses so don't hold your breath

Use the crittering technique that Lou discusses on his website. *caro, imo there are very few prey driven dogs who will leave a snake when you are NOT there whilst it is moving without a form of aversive.