Choose and Raise a Puppy

The paw plunger

2007-11-03T13:36:00.000+11:00

Like a giant coffee cup filled with bristles, the paw plunger lets you wash puppy's feet without a whole bath. Handy device or useless gadget?

Might be useful after Duz's side trips through the mangroves.

Wagging School

2007-11-03T13:09:00.000+11:00

A little different from previous tv dog-training schools, Wagging Schools is a series of five minute programs each dedicated to teaching a basic skill like sit, lie down and leave it.

All the Wagging School videos are available to download onto your mobile device - in MP4, WMV and 3gpp format. Or you can download all 10 guides in one pdf (202KB).

Wagging School's Golden Rules

BE CONSISTENT:
When you make a plan of action, stick to it and don't change your mind later. If you ask your dog to sit, make sure it does so immediately every time! And if you don't want your dog on your favourite chair, don't allow it to get up on any furniture ever!

TELL YOUR DOG WHAT YOU WANT.
Many people just pull their dogs around either without speaking or being annoyed. Very negative behaviour.

BE FIRM
Don't just stand there waiting for your dog. Dogs need a leader, so tell it firmly and show it what you want. Then when it does it, praise it.

TIMING
Learn to say training word first, then quickly get dog to respond, then quickly praise or reward with a treat. Say it, Do it (quickly) & Praise it a lot!

PRAISE QUICKLY
The second your dog has done what you asked it to do, praise it well - use positive reinforcement only.

IGNORE MISTAKES
Don't say anything if your dog doesn't obey you, just simply ask it again and make it happen. Then give it lots of praise, of course!

The Good, the Bad, and the Furry

2007-11-02T15:04:00.000+11:00

There are quite a few of these books around - "Choosing the dog that's right for you". But Sam Stall tells it like it is, giving the most important information would-be owners might need to know about more than 100 varieties of dogs. Each entry addresses key factors, like size, coat type, temperament, exercise requirements, potential genetic issues, schedule demands (does the dog mind if you leave her alone all day?) and financial demands.

Helpful pet icons tell if a dog is aggressive, very smart, needs a lot of grooming, can make a lot of noise, etc.; while other icons pertain to owners, differentiating between couch potatoes and active folk, suburbanites and city dwellers, etc.

Whimsical sketches of each dog give an indication of personality. Stall's humor makes the book a little different from others available: describing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's watchdog potential, he says "the only way it could harm a burglar is if the guy tripped over it." He warns that "Goldens like to carry things in their mouths. They may trot around for hours holding an interesting piece of underwear before presenting it to houseguests."

guarding?

2007-11-02T10:49:00.001+11:00

guarding?, originally uploaded by illona.

An interesting discussion taking place on Flickr around Illona's photo taken at a dog park. What is agression? What is inappropriate play? Should someone intervene? Who? And how?

What is the role of the dog park? Are they good places to take your dog? Should they be more strictly 'policed'?

Genetics and Behaviour

2007-09-18T07:08:00.000+10:00

Nicholas Dodman is head of the animal behaviour clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Using brand new genetic 'chip' technology Dodman is exploring the genetics of common behavioural problems in dogs.

The correlation between particular breeds and specific behaviours has been obvious to observers; Dodman's experiments will uncover the genetic sources of these behaviours. He will initially look at flank sucking in Dobermans, tail chasing in Bull Terriers, and rage in Springer Spaniels.

With selective breeding and documented pedigrees, purebred dogs provide a powerful system for untangling genetic complexities.

While linking human and animal research is problematic, some commentators are hoping that Dodman's research will illuminate human psychiatric probelms such as aggression, self-harm, and obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

Positive or Negative?

2007-09-17T07:54:00.000+10:00

Interviewed for Bark magazine, Dr Nicholas Dodman said.

"I think that the direct punishment-based techniques are outmoded, a thing of the past, and should be avoided. Nobel Prize winners Lorenz, Tinbergen and Von Frisch might have disagreed on some points, but the three of them were all in agreement that punishment teaches a dog nothing except how to avoid the punishment."

"I work on the theory that if you can train a killer whale to launch itself out of a swimming pool, roll on its side and urinate into a small plastic cup, given only a whistle and a bucket of fish, without a choke chain, then you don’t need those confrontational techniques with dogs."

Virtual Clicker Training

2007-09-16T08:05:00.000+10:00

The US PBS network's program Pet Tech featured Duncan, a virtual sheep dog who looks after a virtual flock. Created by a team at MIT's Media Lab, Duncan has a mind of his own and can learn to respond to verbal commands. Like a real dog, however, Duncan's performance often depends on the skill of his human master.

With advice from Gary Wilkes, they used a clicker to teach him a range of commands.

You can watch episodes of Pet Tech online.

Basic skills of clicker training

2007-09-08T17:54:00.000+10:00

What: Criteria
Before you start a training session, decide exactly what you are going to reinforce. Unless you know what you want, you’re unlikely to get it! Remember to teach in tiny increments, rather than expecting the whole finished behaviour all at once. The smaller the increments the more successful your dog will be at working the behaviour out for himself – and that produces the best learning.

When: Timing
The click marks exactly the moment that the dog performs the desired behaviour. It tells the dog “That’s what I want. That’ll get you a reward” You will find that you have to anticipate the dog’s action so as to click on time. It is better to click too soon than too late.

Where: Placement
While the clicker is the primary marker, everything that happens between the click and the treat is being reinforced. If you click a sit then your dog gets up for the treat, getting up without a cue is being reinforced. So where possible, reward the dog in position, or use the delivery of the treat to reinforce the behaviour. Eg click backing up, and toss the treat under the dog’s belly so she has to back up to get it.

How Much: Rate of Reinforcement
Keep the rate of reinforcement high, particularly in the early stages of teaching a new behaviour. Your dog knows how to sit. What you are teaching him is that it is worth his while to sit when you give the cue – so make it worth his while! As you raise the criteria you will be demanding more of your dog for less frequent reinforcement.

Intro to clicker training

2007-09-08T17:50:00.000+10:00

Notes for a workshop I gave at the ADAA Camp. They came from Bob Baily via Dani Weinberg and Helix Fairweather.

How to Teach a New Behaviour

1. Get yourself organized
Prepare small, soft, easily delivered treats or decide on another reward. Practice clicking and delivering the treat until you can do it smoothly and quickly.

2. Warmup
Start each training sessions with a few rounds of Clicking Attention. Just click and treat if your dog is new to clicker training, or ask for a few simple well known behaviours that you can click and treat.

3. Get the behaviour
Capture – Watch your dog and click and treat if your dog offers the behaviour.
Lure – Coax your dog into performing the behaviour with a strategically positioned treat. Only lure two or three times then let your dog figure it out.
Shape – Click and treat ever closer approximations to the behaviour. First step might be look at the target, then move towards it, touch with nose, press nose against it.

4. Change the picture
Start helping your dog generalize by changing your position, orientation, distance. Sit, stand, turn sideways …

5. Give it a name
When your dog is doing the behaviour intentionally and predictably, give the cue while the behaviour is happening. Then gradually give the cue earlier, until you can give it before the behaviour starts.

If your dog offers any behaviour other than the one you asked for, do nothing. Wait for your dog to figure it out, then click and treat when your dog gets it right.
Once you have built up an association between the cue and the behaviour, if your dog offers the behaviour when you haven’t cued it, ignore! Then immediately give the cue and click and treat the repeated behaviour.

6. Make it harder
Start delaying the click and treat, one second at a time, to build duration.
Raise your standards and only click and treat those instances of the behaviour that meet your new standard. You might ask for faster, further, longer, straighter … Work on one criterion at a time.

Go back a step if necessary to keep the dog’s success rate high.

7. Take it on the road
Ask for the behaviour in new parts of the house, garden, street, suburb … Practice in increasingly distracting locations, and introduce distractions to familiar locations.

Sapper Merlin killed on duty

2007-09-06T18:01:00.000+10:00

Sapper Merlin watches as Sapper Peter Lawlis eats a biscuit.

An Australian Cattle Dog cross from Brisbane he was working as a bomb detection dog in Afghanistan, when he was run over while sleeping in the shade of a vehicle.

Which mixed breeds?

2007-08-25T21:45:00.000+10:00

Reggies owner thinks he is part cattle dog and part fox terrier, however tests on the market in the US could let him know Reggies breed heritage for sure.

The Wisdom Panel MX Mixed Breed Analysis requires a blood sample and is done in a veterinarian's office. The results come back in two to three weeks. The test is based on DNA samples from 3,200 dogs, covering 134 breeds and is expected to cost about $130.

The Canine Heritage Breed Test is a do-it-yourself kit from MMI Genomics. Owners swab the inside of their dog's cheek, and then mail it to the company. This test covers 38 breeds, costs $71.95 and takes four to six weeks.

These services join the American Kennel Club's DNA testing to confirm parentage using a cheek swab. The AKC maintains a DNA library of over 450,000 individual dogs which is used to protect and investigate pedigree claims.

Reggie says hi!

2007-08-18T10:56:00.001+10:00

Reggie says hi!, originally uploaded by marj k.

ACD Pedigree Database

2007-08-13T07:59:00.000+10:00

Pedigree of Ikenheel Diamonds N Dust (Dusty) Her lines can be traced back to Little Logic through Wooleston Blue Jack

"Sydney exhibitors saw Little Logic offspring, for the first time, among entrants at the Sydney Royal of 1947. These exhibits, and their sires' show record, created immediate demand for Little Logic's lineage. By the end of the 1950s, there were few Australian Cattle Dogs whelped that were not Little Logic descendants. The convergence on Little Logic continued into the next generation when Little Logic's best known son, Logic Return, also attained prominence in the show ring and popularity at stud.

The prominence of Little Logic and Logic Return in the pedigrees of modern Australian Cattle Dogs was perpetuated by Wooleston Kennels. Whelped in 1965, Wooleston Blue Jack was line bred to Little Logic and Logic Return, and Wooleston Kennels subsequently line bred to Wooleston Blue Jack, himself. For some twenty years, Wooleston supplied foundation and supplementary breeding stock to breeders in Australia, North America and Continental Europe. As a result, Wooleston Blue Jack is ancestral to most, if not all, Australian Cattle Dogs whelped since 1990 in any country." ACD Breed History Noreen Clark

Dog Diet

2007-08-04T19:04:00.000+10:00

Thommo has put on some weight - a combination of the sore feet, winter, and my being away. So he's going back onto Chris Zink's pumpkin diet.

"Take 1/3 of your dog's regular dinner away and replace it with 2/3 canned pumpkin. It only has 40 calories per cup so you can really increase it quiet a bit and still not be adding much. If after a week or two of weighing your dog on the same day at the same time, you don't begin to see a weight loss....increase the pumpkin and the lower the kibble until you start to see a steady loss at 1-2 pounds a week. Just like people, any more per week is unhealthy. Keep the dog on this level until the desired weight is reached then slowly decrease the pumpkin until you are left with the regular dinner. At this point you may need to increase your kibble some, but by weighing every week...it's readily apparent if you dog is still losing or starting to creep up again."

Princess takes a nap

2007-08-04T11:26:00.001+10:00

Princess takes a nap, originally uploaded by marj k.

Agilily - for all breeds

2007-07-30T07:44:00.001+10:00

ADAA Wallerawang Trial

2007-07-30T07:24:00.000+10:00

The action was fast and furious, keeping spectators riveted.

Dusty BAAD

2007-07-30T06:11:00.001+10:00

We had a wonderful weekend at the ADAA Wallerawang trial. The weather was brisk but fine, and Nicola's brazier and large quantities of mulled wine kept the frost at bay.

Many thanks to judges Wayne and Jody who were marvellous, particularly with green dogs and nervous handlers.

The cold made Thommo rather stiff, so he had only one run. But he enjoyed the gamblers course, deciding to do an A-frame a third time instead of starting the gamble.

Dusty got several quallies and a first place against some stiff competition. She earned her BAAD title at just her second ADAA trial, and is 3/4 of the way to her AAD.

Beginner Australian Agility Dog (BAAD) - Dogs that have gained four Clear Round certificates in Combined-Elementary Agility/Jumping Tests with at least two being gained in Agility Tests.
Australian Agility Dog (AAD) - Dogs that have gained four Clear Round certificates in Combined-Starters, Intermediate and/or Open Agility/Jumping Tests with at least two being gained in Agility Tests.

Though BAAD does suit her!

Weave action

2007-07-25T08:33:00.001+10:00

Canine Chiropractic

2007-07-25T08:10:00.000+10:00

The August issue of Clean Run magazine has an article entitled,"Is It a Training Problem or Is It Physical?" by Tracy Sklenar. The first paragraph reads, "When agility dogs slow down, act stressed, avoid obstacles or leave the ring, we often look for answers in our training program. Perhaps there has been a low rate of reinforcement, or the dog does not understandwhat we are asking him to do in competition. Maybe the distractions are overwhelming,or the dog lacks motivation for the game. Sometimes, though, the answer is not to be found in training - it is only uncovered after a systematic and thorough medical workup. Many medical problems can affect our dogs' performance that are first seen (or only seen) on the agility field."

Australia now offers the highest level of Veterinary Chiropractic training in the world, through RMIT university in Victoria. The 2 year post-grad diploma, and 3 year Masters degree are available to qualified Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Veterinarians only.

The Chirovet website has some interesting articles on The Role of Chiropractic Therapy in Small Animal Medicine and Chiropractic and Acupuncture for Dogs & Cats plus a detailed FAQ and a guide to locating members of the Australian Veterinary Chiropractic Association.

Ag Ch Brenilly Wynona Ryder

2007-07-22T10:10:00.000+10:00

Le and Rabbit earned the last 1st place ribbon needed to gain them their Agility Champion title on the weekend at the Coffs Harbour trial. Once a dog has Masters titles in both Agility and Jumping they require 20 additional qualifying certificates in both Masters Agility and Jumping classes (40 qualifying certificates in all) with 10 qualifying certificates in each class being a 1st place.

Pre-emptive cues

2007-07-18T05:21:00.000+10:00

When I have finished sweeping, I tap the broom on the floor a couple of times. I've probably done this for thirty years, but I didn't know I did it until Dusty told me.

Duz wants to chase the broom. So I place her in a down stay, sweep a section and then tell her "Get it." She casts around and grabs the broom for a tug. This worked well for a while, then she began to consistently race for the broom, before my "Get it." She was predicting that the broom taps would be immediately followed by "Get it" so that became her cue.

This has sent be back to start line 'routines'. If I'm to have a set routine then I need to proof it so that she waits for the final cue - not one of the actions that precede it and therefore predict it. If I'm not going to go this route, then I need to vary what I do at the start line so that she is not picking her own cue from the chain.

I think I distracted him :-)

2007-07-14T06:59:00.001+10:00

I think I distracted him :-), originally uploaded by marj k.

At training today we were doing a number of exercises involving a send to the table.

Thommo

2007-07-12T18:22:00.001+10:00

Thommo, originally uploaded by marj k.

My Thommo - he's such a sook at the vet, everyone there loves him.

Osteoarthritis

2007-07-12T17:41:00.000+10:00

Thommo has had sore front feet for a while - he'd seem fine for days then be three-leg lame on one front foot or the other. A fatty lump on his right foot confused diagnosis but radiographs today confirmed that he as osteoarthritis in both feet. Other joints seem clear for the moment.

Arthritis results from destruction of the cartilage that protects the ends of the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage destruction can be the result of normal stress on abnormal joints or abnormal stress on normal joints.

Thommo does subject his toes to quite a bit of stress through a pouncing action as he stalks sticks and toys. He uses the same pounce to come to a stop on the contact obstacles.

There has been lively 'debate' in Australia over the ANKC's decision to remove slats from the A-frame and DogWalk last year. However, though some say dogs can no longer tell the difference between the Dog Walk and the Teeter, the absence of slats will allow Thommo to continue with agilty for a while longer.

I'll limit him to one or two runs a day and watch him carefully. I know from my own arthritic hands that it's usually a day or two after exertion that I feel the pain so I'll certainly start off with a "less is more" approach.

Treatment:
Cartrophen Vet - a series of weekly injections for four weeks, in conjunction with
Sasha's Blend - a combination of marine concentrates with high natural anti inflammatory and joint protective properties, it contains the full range of GAGS (glycosaminoglycans) including Keratin, Dermatin, Heparin sulphates and the commonly known Glucosamine & Chondroitin sulphates which provide the necessary nutrients required to stimulate healthy joint function.
Rimadyl (carprofen) - for occasional use to manage severe pain.

We've cut back on swimming with the cold weather - but I'll get the wetsuit out and alternate swimming and walking. They both need to lose the couple of kilos they put on while I was away, also.

Duz doesn't want to pose

2007-07-12T08:32:00.001+10:00

Duz doesn't want to pose, originally uploaded by marj k.

A fairly typical scenario - Thommo doing what I request and Dusty asking "Why do you want me to? Can I do it later? Can I do it differently? How about just Thommo does it?"

Nicknacks and prizes.

2007-07-11T13:40:00.000+10:00

At the weekend's trial I was happy to choose photo frames from the selection of great things on offer, but was fascinated by the magents available at Canine Shenanigans.
"Agility Trial Qualifier" is pretty straight forward, but who decides whether non-qualifiers would get "Agility Just For The Fun Of It", or "Train Don't Complain".

Return to Agility

2007-07-10T15:20:00.000+10:00

After four months with no agility - no training, no trials - Dusty, Thommo and I went back to training at Canine Fun Sports last Friday and to an ADAA trial on Sunday.

In the training session we worked on discriminations, layering and distance work with a semicircle of jumps behind a tunnel, and then on control on contacts and table. My footwork and hand signals were a little rusty, but the dogs seemed to pick up where they left off.

Thommo has sore front feet - x-rays on thursday this week - so I only entered him in one event. It was a good quick run, with perfect weaves but he had a refusal and a knocked bar at the end of the course so his feet may have started to hurt. A couple of tight pull offs eliminated most of the competition so he ended up with a non-Q first place.

In Dusty's agility runs I continued what we had been practicing in class and asked for a full 'down' on the contacts and a wait for an 'OK' which added seconds to our time, but she had clear rounds in both Starters and Elementary and third-place ribbons. In Starters jumping she had a great, focused run to get a Q and a first-place ribbon. However by Elementary jumping we had had some heavy rain and she was reluctant to 'down' at the start, I started too close to her, behind the wing, and then pulled her off jump 2 as I ducked around. After that it was another good run, but no Q and no ribbon.

Dog domesticates man

2007-06-15T07:37:00.000+10:00

Australian Museum scientist Paul Tacon and Adelaide colleague Colin Pardoe believe that man first developed a relationship with dogs almost 130,000 years ago – 10 times longer than previous estimates. "Evidence suggests domestication of dogs was a two-way street," according to their paper. "That led to profound changes in the biological and behavioral evolution of both species."

Domestication apparently started when wolves introduced themselves to humans by scavenging around campsites. They then moved in and started acting as an early warning system for humans. Later they were used in hunting.

This would have improved the chances of survival for early human groups and may explain why Neanderthals became extinct and homo sapiens did not. Big game hunting became part of human culture after the arrival of dogs – an instinctive wolf behavioral trait which humans picked up. "What we are saying is the two main models of human evolution are too simple," said Dr Tacon. "The real story is far more complex.”

It also suggests that the arguments for raw food based on a 'natural wolf diet' are too simplistic too. If dogs have been eating human cast-offs and left-overs for 130,000 years they are probably well adapted too it. Myself - I think raw food is healthier for both humans and dogs if standards on chemical and bacterial contamination are met.

Dusty gets a qually

2007-03-12T14:24:00.000+11:00

Dusty's second trial at Newcastle this past weekend. She had two runs - one in Standard Agility and one in Jumpers under ANKC rules.

We were second in the ring for Agility. I didn't really have Duz's attention and when she saw our instructor running in the next ring, she did the whole course looking over her shoulder. I thought it was a fairly difficult novice course with 90 degree turns away from discrimination obstacles - and it wasn't one we could do without her full attention.

By Jumpers, I had settled down and had taken the time to go through her pre-comp routine with stretches, focus tricks and settling obedience commands, and a game of tug. She had a great run, a couple of wide turns when I forgot that she needed much earlier cues than Thommo, but finished clear in 2/3 of the standard course time for a qualification and a third place medal.

Summer Camp Two

2007-01-30T20:15:00.000+11:00

Our second Summer Camp with Canine Fun Sports dealt with skills to succeed in the Games that were introduced in ANKC Agility in 2006.

Summarised, we covered:

Distance
Discrimination
Distractions
Directions

Silvia Trkman

2007-01-24T10:51:00.000+11:00

Negotiations are underway to bring Silvia Trkman to Australia. Often the promoters of agility seminars here ask you to sign up for a visiting instructor, without knowing more about them than what they have won.

Silvia Trkman has won plenty, but her website also tells us a lot about her training philosophy.

She says:

Many people ask why I don’t write a book… Here is your answer: because I can tell everything that I think is important for success in agility in 10 paragraphs:

Develop a firm and trusting relationships with your dog .
Properly condition your dog.
Teach your dog tricks.
Teach your dog obedience, obedience in high-drive of course.
Boost your dog’s confidence.
Don’t be afraid to do things your way.
If something goes wrong, always remember it’s your fault, caused either by your training or your handling. That’s good to know since it gives you a power to fix it yourself too.
Never forget that results don’t count.
Dogs’ work best when they work for themselves.
You want agility training tips? If you follow the advice from above, agility gets so easy that you don’t need those. Just go out and have fun with your dog!

The points are expanded on her website.

Rockclimber

2007-01-22T07:09:00.000+11:00

Calling all Pets

2007-01-21T13:01:00.000+11:00

Calling All Pets on Wisconsin Public Radio features Patricia McConnell and co-host Larry Meiller providing "down-to-earth advice about pet problems, big and small, and fascinating information about wildlife, too."

Check the archives for a series of shows on "For The Love Of A Dog" discussing whether animals experience emotions just as we do, how to read a dog's facial expressions, and why we love our dogs so much.

Canine Campus Podcast

2007-01-20T14:16:00.000+11:00

Canine Campus offers excellent audio 'lessons' from Deven Gaston, on dog training and behaviour modification. The most recent are reports from the US 2006 APDT conference, and include a geat summary of Patricia McConnell's biology of emotion in you and your dog.

Something to make productive use of those hours driving to your next trial?

For the Love of a Dog

2007-01-20T14:04:00.000+11:00

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend
Patricia B. McConnell Ph.D

McConnell presents a compelling combination of stories, science and practical advice to show how understanding emotions in both people and dogs can improve owners' relationships with their pets. This is more than a simple dog-training book: much of what McConnell discusses concerns how dog owners can learn 'the language' of dog by recognizing important signals and reading them correctly. She provides numerous helpful examples of how owners can observe dog behaviour, especially differences in posture and facial expressions, in order to help dogs be better behaved and help dog owners to be better handlers.

Dusty greets people she knows with bared teeth. Given that she is an Australian Cattle Dog, a breed given to biting first and asking questions later, this can be a bit disconcerting. My visitors anxiously asked “Is she going to bite me?” and all I could say in reassurance is “I don’t think so.”

McConnell describes her expression exactly in the section Smile for the Camera. Smiling dogs raise their upper lip vertically, wrinkling the skin of the muzzle and exposing the teeth. But the shiny, sharp teeth are accompanied by a relaxed body, a lowered head, friendly squinty eyes and a tail wag that starts at the shoulders.

She says that this is most likely the expression of a nervous dog anxious to please, and compares it to the grin of a teenager picking up his date for the first time.

Cues

2007-01-20T07:46:00.000+11:00

I must admit to being caught out a number of times during Summer Camp by being asked to say, and then demonstrate, my cue for a particular behaviour. So:

Startline Procedure:

Position - lead Thommo with a hand touch as he doesn't like being man-handled, lift Dusty into place.
Stance - put Thommo in a stand, Dusty in a down. The cue means stand/down stay until released so no need for a wait.
Walkout - without looking back or repeating a command.
Take up position and look back.
Raise hand.
Say "Go!"

So now I actually have a procedure I can begin to train it. Better late than never I guess.

Release cue on contacts and table "OK"

Attention - "Tom" and "Duz"

Directionals - "left" "right" "out" "close"

Obstacles - "over" "through" "walkup" "teeter" though not routinely used.

Cues as Reinforcers

2007-01-20T07:37:00.000+11:00

At Summer Camp we did some work on the timing of cues, which reminded me of the Karen Pryor article on the use of well timed cues as reinforcers in agility.

An agility run involves a long series of cues about where to go and what to do next. Some are physical cues—turns and moves by the handler— and some are verbal cues: “Tunnel!” “Weave!” “Left!” You have an opportunity to make each of those cues work in your favor by presenting it during (not after) some other behavior that you want to maintain or increase.

Of course if the dog doesn't know or understand the cue, it has no reinforcing ability. Cues have to be built carefully, consistently, and preferably off-course, so you as handler don't get fooled into assuming the dog knows what you mean.

The message is that you need to know what your cues are. Are you using moves? Fine, just use them consistently and also with appropriate timing, so you make use of their powers as reinforcers. Are you using both moves and verbals? Great, again as long as you know what the dog is really responding to and what is just superstitious behavior on your part.

Precision Steering

2007-01-20T07:05:00.000+11:00

From Summer Camp with Canine Fun Sports

Use your arm to establish and maintain distance - arm out to the side, dog at a distance; arm beside the body, dog in close.
Use your finger to trace the dog's path, pointing at the specific point where you want your dog to be,
Keep your eye on your dog, maintain a connection between the two of you.
Use front and rear crosses strategically. Front crosses can tighten up turns, and speed up the dog. Your dog must be taught to allow you to cross behind.
Position yourself on the course to provide information about the direction of travel. eg Use the 'handling line' to do a front cross.

Contacts

2007-01-19T18:56:00.000+11:00

From Summer Camp with Canine Fun Sports:
Contact obstacle performance involves three separate activities: running across the obstacle, taking up the contact position, and releasing from the contact position.

Running the obstacle
When practising running the obstacle, the criteria are speed and confidence. Reinforce these with rewards.

Practice on planks, walls, and ramps away from the dog walk, scramble and seesaw to build confidence and speed.

Do not reward slow performance, even if the contact behaviour is correct. Start again and rev the dog up for faster performance.

Contact Position

Decide on a contact behaviour and train it well away from the obstacles. Start on the flat then use planks, ramps etc.

Reward the dog in position. But ask it to maintain position until released – the click/treat does not end the behaviour. Initially give the release immediately after the reward then build duration and add distractions.

After rewarding move behind the dog (before the end of the dog walk) so that as you release, you move forward past/with the dog.

Train independent performance from the beginning. Taking up the contact position should not be dependent on your position or on hand signals or body language.

The Release

Decide on a release word and use it consistently. Be careful not to combine it with a physical cue.

Practice the release with a target on the flat, and then on planks and ramps well away from the agility obstacles.

Release the dog with you moving in the direction of the next obstacle. Don’t release the dog with you standing still beside the contact zone.

Practice the release under a variety of conditions:

Release before you reach the dog.
Run past the dog and release.
Run past, stop and release.
Run past the next obstacle and release.

Thommo's collar

2007-01-19T13:12:00.000+11:00

I now think the kids' new collars are the best thing since sliced bread.

I was downloading some photos from my camera, when Thommo starts nosing around in the waste paper basket tucked behind a cabinet. I called him out, but before he obeyed he got his collar caught on a door pull. He backs up fast, taking the cabinet with him, and leaving suspended in mid-air the processor, scanner, and camera. I throw my body in front of the cabinet, grabbing up the computer gear, and wedging the wheels with my bare toes - yelling "stand" with little effect.

Just before disaster struck, his quick release collar quick released.

Total damage - a broken lens filter, and a torn toe-nail.

Christmas Outfit -- Dusty

2007-01-07T18:47:00.000+11:00

Dusty's new Rogz for Dogz outfit.

Christmas Outfit - Thommo

2007-01-02T08:18:00.000+11:00

Thommo's new collar and lead are from Rogz for Dogz - from the Beach Bum range for large dogs, his pattern is Surf Saint Patch. The guys behind Rogz have a background in extreme sports and it shows in their great range of patterns and fun online catalogue. I found mine in the local PetBarn but they are available from a number on online stores in Aus.

Features I like include contoured plastic components for a comfortable fit, a breakaway clip for when the dogs are home alone is lockable for when you don't want it to suddenly come undone, a leash clip ring that is mounted in a way that limits strain on the clasp, and a reflective thread woven into the webbing.

Besides, as it says on the site, these outfits have some serious mojo.

Following directions

2006-12-09T06:50:00.000+11:00

In class today we ran a course that was based on the exercises of the past month, given that Dusty hasn't done any agility for the past month our first run was a bit of a disaster. She was fast and happy but was too excited to get any directions from me - she did the obstacles as they caught her eye. By our third run she had settled down, and I knew the course well enough to give clear early directions too.

We stayed for the next class of beginners, where they were practicing following handler direction despite distractions - which was just what we needed. Le was waiting at the table with treats, but the dogs had to do the jumps the handler asked for before they got the treats. (The diagram shows half of the exercise, with the dogs on our right.)

It was great to see Dusty's mind working. She was good at the game, so Le would increase the level of distraction, calling her and waving the treat bag. Dusty would check behind her a couple of times before the "Go" signal to make sure Le was still there with the treats, but she did the jumps as she was asked.

It was a good exercise for developing drive and tight turns too.

Agility hiatus

2006-11-30T18:40:00.000+11:00

We've had a bit of a break from agility. Dusty was spayed, and developed internal bleeding afterwards and we had an anxious few hours before they brought it under control. It ended up being major surgery, and she has been recuperating with light exercise.

She is now fit and well - if still fairly bald in patches - so we will be starting training again.

We have signed up for both of Keith and Le's Summer Camps at Canine Fun Sports. The first camp is on distance handling and the second on games strategies - both looking at how to get your dog around the course fast and efficiently. At both camps there is an opportunity for individual lessons, and mock trials. The camps are always great fun and we learn a lot from having the extended period of training.

Video Ref

2006-11-08T10:17:00.000+11:00

I'm aware of two agility runs this year where a competitor who queried a judge's decision had a video tape of their run. In one, an ANKC event, the judge agreed to look at the competitor's tape and reversed his decision. In the other, an ADAA trial, after discussion with officials it was agreed that the decision should be made on the basis of what the judge saw, without recourse to video or other witnesses, and the result stood.

Eric Larsen has posted slow motion video and stills from the USDAA Grand Prix Nationals which show that Susan Garrett and Decaff (winners of the 16" class) and Rhonda Carter and Blast (winners of the 22" class) might have been penalised under the rule "See-saw not touching the ground before the dog leaving, but after it begins to tilt, is a fly-off penalty."

That rule is actually a good argument for having a professional editor go over some of the regulations designed by committee: what does it actually say?? Why not "Dog leaving the see-saw after it begins to tilt, but before it touches the ground, is a fly-off penalty." Or even more simply "If the dog does not have at least one foot in contact with the see-saw when it touches the ground, it is a fly-off penalty."

In any case there is some lively discussion on judging decisions and video referees on the Agility Vision site.

Training With Mental Telepathy

2006-11-06T07:55:00.000+11:00

This looks interesting. The book, Directional Control for Dog Agility and Training with Mental Telepathy is, as the name suggests, two books in one.

"The first functionality is the Distance Directional Control System of handling. The handler uses the techniques and procedures of distance directional control to produce a competitive working team for the dog sport of agility."

If the handler chooses, the handler can then go on to increase telepathic communications with the dog by continuing to develop the intuitive bridge created with directional control work.

For distance directional control, the book outlines a structured series of exercises designed to build the dog's visual sensitivity and response to handler body movements and signals. The distance body signal techniques are coupled with a small number of verbal obstacle and directional commands to produce a dog capable of independent distance work directed by a handler that is located at sizeable distances from the dog.

The blurb goes on to say:

"The flexibility and power of this system come from the integrated combination of body and verbal commands coupled with planned transitional synchronization of both dog and handler skills. The handler develops mental timing and synchronization skills rather than physical running skills. The dog develops independent working skills."

Planning mischief

2006-11-03T15:32:00.000+11:00

Dusty in the storm-water drain euphemistically known as Throsby Creek.

Wheel Covers

2006-11-03T09:46:00.000+11:00

Love My Pet have a special on 4wd wheel covers - for border collie agiliteers in Aus, especially.

Dusty's semi-siblings

2006-10-31T15:55:00.000+11:00

Heelersridge Riverina (River) has six lovely puppies by Dusty's dad Gr Ch Bangeeri AussieAlchemist (Darcy). Five red, one blue, three males and three females, at Heelers Ridge Kennel.

Agility Distractions

2006-10-29T11:23:00.000+11:00

Have we proofed sufficiently for thunder and lightning?

Obstacle names

2006-10-27T09:37:00.000+10:00

I'm not sure how much notice dogs take of agility obstacle names, but it gives the handler something to yell in moments of desperation, and they are useful in putting an obstacle behaviour on cue. Some ideas on what to call the various obstacles follows:

Dog Walk - Dog walk, cat walk, walk it, walk on, walk up, plank.
A-Frame - Scramble, climb, mountain, charge, wall.
Teeter - Teeter, see saw, tip it, careful.
Table - Table, place, rest, park it, get on.
Tire - Tire, circle, middle, hoop, ring.
Tunnel - Tunnel, through, zoom.
Chute - Chute, tunnel, through, push, gogogo.
Jumps - Jump, hup, over, get up.
Spread jumps -Hup hup, jump, over, big jump, big hup, big over, big.
Weaves - Weave, poles, weavies, wiggle, snakie, in-out, zig-zag, boogie.
Contacts - Get it, bottom, spot, touch, wait, easy.

Dog Blog

2006-10-26T21:19:00.000+10:00

As Jon walks around San Francisco, he encounters dogs tied to things, takes their pictures, and offers them up to the world with whatever commentary springs to mind.

Great idea, great photos and witty, observant comments. Dog Blog.

Wet Dog

2006-10-26T06:03:00.000+10:00

Ogden Nash wrote:

The Dog
The truth I do not stretch or shove
When I state that the dog is full of love.
I've also found, by actual test,
A wet dog is the lovingest.

My dogs end up in the water most days, so I have a regular towelling off routine before they hop in the car - if there are still dog towels in the car, and if I'm quick enough to grab them both before they jump in, or if I could be bothered to take the time and don't just shrug it off with a "the car needs a clean, anyway."

They shake on command, but that does only so much. I have 'miracle' and 'magic' dog towels but they still have to be vigorously applied to two dogs. So I like the sound of these dog coats - Trover ® Bone Dry . Made and lined with super soft looper fleece, the coats are hydrophilic and dry dog quickly as they wear them. They can also be put on wet, as a cool coat in hot weather.

Put the coat on, and the upholstery is protected while the coat drys the dog on the way home. Now that is magic.

Victoria Stilwell

2006-10-25T09:47:00.000+10:00

I'm sucked into watching It's Me or the Dog on a Sunday evening, if only to be continually suprised at just how stupid dog owners can be, and to watch Victoria send them to the naughty corner.

From a review by Aerial Telly:

The philosopher Michel Foucault wrote that the techniques perfected in the penal system were transmitted through to wider society via "the carceral archipelago" creating a whole society of docile bodies submitting to the will of the state.

What I believe the baldy turd was trying to say is that condign discipline is going transnational and is no longer the preserve of prison inmates and pervert businessmen. Spare the rod and spoil the klutz is the mantra and TV is the bludgeon the state is using to break our will.

Supernanny brought toddlers into line, Teenage Brat Camp gave sk8er bois a reason to live and the 'hilariously' misandrist Bring Your Man to Heel showed how your husband could be trained like a dog.

Now we've come full circle and dogs are being treated like husbands - which is to say like dogs. It's Me Or The Dog is the latest in a catalogue of behaviour alteration projects beamed into our homes with the same message - "step out of line and you'll be next, Fido".

Dog trainer Victoria Stilwell is the agent of the state - making house calls on disruptive dogs and straight punking their asses.

You probably know the drill by now - good behaviour is rewarded and bad behaviour is punished. Give the dog more exercise and slap some sense into the owner. And the dog is told to get the fuck off the sofa or get its bollocks cut off.

Cavaletti Calculator

2006-10-24T11:33:00.000+10:00

Cavaletti jumps are borrowed from the horse world. They are low jumps and their intended usage is to teach stride and collection for jumping. Cavelettis help to make dogs think of where their feet are going and what they need to be doing next. They are placed at various distances apart, often in relation to the length of a stride - 2 strides apart, 1 1/2 ...

The Cavaletti Calculator gives instructions for building portable cavalettis that can be rotated to provide four different jump heights.

Thommo at Armidale

2006-10-20T07:02:00.000+10:00

Thommo had a good weekend too, bringing home quallies. In this run, he had clipped the spread, became very worried and slowed to a walk, got a pat and a pep-talk and perked up to cross the finish line here with a big grin (and a DQ).

Armidale trial

2006-10-20T06:58:00.000+10:00

Tim drove over 3,000 kms to get to the Armidale trial and back home to Townsville. When he wasn't judging or running borrowed dogs he was taking photos.

Dusty's first trial

2006-10-18T10:25:00.000+10:00

I was entering Thommo in a trial at Armidale, a country event that is usually a great, friendly weekend in a fun location - with rabbits to chase and a creek to swim in - and Dusty turned 18 months this week so I entered her in two Jumping events, one each day.

She was great! She really enjoyed herself, mostly followed direction, and jumped the jumps cleanly. In both events we had a staggered line of jumps leading to a tunnel, and both times she caught sight of the tunnel and headed off to it, but she came back when I called. We got a fault for passing the plane of the next jump so no quallies, but great runs just the same.

It was the first time she had done more than six or eight obstacles in a row, the first time she had seen a spread hurdle, and she had only been jumping 500mm for a week.

Learning the Rules

2006-10-12T06:30:00.000+10:00

Another story from If Dogs Could Talk that has implications for agility training:

Csanyi set up an experiment in the lab with three groups; children aged 4 to 6, graduate students, and adult dogs. In the room were three large screens. The experimenter would place a ball in a plastic bucket, watched by the participant. He would then go behind each of the screens in turn, putter about for a moment, and emerge to show the participant whether the ball was still in the bucket or not. The he (in the case of the grad students) or the dog's owner, or the children's kindergarten teacher, would give a signal to find the ball. The grad students only made one error, and the dogs and children both had success rates that were much higher than could be achieved at random.

In the next stage of the experiment, the experimenter quite obviously put the ball in his pocket, showed the participant the empty bucket, and then disappeared behind each screen in turn pretending to leave the ball and showing the empty bucket after each.

All three groups had a few smartypants who immediately indicated that the experimenter had the ball in his pocket. But 50% of the grad students, 55% of children, and 75% of the dogs ostentatiously searched behind the screens for the ball before returning to the experimenter.

When the children and students were asked, they said that they felt that searching behind the screens was the essence of the game, regardless of where the ball was. Csanyi says "I see no reason to doubt that the dogs had similar ideas."

This and other experiments showed that dogs can learn the rules through patterning.

The problem is that we are often unaware of what the rule is that the dogs are learning. I think there are some dogs out there who know the rule "Walk up the ramp, across the top, jump off, mum puts me back on, I wait and she gives me a treat."

Morgan Spector said something that I mis-remember but it was like "Once is an aberration, twice is a pattern, three times is a lifestyle."

Canine Communication

2006-10-09T08:17:00.000+10:00

Csanyi undertook a series of experiments with dogs at the University to test their symbolic communication. The dogs were taught to bring shaped pieces of wood to indicate different wants. (The dogs were very successful at using the wood pieces to symbolise what they wanted.) He also taught a few of these to his dog Jerry at home.

One day they had been out and Jerry had been given a number of hot dogs at lunch time, so for the evening meal he received a very small portion. Jerry ate this quickly, and then took the appropriately shaped wood to Csanyi asking for something to eat. Not getting any response, he repeated the action several times, then went and lay on the balcony with the wood between his paws.

After a minute or two, he got up, picked up the wood, and dropped it over the side of the balcony.

If Dogs Could Talk

2006-10-03T07:28:00.000+10:00

I've been reading Vilmos Csanyi's book If Dogs Could Talk : Exploring the Canine Mind and would recommend it highly. He is a professor and head of a department of ethology (the study of animal behaviour) at a university in Budapest, and the book has a strong scientific base, but it is enlivened with anecdotal stories about his own two dogs.

Unlike those books that see dogs' evolution from the wolf as a reason for imposing pack hierarchies on pets, Csanyi's research shows that we have created the domestic dog in the course of living with them for tens of thousands of years. In this long process dogs lost many of the characteristics of their wolf ancestors, and in their place gained "the ability to love, a well-developed social intelligence, the human tools of collaboration, and the ability to understand human behaviour."

His experiments suggest that dogs do not see their housemates as a pack, but rather as a team that functions collaboratively.

Get Out

2006-09-26T07:09:00.000+10:00

Another item from Bud Houston's blog on Agility Vision is Using Around the Clock training to teach the dog “Get Out”. We've been working on 'out' using tossed toys/treats so Dusty has a basic understanding of the cues - the voice command and the pressure against the dog's path. Bud's exercise is a good one to practice and then proof the cues.

Agility Vision

2006-09-16T13:08:00.000+10:00

Agility Vision is a great resource, better than being there in many ways. The Bay Team hosted a Grand Prix Regional Championship over the Labor Day weekend. Agility vision provides a Course Map for round one.

The opening sequence caught a lot of handlers by surprise, with many dogs taking the off-course into the tunnel, instead of the left turn to jump 5.

Agility vision has a video of the competitors running the sequence using different handling techniques (Please turn!), an interview with Janet Gaunt, the judge and course designer, interviews with competitors Susan Garrett and Mary Ellen Barry and video of playing around after the Grand Prix where a few handlers (Rachel Sanders, Susan Garrett, Mary Ellen Barry) and the judge, Janet Gaunt, went out on course to try to figure it all out.

You will need to register (its free) to see the videos.

Wet weekend

2006-09-11T10:08:00.000+10:00

The NSW Festival of Agility went ahead despite atrocious weather, adding a few extra obstacles to the course. Vickie Priestly captured Allan Schmidt and Jack negotiating the dog walk lake.

Dog's ages

2006-09-08T09:47:00.000+10:00

The rule of thumb that one year of a dogs age equals seven years in human terms doesn't take into account that dogs reach maturity between one and two, and that large dogs age faster than small ones.

This is not an exact science but Ruby is a lovely old lady in her nineties. Congratulations to her and to Nicola, may they enjoy each others company a while longer.

Ruby's birthday today

2006-09-08T09:01:00.000+10:00

Lead-out Pivot

2006-09-07T07:27:00.000+10:00

Luckily we have been practicing our lead outs, as we had a course on the weekend that I really couldn't see any other way to handle, even with Thommo's preference for me to run with him. Most people who did not use a lead out to between 3 and 4 could not get into position to direct the dog to 7.

Worn out

2006-09-04T09:00:00.000+10:00

Worn out
Originally uploaded by marj k.

Watching agility is hard work - especially when you have to practice the weavepoles or contact behavior before you get a treat.

Watching a run.

2006-09-04T08:58:00.000+10:00

Watching a run.
Originally uploaded by marj k.

Dusty is still an agility spectator, though she may trial for the first time in October. Here she is watching the events at Port Macquarie.

Lead-out

2006-08-21T15:16:00.000+10:00

Thommo has a great start-line wait, but we don't use it very often as he is much more motivated if I run with him. There are not a lot of courses where a lead-out gives a significant advantage, and I often see handlers leading out huge distances and then waiting for their dog to catch up before running together. However, Dusty doesn't need the same support at the start-line, and her speed could require strategic positioning on course to give her early warning of the path, so we are back practicing lead-outs. This exercise alternates lead-outs and lead-out pivots.
Lead-out – A handling maneuver where the dog is placed on a wait at the start line and the handler moves to a strategic position prior to starting the course.

Lead-out pivot – A maneuver used to change a dog’s direction off the start line. The handler leads out, faces the direction he initially wants the dog to go, and then calls the dog. As the dog lands, the handler counter-rotates 270° to effect a change of side and change of direction.

Conditioning

2006-08-16T08:24:00.000+10:00

Conditioning For Healthy Dogs, a Powerpaws article by Sarah Johnson, says:

Conditioning is defined as "developing a state of health, readiness, or physical fitness." Simply stated, conditioning consists of a planned program of exercise. Fitness is the condition of being physically fit. Fitness includes, cardiovascular, muscle strength, muscle endurance, power, balance, proprioception, flexibility and more.

Specific Training For Your Sport

Mimic the movements of your sport in your conditioning program. For example, if you do a 2 on 2 off 6’3’ A Frame, you need to strengthen those muscles in that specific position without the impact of that obstacle.

Cross Training

Get your cardiovascular workout or strength training using different muscles than you use for your sport in order to prevent overuse injuries. For example, swimming your agility dog.

The article goes on to list the pros and cons of a number of popular methods of exercising dogs, such as:

Hiking with dog off leash

Long distance recalls between two people

Walking in deep sand

Underwater Treadmill

Riding a bike or scooter while dog is trotting

Johnson advises against throwing a ball as a form of exercise:

Too focused on ball, therefore, runs into fences, cars, other dogs, people and other objects
Too focused on ball, therefore not thinking about their body position & landing
Jumping high into air, causes big uncontrolled impact on landing, high risk for injury
Running after low ball is high risk for impact sliding injuries
If the dog is overweight or unfit, the risks are extremely high for injury.
Is this the play relationship you want with your agility dog - pick up a toy and your dog runs out away from you.

Weaving

2006-08-15T18:17:00.000+10:00

Agilitydog_2
Originally uploaded by kulkuri.

Agility in Finland.

Environmental rewards

2006-08-15T17:58:00.000+10:00

I'm looking to reward Thommo with things that he likes to do, rather than with toys or treats, as a way of keeping him 'in the game'. These two exercises we'll work on over the next few days, using the tunnel as a reward for a fast teeter and/or a tight turn, and as a reward for control on the table.

Tunnel entries

2006-08-15T17:25:00.000+10:00

At training with Le and Keith - Canine Fun Sports - today we did an exercise practicing entries to the far end of the tunnel. We tried a range of strategies: using a front cross, a call and send, an off-arm turn. Thommo was not in the mood so had to be coaxed and jollied through the exercises - it makes it hard when he's not driving to the next obstacle. Dusty was so driven that I was stretched to get into place for the move I wanted.

In her class we also did some see-saw work. Keith stepped up to control the drop and Duz turned to look and fell off the side. She immediately hopped back up in the same place and continued to the end for her treat.

Field Work

2006-07-22T11:51:00.000+10:00

In an article in the Canine Chronicle, Chris Robinson asks "Are you suited for field work?" commenting on the experiences in store for those who, after a few years of conformation, turn to field work with their hunting or herding dog. I quote a short excerpt:

Another herder I know had the misfortune of running her dog on a clear, crisp morning when the dog was more than a little fresh. In fact, "wired" would probably be a better description. After starting the outrun barely under control, her dog in a fit of total joie de vivre burst through the herd of sheep which, in turn, set up a wild run. Delighted at the opportunity, the dog tore after the sheep and turned them right back at her handler with the sheep on a dead run. The handler disappeared under a sea of sheep which meant the dog could no longer see the human she was fetching the sheep to. So, she proceeded to circle at top speed tightening the sheep over the prone body of her handler. Making the incident that much more humiliating, friends, and in this case that word should be used advisedly, videotaped the entire show. On the video, every now and then a hand appears from the depth of the sheep whirlpool and faint cries of "lie down," fortunately without the expletives, can be heard on the audio portion of the tape. The handler says she never did get all the stains out of her clothing and the black-and-blue marks on her body, all in the shape of a sheep hoof-print, were quite spectacular for days after the event.

Cattle Dog x

2006-07-19T07:33:00.000+10:00

ACD x German Shepherd

Cattle Dog x

2006-07-14T15:44:00.000+10:00

IMG_0871
Originally uploaded by marj k.

ACD x Great Dane

Cattle Dog x

2006-07-14T09:50:00.000+10:00

Serious
Originally uploaded by ~AJ.

ACD x St Bernard

Cattle Dog x

2006-07-14T09:49:00.000+10:00

IMG_2342
Originally uploaded by marj k.

ACD x German Shorthaired Pointer

Camping

2006-07-13T07:18:00.000+10:00

We've spent a couple of weekends recently camping in some fairly crisp temperatures. The dogs have doonas which I form into nests and they wear coats to bed - in my tent one on each side of me - so I think they are warm enough. But I've been looking online for adventure-dog gear.
The camo sleeping-bag is available from ForDogs They also have dog tents and folding food tables.
For the serious dog hiker Tails by the Bay have the Leash Beaner, a carabiner clip-on for your leash that has a built in compass, stop watch, watch, and mini flashlight.

Other suppliers:

This girl ...

2006-07-12T17:05:00.000+10:00

... is a Woman Now.

At 15 months Dusty begins her first 'season'.

Stages of the Estrous Cycle

Proestrus: Vulvar swelling and bloody vaginal discharge marks the beginning of proestrus.The first day of bleeding is called the first day of heat. The duration of proestrus can vary from as little as 1 day to 21 days. Proestrus is a time of rising estrogen levels preparing the reproductive tract for breeding.
Estrus: Is the period of receptivity. Behaviorally it begins the first day the bitch stands. Hormonally it begins on the day of the LH (LueteinizingHormone) surge and is marked by rising progesterone levels and decreasing estrogen levels.
Diestrus: Normally begins 7 to 9 days post the actual LH surge. Progesterone levels continue to rise and the vaginal cytology cornification abruptly declines. The diestrus period lasts until the bitch whelps or the serum progesterone returns to a basal level.
Anestrus: Is the period of time between the end of diestrus and the next proestrus period.

The season can last anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks. I'm hoping for 5 days.

Dog Agility

2006-06-28T07:05:00.000+10:00

Body Language

2006-06-28T06:45:00.000+10:00

In The Beginner's Guide to Dog Agility: Fun, Frolic, and Fitness for You and Your Dog! Laurie Leach gives a summary of the body language used to communicate information in agility:

Eyes - Your dog is aware of where you are looking, look at the obstacle you want him to perform next.

Shoulders - They are a powerful communication tool. A turn of the shoulders indicates a change of direction, and the degree of rotation tells how sharp the turn will be. A drop of one shoulder is a cue that the handler is going to rear cross, or cross behind the dog.

Arms - There are three basic ways to use your arms, all arm signals are given with the arm closest to the dog. Bowling the dog is where, palm up, you swing the arm towards the next obstacle. Drawing a path is where you point with one finger moving your arm to show the dog the correct path to the next obstacle, so your arm is close to your body if your dog is to stay close to you, and your arm is outstretched if your dog is to stay further away. Pushing is using an open palm and a push motion to widen the dog's path away from you.

Feet - Dogs, particularly small dogs, learn to read your feet like the arrow on a compass. Your feet should face the next obstacle as soon as possible.

Position - Your position in relation to the dog also tells it where it is to go on course. Lead outs and front and rear crosses give precise information about where the dog is to go next.

Starters Agility

2006-06-26T08:29:00.000+10:00

At an ADAA training camp on the weekend Dusty ran her first full length course. She wasn't really up to this step, but handled it well apart from a tendency to run over to me after every few obstacles. She had lovely contacts, dropping and waiting for the release, and quick responses to the front crosses and post turn. We haven't started training the weaves so I called her past them to the tunnel.

Bongo - RSPCA

2006-06-23T18:57:00.000+10:00

IMG_1183
Originally uploaded by marj k.

Partly out of guilt at buying myself such an expensive toy, I'm using the new camera to photograph dogs and cats at the local RSPCA shelter, so that they can publicise re-homable animals on their website. So many wonderful pets - they don't have issues or problems, just got too big or too active, or became inconvenient.

I adore Dusty, and needed a 'well bred' dog after the heartbreak of losing Diesel - and Duz shows her good breeding in so many ways - but my next dog will be a rescue.

I almost shook a woman at the dog beach today who was telling me that her reason for breeding her labrador (to a neighbour's lab, no health checks anywhere) was that if she throws back to her chocolate lab mother, the puppies will be 'worth quite a bit'.

Stock Handling

2006-06-23T17:45:00.000+10:00

Before Dusty and I go too much further with herding trials, I need to learn more about stock handling. There a few options available, most geared either to backpackers who want to try stockwork as an adventure holiday, or to graziers looking to improve production rates and meat quality. Nothing specifically targetting middleaged city dwellers trying to herd sheep with their cattle dog.

Wombramurra Station near Nundle in NSW looked good, with flexible packages including a 'work for your board' option, however despite its great web site, the contact numbers don't work and it looks like it might have changed hands.

Cruickshank's is a bed and breakfast on a sheep property near where I go for herding lessons, it might be possible to negotiate some work experience.

Leconfield offers a Jillaroo/Jackaroo school, which teaches a whole range of skills I have limited use for such as shoeing a horse and building bush furniture, but they cover stock handling.

Jim Lindsay of LSS runs schools that teach Low Stress Stockhandling, delevoping an attitude that promotes harmony between man and animal. "We can put ourselves in a position to be able to consider the situation from an animal's point of view and therefore have an obligation to do so. When we have knowledge of how an animal reacts to different situations we can use that information to effect. Being an effective stockhandler is about knowledge, understanding, attitude and patience.

Working Dog Schools cover the basic fundamentals of working a herding dog. Herding dogs are those that instinctively have a desire to go around their stock and keep the stock together and bring them back to the handler. The schools are designed to give the handler an insight into how working dogs think and want to operate. The most important thing in a working dog is to have a desire to work. When that is established the handler must understand how to control that desire. Heavy emphasis is placed on letting the dog work as naturally as it wants in order to get the job done. Sometimes this takes a considerable amount of understanding on behalf of the handler. Understanding this process and putting it into practice can be very rewarding."

Zen and the art of herding

2006-06-20T09:40:00.000+10:00

Robert starts the session by asking where you are at, and what you want to achieve. I said I was looking for some sort of herding zen - a state of acceptance and peace that involved sheep and wilful red cattle dogs.

Dusty standing, loose leashed, watching the sheep a couple of feet away was a big start.

Soft Start

2006-06-20T09:28:00.000+10:00

Our work on 'get out' over the last couple of weeks held up in the presence of sheep with lovely soft starts. On cue, Dusty moved wide around the sheep in a relatively calm manner, instead of running straight at them.

Not too much was asked of us the clinic last weekend. I worked on trying to read Dusty and the sheep, anticipating what they were going to do, and her response to them, trying to get myself in the best place to let her do what she knew she had to do.

I know trust is a big part of it - trusting that she has good instincts and has been taught well and then just giving her freedom to do her job. I was about to give up herding, I was worried about my inability to be in control at all times but I think I now understand that I don't have to be.

If you get a chance to go to a Robert Cox clinic, do yourself a favour. He is as good at reading people as he is at reading dogs and sheep.

Weekend Results

2006-06-14T06:23:00.000+10:00

Thommo had a much better weekend than is reflected in our results. He was happy, fast and responsive. I was a little nervous about the crowd of dogs and people at the start/finish lines and this may have been the reason for a dropped bar which meant no quallies, but his performance was otherwise flawless. I was very happy with him, and have entered him in a few upcoming trials.

Dusty coped with very trying conditions and ratty sheep to get two passes in her Herding Tests to earn her HT. After her second test I took them out to a open space and she literally had the zoomies, racing around in big circles through bushes and across the not-quite dry dam. Apparently she was exhibiting more self control in the ring than I had given her credit for.

Best of all they both snuggled up to me in the tent, alleviating the deficiencies of my mild-weather-only sleeping bag.

The sun

2006-06-13T11:23:00.000+10:00

It did appear briefly during the Australian National Agility Trials at Erskine Park last weekend.

Both dogs though had a wonderful time.

Training

2006-06-06T09:12:00.000+10:00

Between the sore toe and the rain we have done very little training in the past week. Both of them have a trial this weekend - the Agility Nationals for Thommo and the Herding Test for Dusty - so we'll be going in 'fresh'.

Rain

2006-06-06T08:55:00.000+10:00

Sore toe

2006-06-06T08:45:00.000+10:00

My Greyhound

2006-05-28T17:05:00.000+10:00

Dusty was playing chasing games at a friends property. She would run past the older dogs and take off as though they were chasing her. They weren't.

"Get out" command

2006-05-27T17:24:00.000+10:00

Over the last few days we have been working on a cue for Dusty (and Thommo) to move away from me. We'll use it in herding to give a soft start, and in agility for distance work.

First step. I set up two short fences using garden mesh, with a gap between them so that I could go straight ahead. I put a target out in front of the gap, blocked the gap with my body and sent Dusty to the left. I stepped through the gap, to reward her at the target. Repeated left and right. I'm using a movement of my arm away from my side as a signal. No verbal cue as yet, but will just use a "Sssht" when we are with the sheep.

Second step. Duz likes to herd the yard broom, so I've been sending her around the end of the fence while I sweep straight up the middle.

Third step. For the two of them I put a jump at the end of the fence sending them out to do the jump while I run through the gap and up the middle. I'll add more obstacles to the line as they get the idea. Thommo is pretty good at this and we have a few Gambler's titles, but I don't think it hurts for him to go back to babysteps with Dusty. The arm movement is the only signal as yet for Dusty, for Thommo I use "out" as well.

Herding 101

2006-05-26T08:44:00.000+10:00

Re-directing flying sheep: Denise Wall's photo of Jeannie Weaver's Jack trying to stop a ewe in the shed.

My way or the highway

2006-05-22T09:20:00.000+10:00

DSCN1991
Originally uploaded by trent shepherd.

Trent captured Dusty and I discussing how we were going to handle the flock - left up to her she would only go anticlockwise.

Sheepdog

2006-05-20T18:45:00.000+10:00

Dusty had a great day today at a sheep herding clinic. She worked calmly and confidently, and even I managed to keep it together for most of the time.

Strategic Pairs

2006-05-19T15:11:00.000+10:00

In Thommo's class this week we were running Strategic Pairs, another event that is now part of ANKC competition. In strategic pairs both dogs are on course at once. While the course is numbered one to twenty, there may be long distances and awkward turns between two consecutive numbers. The strategy comes in dividing the obstacles up between the dogs so that the result is a fast flowing course.

In our practice example, we decided that dog one would do obstacles 1 to 3, dog two 4 to 7, then dog one 8 to 10, and so on. As it turned out dog one had the obstacles that would be most likely to cause problems, and dog two had the trickier course sections.

Thommo did well. We were too quick starting our section and had to re-do the first obstacle, but I never mind Thommo being too quick. With strategic pairs I have to be careful that he doesn't see call offs or stopping him running or making him wait as corrections or he gets depressed.

After two runs our instructor said we were finished so I put Thommo away and got Dusty out for her class. But we got through the next turn quickly and were able to have another go. So I let Dusty have a run. She really responded to the excitement, handled all the obstacles without fault and raced around her sections. We had one run past on a sharp turn, but that was my fault. I was impressed, she is not really up to running courses.