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Sports & Agility > Choosing a contact method for agility

Bosley

Where are the- treats?

Barked: Wed Nov 25, '09 6:09pm PST


	I just posted a short video on Bosley's page demonstrating what Aslan was mentioning about teaching big dogs to slam the teeter. Bosley runs up the teeter, without hesitating at the tip point, and then slams the teeter. Bosley is a big dog - about 90 pounds in this video (he has filled out since then) so he can slam it from near the tip point, so it may seem like he is hesitating but that is where he needs to be to slam the teeter and prepare for his 2o2o. This video was from about a 1.5 years ago, and as you can tell, I was still heavily rewarding the 2o2o behavior. Maggie, however, runs up the teeter, slows at the tip point and leans her weight forward until the teeter drop, then she runs off. A big difference in their styles because of training methods.

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» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Heidi AX,AXJ, Thu 3:56 pm
Sports & Agility > Choosing a contact method for agility

Bosley

Where are the- treats?

Barked: Tue Nov 24, '09 8:33pm PST


	I won't get into the 2o2o discussion, as I am in the same camp as Aslan on this. But, I will comment on the teeter. In our classes, we train all the dogs to run to the end of the board. This is done in steps so that the dog is driving to the end of the teeter, without stopping at the tip point, but at the same time the dog is still in control on the obstacle. The tiny dogs end up at the end of the teeter well before the teeter has touched the ground and they learn to ride the teeter down. The larger dogs run to the end as well, but because of basic physics, the teeter hits the ground before they get to the end, however, they still are in control even if the teeter "slams". Actually, slamming (banging) the teeter is part of the game and fun of the teeter. Fly-offs on the teeter are what can hurt a dog but if you teach a dog to run to the end of the teeter and wait there until the teeter hits the ground, fly-offs should not happen.

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» There has since been 10 posts. Last posting by Heidi AX,AXJ, Thu 3:56 pm

Choosing the Right Dog > Berness Mountain Dogs

Bosley

Where are the- treats?

Barked: Mon Nov 23, '09 4:09pm PST


	Hi Buddy, Is there anything specific you would like to know about the Bernese? In general, Bernese are very good natured dogs. They were originally bred to be all-purpose working farm dogs, so they respond well to training and many are very eager to please their owners. There is a wide range of activity level within the breed - some are very active and always on the go while others are more the couch potato type. No matter what the activity level, Bernese are very emotionally needy dogs. They need to be with their people and do not thrive in a kennel situation or left alone for long periods of time. This is a dog that wants to be with you all the time. Bernese have more than their fair share of health issues, with cancer taking many Bernese way too young. It is extremely important to find a good breeder when looking for a Berner - one that does all the minimum health tests (there is never any excuse for not testing and wanting to produce healthy and sound puppies). The rescue you linked is good. There are many Bernese rescues across North America, that unfortunately, are way too busy. You should also check out BARC, they rescue many puppies and adults from puppy mills and auctions. I have never heard of the breeder you linked and am not familiar with the pedigrees of her Berners except for the Zanzebern dog. She seems very new to the breed and as far as I can tell, has only had 2 litters. She seems to do health testing on her breeding dogs and her dogs have CGN titles. No show champions so far, but she does seem to be showing at least one of her dogs. There are no real "red flags" that jump out at me, but I am always a bit critical of breeders until I find out more about them personally. I know of too many breeders that look good at first glance, but underneath are sketchy. This breeder seems like a small breeder (which I personally like) and would be worth a second look. I know of several good breeders (that I like, but may not be for everyone) across the US and Canada. P-mail me if you would like to know more about other breeders in your area.

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Charlie Pete, Mon 7:39 pm

Sports & Agility > Latest Video!

Maggie

Wishing For Snow

Barked: Thu Nov 19, '09 4:22pm PST


	Hi Stormy, Nice runs! Those excellent courses can be tough, but you did a great job with both your guys. I agree with Lilliana about keeping your momentum up on course when running with Stormy. My dogs are similar to Stormy in that regards. I really need to work on course to make sure I don't create a lull that will slow them down. Stormy can be very fast, you just need to find the balance between keeping her speed and keeping her engaged with you. On your 1st jumpers run with Stormy, she missed the middle jump on the serpentine because your serp cue was not obvious enough and you needed to be further ahead of her (by the time she was ready to take the middle jump you should have been at the right jump standard giving the serp (f/c) cue). Because you were standing in the center of the middle jump with your shoulders pointed toward the third jump, that is where Stormy thought she was going. Nice job with Flip - he is so cute to watch! He really likes front crosses and really powers out of them, so that is something to think about when you are doing your walk through. Nice job with both dogs.

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» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Stormy, Nov 21 10:43 am

Sports & Agility > Remmy's titles

Maggie

Wishing For Snow

Barked: Tue Nov 17, '09 2:08pm PST


	Good job, Remmi!!!

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Didge, Nov 17 11:13 pm
Food & Nutrition > When freezing kongs...

Maggie

Wishing For Snow

Barked: Mon Nov 9, '09 1:58pm PST


	The temperature inside a freezer significantly inhibits the growth of bacteria. I always though the kongs in the freezer and never think twice about bacteria. Everything in the freezer is wrapped so little chance of bacteria spreading.

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» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by Vance, Nov 9 7:47 pm

Choosing the Right Dog > Afghan Hounds...?

Maggie

Wishing For Snow

Barked: Sun Nov 8, '09 9:34am PST


	Buddy, you were asking about Bernese and how trainable they are. They are very trainable - they are dogs that are generally eager to please. Keebs responded to your Bernese question with the following: Maybe I missed it, but are you looking to do agility just for fun, or do you want to actually be competitive in the sport? I'm guessing you don't care about winning since you were considering an afghan... lol. Seriously though, they aren't very agile or fast but you can still have lots of fun doing agility with them! I really must disagree with this. As someone who owns 2 Bernese and competes in agility with them, I must say that Bernese can be fast and they are agile for large dogs. We compete in agility and do very well, often winning our division. Bosley (who weighs over 100 pounds) has only been to 3 CKC agility trial weekends and he already has Excellent legs in both standard and jumpers, and has got there by taking 1 or 2nd place in every one of his qualifying runs. My dogs are not as fast as Border Collies (since they are not Border Collies), but they are still capable of speed - they were bred to be farm dogs that needed to drove cattle, among other things, they were not bred to be lumps that lay on the couch all day. On Maggie's profile page there is an old agility video of her - if you watch it you will see she is not super fast, but not just loping around the course either.

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Charlie Pete, Nov 8 9:40 am

Sports & Agility > Rally vs obedience?

Bosley

Where are the- treats?

Barked: Sun Nov 8, '09 9:01am PST


	Asher said: Competive Obedience is more about precision, Rally more about relationship. If you are looking to prove your dog, Obedience is probably the route to go. If you are looking for fun, I'd suggest Rally. Ok, normally I don't get involved in this kind of bickering on these forums, but as someone who trains and competes in both Rally and formal Obedience (as well as other things) I really need to comment on this statement. Rally is more about relationship ???? Any competitive dog sport is about relationship. Saying that relationship is more important or is stronger when you compete in Rally than in traditional obedience is very misleading and hurtful to those of us who pour hours of obedience training and relationship building with our dogs. Not sure if you meant it this way Asher (I am hoping you didn't). Anyone who has trained in traditional obedience knows that you must have a very strong relationship with your dog. Your dog must trust you and work well enough to do all those exercises without any extra commands or cheerleading. If you have a strong relationship with your dog, he will know that he is doing the right thing out there and his reward is coming, even if you are not chattering at him the whole time or don't have a cookie in your pocket. If you are looking to prove your dog, Obedience is probably the route to go. Prove what???Not sure what you meant by this Asher, but it sounds like a slam at people who do competitive obedience. Anytime you get a leg or title in any event, Rally , Obedience, Agility, etc., you are proving your dog. You are proving that you have put in the time, training and relationship building to get that ribbon. If you are looking for fun, I'd suggest Rally. I guess fun is how you train it. I find Rally fun. I also find formal obedience fun. It is all in how you train. I train using lots of games and am very physical (hands on playing) with my dogs when we train. I love the precision of formal obedience and find the challenge of getting those straight fronts and perfect heeling very fun. I love working through something tough and seeing the wonderful result in the end. I am currently getting ready to compete in Open obedience with Bosley. When we started, he would not look at the dumbbell, never mind pick it up. After nearly a year of hard work, he now loves the dumbbell and my heart jumps a bit everytime I see him fly out, tail wagging to bring his dumbbell back. His dumbbell work was all trained using the clicker and lots of fun games. I have nothing but fun training those formal exercises.

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» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by MACH2 Aslan, Nov 9 9:56 pm

Behavior & Training > why do we ask a dog to work?

Bosley

Where are the- treats?

Barked: Sun Nov 8, '09 12:02am PST


	I ask my dogs to sit before eating, sit nice to be petted, walk nice on a leash, etc because those are just good doggie manners. I ask my dogs to work (do formal obedience exercises, train in agility, pull a cart) because my dogs are a working breed and they really need a job to do to be happy. Would they be happy just hanging around the house all day? Probably. But asking them to work puts a little extra sparkle in their eyes and a bit more bounce in their step. They love to work and learn new things. I also ask them to work because I really enjoy training them and competing in dog sports and I love the bond that you have with your dog that comes from working together to accomplish a goal

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» There has since been 11 posts. Last posting by Hucky, Nov 9 7:14 am
Dog Health > Vet taking dog in the back rom for exam

Maggie

Wishing For Snow

Barked: Sat Nov 7, '09 8:03am PST


	I am not sure why a vet would need to take any dog to the "back room" for a routine exam and shots. Every vet I have been to has always done this in the examination room with me there. An exam should be done with the owner in the room so that the vet can ask questions and answers any questions that the client may have. This is the only way you can build a relationship with your vet. As for the "back room", I have been allowed in the back room many times to help with x-rays (help hold the dog), review x-rays and, when Maggie broke her foot I often went to the back with her to hold her when they were changing her splint. Your relationship with your vet should be one with a lot of trust involved on your part. If you do not feel comfortable with your vet, it may be time to look around for a new vet. Get recommendations from other in your area- ask at grooming places, doggie daycares, etc., as these businesses often hear the "good and bad" from their clients.

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» There has since been 40 posts. Last posting by Delilah, Nov 19 11:46 am

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