terrecar

I saw this on Facebook and was saddened. If I could emulate anyone in the sheepdog world, it would be Kristi. I only knew her online, but she shined through as an intelligent, competent, kind, encouraging and all around good person. Kristi Oikawa (Airbear) was a class act.

I think Hannah must have found my copy of Asimov on Physics. She somehow calculates the trajectory of the frisbee so that she can pick it out of the air with a minimum of effort and without breaking her stride. It reminds me of this cartoon I found:

What a wonderful update! Thank you.

Agreed; Bravo! Our internal dialogue has a huge impact on how we approach life in general (which is why CBT is so often used by psychologists) and dog ownership in particular. Reframing that dialogue definitely helps!

Another FDA update: https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm630991?fbclid=IwAR3PjZhaAnOSSp5frXrmTMvd4_IpX4Tj_0mH9beieurI83hmd0XyUvwSl0w

I have this clicker, which I don’t have to keep in my pocket. The wrist band is probably more comfortable though. It takes a while with mine before you get comfortable with the sensation of having something in your hand, even though you’re technically not holding it. https://www.google.com/search?q=clicker+worn+as+ring+dog+training&client=safari&channel=ipad_bm&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiY-5Gi0p7gAhVMGt8KHac6AoEQ_AUoAnoECA0QAg&biw=1024&bih=638#imgrc=uQ08gpE1pTqwgM

Just to expand on my post... This does seem to be a case of "she's just not that into you". I can see where a young, rambunctious dog's attempts to engage might turn obnoxious. However, although your girl is tentative and unsure, she doesn't seem to have made up her mind that he is being utterly offensive. When she does, it's time to separate them. Still, it is clear from his body language that he really is just trying to coax her out and engage her in play, and she gets that and engages him a bit. It is all perfectly normal. He is a lovely dog.

I agree with D'Elle on this. After your boy comes out from under the chair, he does make contact with your female, who is very tentative. However, in a lovely move of appropriate interaction, he backs up and does a play bow after she reaches over him with her front leg. Sometimes it is easy to see the challenges with adolescent dogs, but it might help to recognize the positives as well.

@Dinkle I am truly sorry if my post came off as inappropriately critical. I get it. Sometimes it isn't what is being said but how it is being said; and sometimes an uncharitable message board reply IS more about the poster's ego (or insecurities) than it is about any real desire to be helpful (not on this board, necessarily). However, I assure you that my intention was to be helpful; not demeaning. I think if you will read my post again, you will see that my warning about these games was specifically geared toward those who might want to take their dog to stock. Speaking as a novice sheepdog handler, one of the most difficult things to learn, particularly if you've come from an obedience background, is that sheepdog handling is not about commands, focus on the handler or control. The dog needs to be able to feel its sheep and even, in some instances, ignore a command to save one's novice ass . What's worse is that, particularly in some 'herding' venues, there are 'mechanical' trainers who might steer you in the wrong direction. So, I just wanted to put that out there in case it could be useful to someone who will later take sheepdog training lessons with their dog. Like I said, I have done these games with my own Aussie/Border Collie mix (btw, "walk up" and "lie down" are not the exclusive domain of shepherds). However, I had already decided that it would be pointless to try her on sheep, even if she did show some interest. So, I by no means meant to disparage your use of the terms. If you're not taking your dog to sheep, it doesn't really matter to anyone who really matters.

I'm assuming that you're not counting on her rebuffs to continue throughout her cycle, as this is not at all unusual in bitches who later accept the male.

Yes, exactly. Even Dachshunds

No condescension was intended. I was actually just trying to be helpful.

Just a caveat about the away/come-by/walk up et al. If you think you might ever want to take your dog to stock, where you would use these words to communicate with your dog, these games are not a good idea. I do sometimes engage my Aussie/Border Collie mix in the types of games you describe, but that is only because I decided I would not be taking her to sheep. I don't engage in these types of games at all with my Border Collie (a trained sheepdog). She has no natural inclination toward ball play, other than to occasionally pick up the ball, run around with it a few times and drop it (which is hilarious). The commands you mentioned should be taught on--and in relation to--stock, if that's in your plan.

FWIW, my post was intended as an illustration of the whimsical nature of newfangled breed creations and the resulting naming acrobatics; not as a correction. Other examples are the Parson Russell Terrier and Russell Terrier— spin-offs from the JRT after a political dust-up; the Miniature Australian Shepherd which was nixed for the politically acceptable Miniature American Shepherd. I could go on. ETA: Although the breeders of those examples will likely say they started out as variations, not mixes, and in some cases it starts with a name change vis a vis the Anatolian Shepherd and the Kangal.

Silken Windhounds are Borzoi/Whippet crosses with perhaps Longhaired Whippet aka ‘Silken Windsprites’ or just ‘Windsprites’ (Whippet/Sheltie/X) added to the mix. Honestly, one of the reasons I could so easily relate to D. McCaig’s “Dog Wars” is that Ive seen how easily and fancifully new ‘breeds’ continue to be created for the pet market. Good grief, enough already.