MaggieDog

I don't try to guess at the dogs' dominance hierarchy because you can do a ton of damage by accidentally "supporting" the wrong dog. Instead I spend my time and energy teaching all dogs to follow the same rules about behavior. In my household, older dogs are allowed to correct younger dogs who try to take possessions or do not respect their body space. They are NOT allowed to guard me, the cat, or just be witchy in general. All dogs have assigned eating spots and may not bother the other dogs while they are eating. All dogs must sit/stay before eating and must be quiet and calm while I prepare food bowls or they will be put in a down/stay for the remainder of prep time. Unwarranted snarking gets a verbal "that's enough" and if it happens again, a time out in a crate for the instigator. We've had two more serious incidents between Maggie and Z, so for now they are separate when I am not home and I'm gradually adding resources back into the mix. Incident 1 was right after Kes came home in April so stress levels were high and Z tried to take Maggie's bone - she overreacted and I had to break it up. Incident 2 was last Wednesday and occurred because I was not paying attention to triggers: I allowed Maggie to watch me cook the hamburger for dog food and she was guarding the stove, I still allowed her to hang around while I put food stuff together and let it sit on the counter, I then removed her to show DH something and when she came back to the kitchen Z was in "her" spot by the stove = a one sided altercation I broke up. You can see in both situations that when triggers pile up it causes issues, so being aware of potential triggers for conflict can be VERY helpful in eliminating problems.

So glad to hear that all is well in your world!

Tim - you've just gotta be creative sometimes when it comes to search terms. here's what came up under the "rawfeeding" header: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.p...e=%2Brawfeeding

LOL at this point I'm jealous of anyone close enough to do stockwork on a regular basis. I may get to put Kes on sheep soon though - the available lesson times are sporadic and it's a good distance away so we don't go as often as I wish we could (plus that minor detail of money!).

Is that all the detail we get?! There are people living vicariously here! Glad you had a good time!

Kristine has a great point on the location of the treat delivery. It's something I have to remember myself in heeling practice sometimes. Could part of the heeling issue be the lure you mentioned? Perhaps Cheyanne has a hand signal (lure hand) that hasn't been faded yet? I see this a ton with my students when they are teaching sit and down - they inadvertantly use a hand signal and then when they don't put it in the sequence like they used to the dog's performance suffers. This is how I teach LLW and heel in my basic and advanced classes - perhaps this is similar to what you're doing with the clicker? I use a choose to heel method with c/t. It can be done on or off lead, but I prefer off-lead since many dogs use the leash as a cue to pull/forge/etc. The basic premise is that you walk an a random fashion (lots of turns, few straight lines) and whenever your dog is in the "magic box" (invisible floating "box" that is your reinforcement area) near heel position they are clicked and rewarded. If off lead they can meander away with no consequence other than no c/t, if on lead I will stop when they move out of the box and then return to moving and c/t when they are back in the right area. The box starts out large (i.e. 2x2 or so) and then shrinks to perfect heel as the dog gets the idea. High rates of reinforcement can be especially helpful in the beginning stages; you can start to wean the dog off c/t as they "get" the idea.

I'm pretty sure TDI does a one time registration evaluation and then annual or every few years registration fee. I think Delta is the only group that requires periodic re-evaluations and for that they should be highly commended. IMO their evals are also the toughest around and they provide the best training for the human side of the equation, but I might be biased as I am an evaluator for them.

DR - I can train to high levels, sure, but around here there are very few places that allow dogs, so finding challenging training scenarios is very difficult. I'm basically limited to sidewalk work, Petsmart/Petco, TSC, Lowes, and Home Depot. Dogs aren't allowed at street fairs or similar events and certain public parks, baseball fields, etc. and the local businesses aren't pet friendly. I can drive 30 miles to a slightly more friendly city, but it's nothing like any of the big cities on the West Coast I've visited (Portland, OR and SanFran, CA). The "taking dogs everywhere" idea is what draws so many people into breaking the rules, not the task training unfortunately. If it were the training we wouldn't have the problems we do.

I'm all for owner trained assistance dogs, but it does take a very special person to do it right. My first exposure to OT service animals was through the OC-Assist-Dogs list and the likes of Debi Davis - the people who do hold their dogs to high standards, wash when needed, etc. They do amazing things with their working partners and do it right! Once I started training pet dogs myself it became quite obvious that many of the people who called me wanting help to train their pets as SDs were not at this level - I've had several run ins with people who just don't get it when it comes to what is required of a SD and I can't help them see it, so I decline to help them train their pet as an SD. The most difficult was the woman whose dog predicted her seizures by having seizures of her own - she was taken everywhere as a SD but not trained at all and I had serious doubts about the wellbeing of that dog. I discussed my concerns but it fell on deaf ears unfortunately. She now has a new dog and has asked for my help but I've told her I can help with obedience but will likely refer out to another trainer for SD stuff. It's a really sucky situation to be in. I do think that the flexible nature of the current laws is being taken advantage of more than ever. I fully admit that I have considered pushing the boundaries myself because I would love to be able to work my dogs to the level SDs are worked (you really can't replicate the distractions and challenges of an airport, a shopping mall, etc. in a pet-friendly setting), but I do not have a disability and ethically I cannot cross that line, despite knowing that my pet dogs are often better behaved than some of the self-proclaimed SDs I see. I hate being ethical sometimes , but in the end my being able to control my desires in this realm makes me even less tolerant of those who take advantage of the laws to gain access with their untrained companions. I hate that people are ok with breaking the law and in the process making things so much more difficult for those with legitimate needs. Does that make any sense at all???

I posted this on Chaz too - you guys deserve major kudos and that trainer was waaay out of line. CGC is not supposed to be that complicated.

I've had a borderdoodle come to a playgroup - he looks like any other poodle cross and acts very unlike a BC - if they hadn't told me what he was, I'd have assumed he was a labradoodle or maybe lab/terrier since his coat was wirey.

Not much to say, but you and your pack will be in my thoughts at this tough time. ((((hugs))))

I second the above re: rescued dogs and behavior issues. A qualified rescue organization woudl likely be your best bet given your specific needs. The foster home set up of most rescues would really allow you to be matched with the perfect dog for you WRT socialization and physical structure for your actiivities. In addition to the benefits of a well-screened rescue dog, you would also be wise to look for a dog over the age of two given how much walking/exercise it appears any dog you own will get. A pup under 18mo/2yo needs to be exercised judiciously and 15 miles/day (especially in the city on concrete) is likely to put too much strain on growing joints.

You've got 'em. Maggie sends Misty her sympathy - broken teeth SUCK! Maggie's was a large molar, apparently they are much more traumatic to remove than canines due to the multiple roots, so hopefully that bodes well for Misty's tooth. Maggie was raring to go back to chewing within a few days and I had to keep an eagle eye out for her trying to chew too soon.

(((hugs))) - Been there! I'm so sorry you're dealing with both an injured dog and nasty rumors about the whole deal. I find it appalling that Lucy's owner is so nonchalant about laying blame where it doesn't belong *and* spreading it. Is there any way Storm's owner(s) can help refute the lies??

Our s/n clinic at the shelter sends all surgeries home in the afternoon - the procedures are all done by noonish and pickup is between 4:30 and 6pm. Most don't even need e-collars (the vet uses glue mostly for the skin layer of sutures, so that may be why, don't know for sure)! Kes was up and raring to go when I picked him up; never skipped a beat.

Yea our vet is holistically minded - not a SD bag to be seen in the clinic (there are some bags in the boarding area, but next to Wellness lol). I luuuurve her! The complete diet won't work for us because Maggie gets the itchies on poultry, but one of my coworkers loves it for her dog. I added ground beef to our samples (green bag) and it mixed up well.

It's actually the brand of food my vet recommends! I just made up two samples of the grainfree version yesterday (aka Europa formula) and am likely going to buy a bag to check out as one of their meals on a regular basis. My vet does recommend adding twice the amount of meat to the mix than the bag suggests, so that makes it last a lot longer. Around here, the 8lb bag is about $50, though I have found it online for $38. Honest Kitchen isn't available locally, so it's much pricier due to shipping costs.

I'm sorry to hear of this, but I must add a word of warning - make double, triple, quadruple sure that whatever home Dave goes to *fully* understands the behaviors you have seen, especially the aggression you've noted several times over the last few months. Liability is a serious thing and if he's a bite risk, then you need to make sure that the home he goes to is a special one; not many people want a dog that has shown aggression in the past and it is not ethical to gloss it over in the hopes that it will disappear immediately in the "right" setting.

I'm always amazed when threads like this turn into conflicts about *all* non-working BCs being second-class, demeaned, etc. I've been on this board for about 9 years and I've yet to feel that my dog (who is a *mix*, not even full BC) or I are unwelcome or looked down upon because of where she came from or her lack of herding expertise. Like some I've always assumed that the Barbie Collie moniker was applied to refer to show breeding practices and a specific, distinctive look/behavior, not individual dogs. A label, yes, and one that some don't like, but not intended to be used to demean dogs that were acquired for something other than breeding. The intention of breeding always seemed to be the key difference ime. I'm not a fan of that type of breeding, nor of breeding outside the working arena, but that doesn't color how I see people who have dogs from those lines. I got into a serious argument with a friend a while back about breeder choice and I never want to repeat that, so she and I agree to be happy for the individuals and agree to acknowledge our differences so as to maintain a friendship that we both enjoy. Why can't everyone here see that the majority of board members want to have a friendly relationship with those that choose to educate themselves about the controversy in the breed, not an adversarial one?? Isn't education what we're always preaching??

Z and I luuurve Snooker as well - you've gotten some great explanations above so I'll defer to those, but I highly second the suggestion to find someone in the walk thrus to give you the run down. IME USDAA competitors are *very* willing to help newbies, especially in Starters, so don't hesitate to ask for help. The judges in Starters are also generally quite happy to clarify as needed. Everyone remembers what it was like to be in your shoes!

She doesn't need ACK to compete in stuff. There have been plenty of discussions about all the various venues for things - perhaps forward those links on to her? Or she could register her dog through the new mixed breed scheme ACK put out if she just can't live without competing in their stuff. (gag - sorry I think the mixed breed program is crap) eta - I just reread some of the prior posts - is she interested in ACK herding or other stuff like agility, obed., etc - I'm confused.

Along with Olivia's warning - there are rubber stick toys available now if you want to stick with sticks.

Therapy work is great for the right dog and handler, same with SAR - I've done both (6 years as a Delta Society Pet Partner team with Maggie, and 9 months in SAR training with Z). Therapy work is fun, but takes someone who isn't just going to be the anchor at the end of the leash and a dog that truly enjoys interaction with strangers and is steady in all sorts of crazy situations. SAR is a HUGE commitment of time and money and there's always the risk that you or your dog may not make the cut - lives are at stake so standards are very high. Agility is also a great possibility - most dogs grow out of the clumsy phase and you can use whatever motivates your dog as a reward, be it sticks, food, etc. You can just do it for fun or compete, whichever you'd enjoy most. I'm an agility addict myself (started with Maggie in 2001 and haven't stopped yet lol). Tricks are always fun, especially when you can wow people at the park or a local tricks event. I've taught Maggie some service dog tasks - I can't use her legally since I don't have a disability, but they are handy around the house (closing and opening doors, retrieving stuff, etc.).

((((((Hugs))))))