diane allen

First, "no" has no meaning to dogs. They don't know how to "not" do anything. They only know how to "do." You may have inadvertently rewarded what you don't want. They train us well! So, now you need to reward what you DO want. It might be "down," or "go to bed," or whatever your dog knows (or you can teach now!). Another option would be to train him to find something specific - a toy ("go find zebra" etc.), or even a treat. Start easy - put him in a separate space/room; put a treat in an easily accessible place (middle of the floor); cue with "find treat" (or whatever you want to say). Make it harder and harder as he figures it out. If he brings something else, I would probably say "Oops!" in a happy voice, and try again. Sounds like you have a smart one! You just need to be smarter! Good luck. diane

Call me the party pooper, or whatever other name you can come up with. I didn't write this article, though I highly recommend reading it. If you can't get through all the ads and unnecessary photos, flip to the end where it talks about ways to make "retrieve" a fun and safe activity. (Sorry, OP, slightly off topic, but important!) https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Is-Playing-Fetch-Bad-For-My-Dog?fbclid=IwAR11IIA_UlP7ctYzOIFHhoFqTIT4OAGZ9l85BahLP0AqgnMLBhWWStwttP4 diane

Following the light fixation post.....and maybe not really health, except mental - both the dog's and mine! My 3 yr old BC has developed fear of flies and maybe mosquitos, or just me killing mosquitos. I had not noticed this before this year, and there aren't more bugs this year than ever. If there's a fly in the window by the couch where he often hangs out, he will bolt for his crate in the bedroom (door is always open). He has acted similarly in my RV if there's a fly inside. Outside the other day, I slapped a mosquito on my leg - not hard, just enough to dispatch it - and the dog took off for the (closed) gate and would not come back (normally, his recall is excellent). And no, I don't ever slap him! Does he have super-sensitive hearing for flies?? Or is it just his quirk? (He doesn't have many....) We are going to an agility seminar next month in a barn, and I *know* there will be flies. Perhaps if they're not confined, like in a window, or if they land on me and I don't slap them, he'll be OK. But I hate to miss out on the 'action' if he decides to freak out. I can work on some gentle slapping of my leg with treats for him (he likes his food!), but otherwise, any suggestions to help him get over this obsession? I'd like to think he'll grow out of it, but not hopeful. Diane

I know this doesn't answer the original question. But in case anyone thinks about their dog NOT in a crate....Dog was fine in this accident. Amazing.

What gcv-border said! Find a CCRP. Quite a few of them do virtual consults, so you don't necessarily need to see him/her in person. diane

I'll second (or fifth!) fish oil. My vet nutritionist recommends Bayer Free Form Snip Tip capsules. I snipped that tip for awhile, until it squirted on ME. After that, I just dredge the capsules in a little cream cheese and feed it as "dessert." My 30 pounds dogs get one in the morning and one in the evening. I suspect the 'hoover' of them would just snarf it down whole in his food, but ol' miss slightly-more-picky wouldn't, so they both get one after meals. Coats are great! BTW, any liquid fish oil you get will go rancid almost immediately - as soon as there is air in the bottle. Even if you refrigerate it. diane

One experience: I had a BC from 8 weeks on. He was never bothered by loud noises, even though another dog in the household was (a LOT!). When he was about 10 yr old, he started reacting. I just happened to notice that he noticed some noises he'd never noticed before. As *I* aged, my hearing decreased - but I heard DIFFERENT sounds. I was convinced that the dog's hearing had changed too - not decreased at all (he could still hear a squirrel chirp 1/2 mile away, not to mention the crackly treat package), but sounds just sounded different. I never tried to "train" him out of it, though the next dog in the house (who was about 4 yr old at the time) definitely picked it up from him. I'm hoping that #3 now will not - without much actual hope.

Don't pet the fluffy cows! :-) diane

Pretty much what they all said above. My individual take: we do a LOT of off-leash hiking, generally where there aren't other dogs or people (SO lucky we are!). My recall is #1 - pups learn it young, and I continue to reward that throughout their entire lives. Especially if they're on the track of something (squirrel, deer), or totally entranced with something (perhaps another dog), even my 10 yr old gets lots and lots of treats and praise for coming back when called. diane

I totally "get" the NEED (OK, want...) to have two dogs. I hope I never have less! But at 1.5 yr old, Kate is still a puppy. I try to space mine at least 3 years apart. (Of course, it doesn't always work that way....right now I have a nearly 10 yr old and a 1.5 yr old!). I think by age 3-4, dogs are pretty mature, secure in their place in your world, and still fairly tolerant of obnoxious puppies. Even with the age difference I have now, I sometimes feel like the older one isn't getting enough attention (so I try hard to make sure she does!). Your mileage may vary, but good considerations all around. Keep us posted! diane

Not really a comment on commands (I prefer "cues") - but I can't think of a really good reason to EVER have a dog go behind me in agility. There's that split second when the dog is out of sight and therefore on his own. I have seen people use it, more as a hand motion than verbal; but just not my style. I guess if you want to teach it/learn it just because....I have a friend who uses "behind," which for them just means walk behind me (very handy!). I also prefer one syllable words; as you realize, sometimes the dog may only hear the first letter. You could use "refrigerator" as long as the dog has learned what you mean! Sorry this isn't much help for a new cue. diane

Sounds like Rooster found the perfect home! And you found the perfect dog. diane

I think it depends-on the dog. I would NEVER continue on with an exercise if the dog did what you have been working on "fixing." If you do, you just gave the dog the information: it's OK to do (whatever you did "wrong"). So, your exercise is jump-weaves-tunnel. Dog pops out at pole #10 and takes the tunnel. STOP. And redo the weaves from the beginning. OTOH....I have a very soft dog. Unlike my previous hard/fast dogs, if she had to "re-do" something, she was quite sure she was wrong (even if, as usual, it was my fault), and she would slow down to get it right. Not what I wanted! So, in practice, I would simply say "oops! let's try that again" and make it sound as happy as possible. In trials, I would say something (maybe just oops), and keep going. And practice it more. As you say, time will tell. I think many driven "baby dogs" pop out of poles, and it's only experience that teaches them that isn't what you want. As an aside, I do NOT think that taking them off the course in competition (not saying you have, but have seen it more times than I can count), teaches them ANYTHING. By the time you do that, they have totally forgotten what happened. Not weaves, but one that can bite you in the bu##: putting a dog back on a contact, from the bottom. If they miss it, go back and do the whole thing. I've seen dogs in competition seem to miss a contact; handler puts them back on; and in fact, the judge didn't see a miss! OR they actually DO hit it, handler hesitates (thinking, maybe, did he or didn't he?) and dog puts himself back on! Instant fault. And while i'm on a rant (sorry....): let's say there's a tunnel/dogwalk discrimination. Course says take dogwalk, but dog takes tunnel. Handler brings dog back around to the discrimination. Dog again takes the tunnel. At this point, the dog has no idea there's even a dogwalk there! Solution: Put the dog BACK through the tunnel, and turn to the dogwalk. Voila! It's really hard for a dog with any momentum at all to do a U-turn back to the tunnel. Sorry for the hijack. Good luck! diane

If you started with channels - did you also use wires? In any case, it might be helpful to "wire" the last two (or three) poles. They are snap-on guides that keep the dog from exiting (or to help with entry). It might take a lot of repetitions - and if you're trialing in the meantime, you're somewhat negating the training time. Good luck! diane

Well, let's see. I'm on my fifth border collie, with two at the moment. Because of them, I now own: a full set of agility equipment, a field which is my agility field (not quite competition size), a riding mower for said field, my second RV (license: K9CONDO; sold the first one with 175,000 miles on it.....nearly all to agility trials), 1 XL variocage (divided) for my "town car" (Honda), 2 RoughTuff kennels for the RV, more dog beds than I can count, innumerable toys, leashes, recipes for homemade treats, water bowls/pails, toys; all available wall space at home covered with dog photos (with due respect for the one non-BC included there) and/or dog awards; and more friends than I'd ever have had without them all!

What they all said! Plus...don't expect two dogs who come from different backgrounds to instantly get along. They say it takes three weeks for a rescue dog to "adjust" to a new home; that, obviously, varies with the dogs involved. But it definitely takes time! I've had various combinations: 1) two dogs in my home, who were buddies. #3 came along, pretty mellow. But neither of the two "original" dogs ever played with her, and in fact, really did NOT get along. But after about a year, they all pretty much ignored each other. 2) a different two dogs, #3 comes along. #3 is mr. mellow, loves everyone but isn't a pain. #1 pretty much always ignored him. #2 took a short time, but #2 and #3 became best buddies. All of the above were fine with most people. So - it just depends! I know that's not particularly helpful, but just realize that "first impressions" aren't always accurate. Good luck! diane

OOps. Duplicate post. (Is there no DELETE??) diane

Check out Clean Run's courses - Tracy Sklenar (who is GREAT!) is doing a live zoom course on Sept. 11th. I believe the "premium" (i.e., working) spots are taken, but there's another level (no video, no critique) for $99. I am unable to view it that day, but it will be there later. It's agility-oriented, but all about focus and self-control. https://www.cleanrun.com/product/engagement_workshop_achieving_amazing_focus_teamwork_by_embracing_distractions_arousal_1_day_virtual_event_standard_registration/index.cfm diane

I would say to continue going to the vet office when you don't have an appointment. You might have to start outside, have him watch other dogs going in and out, all the while getting the Very Best Treats Ever! Maybe even half a block away - whatever his trigger demands. (I know, it may not be the best if he does indeed have a food allergy, but if you gotta get him into the vet.....) After a number of trips like this, maybe just open the door and treat. Etc. etc. I have one who doesn't like the vet office (my first!), and she occasionally has to be muzzled. She's much better than she used to be, but still. Good luck. diane

Nip it in the bud NOW!! There are times you won't be able to be "far away" while waiting your turn at an actual trial. (Voice of experience here...yep!) Do some searching (sorry, I can't just now) about teaching CALM behavior. It it hard - trust me! I know. But in the long run, you'll be glad you did. I've known dogs who are quite amped ring-side - but they are quiet. Maybe just holding a toy in their mouths., maybe doing "tricks" as mentioned above, maybe whatever. You'll need a "pre-run" routine - so might as well practice it at class. If your instructor is amenable (and I sure hope so!), maybe you could attend classes where you and your dog are doing nothing but standing, calmly, we hope, ringside. Start far enough away that your dog has no reaction. He'll soon learn that calm gets rewarded!! I know you said indoors - that is harder. Perhaps there's some place just outside or behind a wall or barrier of some kind that you can practice CALM. I'm not saying you do, but *some* people think that getting the dog really amped up means he'll run faster. NOPE! You need connection, control. Good luck, and keep us posted! diaen

For general joint health: I had a rehab vet once tell me to alternate Platinum Performance CJ and Cosequin DS about every six months. I did that with my male dog, starting when he was about 8. (He'd gotten DS before that, due to hip dysplasia which, until he passed at 14 from fu*king cancer, showed NO symptoms ever.) I did this for a few years, ran out of DS once, and kept him on CJ the rest of his life. He just did better on it. So, it may take some experimenting to find what works best for your dog. Best of luck! diane

You may not like either of these ideas, but it's all I've got. 1) You can try to desensitize your dog to handling. Start extremely slow! I'm not sure what he likes or doesn't like. But maybe it will be, in this case, touching him well below the wound. Treat! Treat! Treat!! Gradually (may take days....which in this case would not be good) move closer to it. If this is a general "don't touch me anywhere" case, start somewhere else (feet, back legs, belly, whatever).k 2) Muzzle train your dog. I have one who does NOT like people (esp. vets) near her face. Since she has very minor issues with eyes and nose (immune system problems), she needs to be examined up close. I trained her with a soft muzzle, through which she can eat treats. But even with lots of work, she still stresses when someone comes close. I saw the start of a training session the other day with someone holding what looked like a paper cup with the bottom cut out, holding it NEAR the dog's nose, and treating. Gradually move it up so it touches, then so it go actually onto the nose. Proceed from there. If you are really worried about the wound, a vet visit might be in order. And they may well muzzle the dog - they're used to it. If they won't, I'd find a new vet! diane

Totally different tactic: Look at the BalanceIT website. BalanceIT is a supplement, added to homemade food. There is a list of veterinary nutritionists that can devise a diet specific for your dog. I have used several of them over the years, and absolutely trust them. It beats trying this, trying that, with no good results. The vet will want any recent vet records, especially blood work, and in your case, no doubt, allergy test results. I had an hour phone consult to start my last batch. Well worth the time and money! diane

What Journey said. Yes! diane

I'm on my fifth BC. My first was a rescue, that I got when she was 3.5 yr old. She had played ball (and rocks....ugh) with her previous owner and all of his friends. By age 10, she had TERRIBLE arthritis in her front feet from stopping abruptly to grab balls. I haven't seriously played ball with any of my BCs since. YMMV..... diane