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Libby did great; I made the expected rookie mistakes. We Q'd in Wildcard (yay!), and would have Q'd in Colors if I hadn't bumped an upright and brought a pole down... In snooker, I didn't realize that non-red obstacles could be taken more than once, so I laid out a stupid-slow course, didn't...

Libby and I are signed up for our first CPE trial on Saturday evening, and our first trial away from where we train. Very exciting! To add to the excitement, unfortunately, Saturday is when Hurricane Irene is supposed to buzzsaw up the NC coast. We're in the middle of the state, so we may get...

It's great that you had so much fun! When I started 'beginner' agility with Libby, it took close to 6 months for her to get comfortable with the individual obstacles (particularly the teeter!), and to finally figure out that she really did enjoy this after all. She loves it now, and gets...

Good news - it looks like Elliot may have found a new home. I'm really glad; her story and photos really got to me.

Through another online community I belong to, I got this message: "I’m in desperate need of someone to rescue a great Border Collie, a three year old female, her name is Elliot and she’s a super terrific dog who needs a new loving home. She keeps picking fights with a female pit bull she...

I liked this essay. I think it's tone may be more appropriate for the U.S. than some other places because of the considerable damage done by that TV show (that we don't seem to be naming here). (I agree with you, SoCrafty!) Action is needed to counter the destructive, harmful ideas that have...

I second what chaospony and Tazwell suggest. Feed him at regular times, figure out his elimination schedule, and praise him to high heaven whenever he even looks interested in doing something outside. Do not scold or punish him when he goes inside (that will just encourage him to hide from you...

The survey questions had a number of problems. One of the biggest, in my opinion, was that the only possible answers were all or nothing, rather a range. There was no way to indicate relevant nuances, such as my dog has been on a diet for at least a year (lots of green beans!) and has gotten...

Dogs communicate with their tails and ears. Docking seems to me like surgically imposing a speech impediment on a human just because someone thinks it's 'attractive'. I don't intend to get any cosmetic surgery done on myself, either!

Thank you for being willing to spay/neuter the cat. I am really torn about feral cats. I hate the idea of euthanizing them, but there are a LOT of feral cats out there. Cats are extremely efficient hunters; studies have shown that they are having a significant negative impact on bird...

I just got a CoolCoat for Libby. It will take a day or two to convince her that she really doesn't mind it (it's amazing what treats can accomplish...). Here's why I had to post - this is the photo on the CoolCoat package: Libby was clearly destined to have one of these coats! It...

Saeleofu, I did worry about health issues, so I've have had her thoroughly vet-checked, and she's fine. Her thyroid numbers are normal. She loves agility class and works hard for me, and she walks fine in most places; there are specific places that she is reluctant to walk in. I'm sure it's a...

I'm happy to report that we're making progress. I prep her meals (string beans and kibble, twice a day) and take the mix with us on pre-meal walks. While we're walking away from the house, she gets bites when she's moving forward. (Doberluv, I agree with you about reward rather than lure...

Thanks for the good advice, Doberluv. This neighborhood walk reluctance came on very gradually, and Libby's stress signs are pretty subtle, so I didn't realize that I was 'forcing' her to do something stressful. I verbally encouraged her and lured her some. I'm sure that I must have had a...

Libby is on a perpetual diet, so gets sweet potatoes as training treats. I don't know if I can say that it's her 'favorite' treat, but she loves all food and she'll work hard for sweet potatoes, which are cheap and healthy, so it works for me! I peel raw sweet potatoes and cut them into ~1/2...

I've worked hard to give Libby the confidence to express an opinion. The good news - it's worked. The mildly annoying news - the opinion she most often expresses is that she doesn't want to go for a walk, at least not in our neighborhood. Turns out that she has a stubborn streak... I think...

When the 100 lb lab/GSD mix we used to have was thirsty, he would stand by the tub and give a short, demanding bark to tell us that we should turn the faucet on so he could have a nice, cold drink. He had us very well trained!

One quick comment - it sounds like he's giving you plenty of warning signs that he's reaching his limits. He looks stressed, then he growls, and only bites if you don't back off. So a short-term, time-buying response is to pay attention to these signals, and don't push him once he shows signs...

This sounds like a good plan. "Give paw" was my dog's first trick, and it's still her default behavior offering whenever I start shaping a new behavior. She gives paw with great enthusiasm - let's just say that I notice when she connects(!), so I think that this might work as an interruption...

I read "Culture Clash" when I was pretty new to positive training, and I loved it. I still recommend it to people who are having 'problems' with their dogs and don't have a clue about what to do about it. I'm not sure why others here dislike it so much, although it's definitely more useful for...