Nancy B

And here's one of Mason all grown up......up and away! :D [img]http://www.whitneyandmason.com/SuperdobeAndCity.jpg[/img]

[quote name='zanzanfergie']Thanks Nancy and Malamum too - I found that very interesting. I seem to have a backwards problem though. :o Lucy isn't so interested in pulling ahead (although she does that too), more in hanging back (you know, checking out the bushes, sniffing the sidewalk, eating dirt from people's gardens :roll: )........... Do you have advice for this kind of dilemma? I just don't know how to encourage her along without rewarding her for her unco-operative behaviour.[/quote] Hmm, I've got to admit that I haven't run into that problem before. My dogs are driven and the dogs I get in for agility classes are usually pretty driven too. Yeah, Mason would like to go ahead and sniff stuff but, once we cured the "going ahead" part, that cured the sniffing. I'll think about it and talk with a few of the other trainers. In the meantime, go to this website [url]http://www.whitneyandmason.com/obedience.htm[/url] and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There are a bunch of clicker training websites there. No, you may not be using the clicker but if you're trying to avoid a lot of pulling one of those websites may have some advise on how to work on your problem in a positive manner. You can still apply the lessons without a clicker.

[quote name='Marble']....8-10 weeks, looked just like a Doberman except it was the color of a weimeraner (soft charcoal gray) with soft red Dobie markings.........[/quote] Did you know that Dobes come in four approved (by the standard) colors? Black, red, fawn and blue. Sounds like you may have seen a fawn or possibly a blue Dobe...... although the blues are usually pretty dark. Here's a website with photos of all the different color Dobes. [url]http://www.dpca.org/Photos.html[/url] There are also albino breeders who are pumping out albino Dobes (poor things!) and calling them "rare white". I know the dog you saw wasn't an albino Dobe because they never have red/rust markings. their markings are dead white.

OK, here's one of Mason's baby pictures. :D [img]http://www.whitneyandmason.com/images/Photo%20Album/Baby%20Mason/MasonToys3Q5.jpg[/img]

Well hey, I had a typo in mine too! Sometimes (frequently) my fingers get ahead of or behind my thoughts. :)

You're qute welcome! :D

[quote name='Daisysmom']Thanks Nancy!! That's great. I just looked at the link for the meatballs. [b]Yum pureed chicken liver sounds so tasty [/b]:lol: Great idea to make a large amount and then freeze. The eggs are raw too, right?[/quote] Yep, everything is raw. I will say that as far as the eggs go, I don't use them in the meatball as much anymore. It was a real hassel drying the eggshells and grinding them. Now I just simply "smash" a whole raw egg (shell and all) into a meatball meal a few times a week. It's quite a bit of work to make up a batch but, it means that I don't have to do any prep for weeks after that. I keep them in the freezer and, when I'm getting ready to feed their evening chicken backs or whatever, I simply take out the meatballs to defrost. By morning, they're defrosted. I do usually add a bit of warm water to them and "break them up" a bit before I give them to the dogs. I did wind up using pureed beef liver more often than chicken livers. The pureed beef liver has a thicker consistency....the meatballs can get very "mushy" when you use the chicken livers. You may need to add a tablespoon or so more of the veggies to absorb some of the moisture just to get them to hold together. That "recipee" is a good starting place for you. You can add stuff or change whatever you want. Just try to keep in mind the moisture content so that it'll hold together. (The meatballs are very wet....it's not like making a meatloaf. You should be happy if they'll just hang together enough for you to be able to wrap them in saran.)

My dogs get a homemade "BARF meatball" in the morning. Here's one way to make them up [url]http://www.whitneyandmason.com/new_page_3.htm[/url] I varry the ingredients a bit depending on what I find on sale at the store. I've been adding more beef heart lately for the taurine. For their evening meal our staple is raw chicken backs but I also try to feed a variety of other raw meats. I feed turkey necks, chicken necks, lamb necks and YES, I do also feed pork necks. I do not feed beef neck bones....they are just too big and hard. I know quite a few BARFers do feed beef ribs but, the expense was enough to talk me out of that. What beef they get they get in their BARF meatball.

[quote name='StarFox'] The only thing I ever had trouble with was holding the clicker, the treats and the dog leash at the same time...I'm not a very good multi-tasker :oops: :)[/quote] This can be difficult when you're first starting out in clicker training. I can offer a few helpful tips. First of all use treats that you don't mind putting in your mouth. Small pieces of chicken, cheese or hotdogs are what I frequently use. I do keep a bait bag on my waist but, it takes more effort and time to get a treat out of it so, I just keep a bunch in my mouth when I'm training. When I click I either "spit" a treat into my hand and give it to the dog or, if I'm training something that has me facing the dog, I "spit" the treat directlly to the dog. All clickers aren't created equal. I have a bunch of clickers that have an elastic loop on the end. The loop goes over the middle finger of your hand (usually the right hand, if you're working the dog on your left). the clicker winds up lying on the inside of your hand, fingertip area...you don't have to hold it and it's in perfect position to hit with your thumb if you need a quick click. (Picture hitting the pad of your middle finger with your thumb...that's right where it is.) The leash. If you are training at home in a fenced backyard or somewhere else where it is not necessary for you dog to be leashed due to safety requirements or having other dogs in the area, ditch the leash. I train new behaviors at home in my backyard offlead. Both of my dogs were trained to heel offlead. I train all new behaviors offlead. If you do the initial training offlead it serves two purposes. It will keep you from subconsciously manipulating the lead and "helping" the dog into position. (You don't want to do that with clicker training.) The other thing is that if you train offlead then once you do go somewhere like a class situation to continue training you don't have too much lead control to do. When I work in a class situation with my dogs they are on lead but, since they alrealy know "heel" from working offlead, all I do is put the loop of the lead over my right hand (same hand that has the clicker). It's a 6 foot lead and I can't let it just hang down or I'd be tripping over it all the time. When heeling, your right arm is allowed to be bent at the elbow and pulled tight against your waist. I just put the lead between my arm and waist to keep it from tripping us up. I still leave pleanty of slack. I want the dog to be able to forge or lag. How will I know if we have a forging or lagging problem if the dog physically can't do taht in practice?

[quote name='Malamum']I love the idea of clicker training however the training club I go to doesn't do it :( I was curious about one thing though, if you were in a class situation with lots of dogs and everyone was clicking wouldn't the dogs get confused over which click is for them?[/quote] Nope, your dog will learn in a very short time period that it's only YOUR click that earns it treats!

[quote name='Kiger']Mr. Kato got chipped yesterday. $41 for the Home Again chip. It is a BIG needle and it has a trigger system that shoots the chip in. I'm not sure how bad it actually hurt though. He's so melodramatic about everything, so he let loose one of his famous screams. It was all over in 2 seconds and he was back to wagging his tail at everyone. Now he beeps like a bag of chips from the grocery store. :lol:[/quote] Yeah, Whit didn't flinch at all but Mason milked it for all it was worth for about 5 seconds! Now that Kato's chipped try to remember to have it scanned every now and then to be sure it's not shifting. (Nope, neither of my kid's chips have moved and Whit's has been there for close to 7 years.) I have the vet scan them sometimes. Sometimes they have microchip clinics at dog shows and agility trials. I've found that as long as you don't hit them when they have a very long line, they're quite willing to scan your dog for you.

[quote name='Aroura']........... I was also curious as to whether it worked as a secondary reinforcer alone or whether you have to reward with a treat every time you click it?[/quote] In a nutshell, clicker training is operant conditioning. You condition your dog to know that when it hears a click, it will get a treat. A clicker savy dog will offer different behaviors in order to earn a click and thus, a treat. If you ever click and do not treat you are simply making the meaning of the click confusing to the dog. Eventually, a click will be meaningless. The most powerful "tool" of a clicker trainer is that the dog knows without any doubt that if they earn a click a treat will follow it. Some folks mistakenly think that they are switching to a variable reinforcement by clicking and not treating. Not so, they're simply undermining their dog's understanding of the clicker. Once a behavior is learned and you wish to move on to partial or variable reinforcement, you may require more than one correct behavior for the dog to earn it's click and treat. You may also require it to hold the correct behavior for longer to earn it's click and treat. Just remember, if you click you must treat. [url]http://www.clickertrain.com/index.html[/url] [url]http://www.dontshootthedog.com/home/?salesitem=default_s[/url] [url]http://www.clickerlessons.com/[/url] [url]http://www.clickersolutions.com/[/url] [url]http://www.clickandtreat.com/[/url]

Hey, both my dogs are clicker trained!

[quote name='Betty']We are seaching for a new dog to add to our family, and we would like to get a purebred this time. I have always owned mixed breed older dogs aquired from shelters, but now that I am home all day, I would like to start with a puppy. We have 2 older children, a lot of land, a small house and no fencing but we do have a very large 6 ft. high dog kennel. The family's vote is in favor of a large dog. However, since "Mom" will be the major caretaker of the dog, it is going to have to be a dog that trains easily, and is not a high-energy dog that requires 20 miles of running a day, or shed too heavy. If anyone has experience with any of the large-breed dogs that would be good for our family, I would appreciate any advice or suggestions you can offer. Thanks.[/quote] Hmm, how do you feel about having to take a dog to a groomer regularly? You may collect a few suggestions but, the best thing to do would be to read up on all the different breeds that fit into the general size you'd like. Yeah, different breeds "look" different but, they also behave very differently. You'll need to look at the breed characterisitcs to see which breeds would fit with your family's lifestyle. That said, if taking a dog to a groomer on a regular basis isn't a problem, go take a look at what's written up on Standard Poodles. They don't shed, they're very intelligent and highly trainable. They do need exercise but, not as much as many mid to large size dogs.

[quote name='Kiger'][quote name='Nancy B'] Congratulations!!!!!! :BIG: That's just fabulous! Now as to what to do....you can start by adding Ch Kato to your signature! :D[/quote] His breeder wants me to put a CD on the backend too. BTW, what are all these?? [color=red]Kaliber's Southern Accent CD AX MXJ WAC AD OAC OJC NGC BHIC CGC TDIA[/color][/quote] CD - AKC Companion Dog title, novice obedience AX - AKC Agility Excellent title MXJ - AKC Master Agility Excellent Jumpers title WAC - Working Aptitude Certification given by the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. Similar to the TT but, much more difficult for a Dobe to pass. AD - USDAA Novice Agility Title OAC - NADAC Open Agility title OJC - NADAC Open Agility Jumpers title NGC - NADAC Novice Gamblers title BHIC - Basic Herding Instinct Certificate from the American International Herding Society CGC - AKC Canine Good Citizen TDIA - A title given by Therapy Dogs Internationa to TDI dogs who have made more than 50 therapy visit and provide supporting doccumentation. We don't do NADAC agility anymore, that's why her titles aren't as advanced as AKC. I had also suspended USDAA trials while I was getting Mason into AKC but, we'll resume those in the fall. Agility is a whole lot of fun! Have you considered doing agility with Kato?

[quote name='Kiger']Kato went back to back to back and took a 5 point, a 4 point, and a 3 point major so he's done and I don't need to show him anymore unless I want to. Now what do I do? :lol:[/quote] Congratulations!!!!!! :BIG: That's just fabulous! Now as to what to do....you can start by adding Ch Kato to your signature! :D

[quote name='Crested'][quote name='Nancy B']Another thing you could consider getting so that Ben can get some running in is a very long flexi. My flexi's are 26 feet long. That's not much for a Dobe but, I'd think it would give Ben a bit of a run.[/quote] I have a 3 meter long flexi that I use. I stopped using it for a while, but when I started to get wrist pains (the very well known "mouse wrist" :roll:) I started using the flex again (takes it easier on the wrist). Are the mesurements by 1 "wall" or the whole thing? They seem pretty small to me... Can a dog actually RUN in one? /Crest[/quote] Xpens really aren't made for a dog to run in, they're a temporary "pen" to hold dogs. The only reason I recommended one is because something like that would allow Ben a little freedom in an unfenced yard. If you look at the write up for the first xpen on that page it says that it has an area of 8 square feet. (Each xpen is made up of a number of "walls"...that's how they fold up. Each wall is 2 feet wide by whatever height you order.) You can think of that as an area two feet wide by 4 feet long. (Or 60.96cm by 121.92 cm.) It's not that big. You don't have to set them up that way, you can put them in a sorta circle or whatever shape you want to. You can also buy two xpens and join them together....that would double the area you have and give Ben more room. Hey, if you wanted to you could buy even more xpens and join them together! If that isn't sufficient room for Ben to run you're just gonna have to stick with the flexi. You may want to buy a longer flexi. I don't feel like doing the conversion right now but I know that the 26 foot flexis I have are more than double the length of your 3 meter one. Oh yeah, I made a typo on the conversion...it's 2.54 not 2.45!

[quote name='Crested']What about thoose x pens (I guess I [b]HAVE[/b] to start looking at alternatives... :motz:)... How big can you make them (in cm's, please...)? How do you attatch them to the ground? I mean... If Ben puts his paws up against one of the "walls" does it just lift up or does the construction just... brake? /Crest[/quote] Go to the website in the post I made above and you can click on different sizes and styles of xpens. They'll give the dimensions in inches but, just multiply the inches by 2.45 to get centimeters. The photos will help you understand how they work. You don't have to "stake" xpens, they just sit on the ground. Some of my friends with multiple Dobermans use xpens instead of crates at agility trials. More cost effective if you've got multiple dogs. The Dobes can jump up on the side of the xpen and won't knock it down so, you don't have to worry about Ben knocking one down. Another thing you could consider getting so that Ben can get some running in is a very long flexi. My flexi's are 26 feet long. That's not much for a Dobe but, I'd think it would give Ben a bit of a run.

What Alicat recommended was an x-pen....short for exercise pen. go to this page and click on any of the pics. They'll enlarge so you can see what they look like. [url]http://www.petedge.com/jump.jsp?itemType=INDEX&itemID=509[/url] An x-pen is like a temporary small fenced area. They fold up for storage and, aside from the weight, are quite easy to move around. Ben is very small so this may work. If you like the idea but still find it too small, you can buy two x-pens and join them together.

Perhaps you should look into a citronella collar. You can find them at [url]http://www.petedge.com/jump.jsp?itemType=INDEX&itemID=799[/url] I'm not a huge fan of them but your particular situation may call for one. Your dog is alone for an extended period of time and rather than getting the neighbors all riled up, a citronella collar may be a better solution. Personally, I think a better solution would be to have your dog inside when you're not home. You'd have to hire someone to come by and do a potty break during the day since 11 hours is too much.

Go here: [url]http://www.cleanrun.com/category.cfm?Category=204[/url] They have tons of agility related stuff including the slipleads. If you are seriously considering agility it would also be a good idea to subscribe to their magazine.

Back when I was feeding kibble I would sometimes supplement Whitney's meals with green beans. Whit gains weight very easily and I used the green beans to fill her tummy when I needed to cut back the kibble. (Whit gets weighed every week. Since she does agility I track her weight very carefully.) Green beans fed whole have no nutritunal value to a dog. Dog's can't digest them (or most other veggies) unless they are either cooked a bit or purreed. (Breaks down the cell wall.) Because of this adding green beans will not any impact on your dog's diet....they simply fill the tummy and pass through the system. One thing to consider if you use green beans is what type to use. I mostly used fresh but, occasionally used frozen. (Kept a bag in the fridge.) If you use canned you need to watch for any added salt...not a good idea to add to the dog's diet. Whole carrots are also another veggie I have used to fill tummies.

[quote name='Crested']Thanks... :) Good idea Nancy... Actually the same breeder is having anohther litter this autumn, so I might get a puppy from there, but then there's this other breeder who is expecting puppies too (not certain yet) and if I would take from her, I would be on the top of the wait list... So I don't know... /Crest[/quote] Since you are hoping to use this bitch as your foundation bitch, you need to be absolutely certain that you buy the best possible bitch that you can. If both breeders breed the same quality, with whatever health testing is applicable to the breed, have a "proven track record" in breeding and have the depth of pedigree behind the sire/dam of the proposed litter then you can buy from either of them. If one does not have all of the above but they are having pups sooner, IMO, you would be better off waiting.

[quote name='Crested']Well... It looks like she will be keeping them both... I asked that the breeder of the pups to ask her if she could sell one to me or place one with me (that would mean that in about 2 years she would be mine :wink:). He said he would do that, but that she probabely won't do that... :( ...soooo... another search.... *sigh* /Crest[/quote] Oh Crested, I'm so sorry that things didn't work out for you with this litter!!!! One thing that you may want to consider is that it's not unusual to wait a long period of time if you want a dog from particular lines. (I waited just over two years for Mason!) Rather than start a search for another breeder, perhaps you should talk with the breeder that you did find and liked so much and inquire if she will be breeding a litter next year. Perhaps you could be the first person on her wait list. If you start off with a new breeder again, what number will you wind up on that wait list?

[color=red]"Do your dogs have a favourite blanket, bed etc."[/color] Yeah. Our bed, in the middle and under the covers!!! :lol: