Positively | Victoria Stilwell | Forum

We have to go to a show next weekend as I'm helping to run it and I need to be there to manage a ring and help to set up the show. After that we'll have a break for a few weeks. I'm not going to continue with the trainer who likes wait at the start and keeping quiet during the class. I think Sasha's...

I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how to handle a sensitive collie. I do a lot of agility with Sasha but within the last year she's become quite stressed at shows and sometimes at training classes. I'm wondering if I'm trying to impose too much control over her and making her a bit ...

At four weeks this puppy was much too young to leave his mother and this could be part of the problem. If you are unable to make any progress I would consider consulting a dog behaviourist who can see the problem first hand and advise on how to help you and your dog.

Sorry, I accidentally deleted it from the server. It's back again now.

I just had to put this on here as it's working so well with my noisy border collie, Sasha. Little Miss Gobby has virtually stopped barking this morning after I used this to make a silly noise. http://www.dogsown.co.uk/training/training_aid.jpg It's only a cardboard tube from the inside of a roll of ...

How about going to heelwork to music classes? They're very inventive with new things to teach dogs and you can practice all the moves at home and put together some routines. I've had a dog like this so I know what it's like. They seem to want entertainment and learning 24 hours a day. Good luck.

When you do agility a lot of dogs tend to watch the body language of the handler rather than listening to what they're saying. This is definitely the case with my dogs. They learned long ago that it was best not to listen to the silly old woman wobbling along behind. I can't tell left from right at ...

Yes, I do.

We had a cocker spaniel with glaucoma. The first thing the vet asked was, "Have you ever used a choke chain on this dog?" I'm very glad I was able to say "no" as apparently the use of a choke chain can cause the condition.

I should add that the toy works really well as a training aid but after a while you can start to cut down on its use . It's a bit like using food rewards. Loads of treats at first and then gradually cut down so that the dog is taking more notice of you than the food or the toy.

I used a Halti harness on Jamie. He's a big flat coated retriever cross and there was one particular place where he really kept pulling hard. The harness helped to stop him and he walks on a loose lead now without the harness. I bought an Easy Walk harness for Sasha and this works well for a short t...

Brilliant. You must be six hours behind us or is it four?

Hi Brook. You need to click on "profile" and then on GMT. Virginia is five hours behind us so select GMT-5 and you should get the right time. I hope.

No-one's going to shout at you. You've done everything you can for Belle and it sounds to me as if she has a wonderful home with very caring humans to look after her. Good luck with the MRI scan and I hope it all goes well.

Good news and it's the last thing I expected. The strange cells that the vet found on the slide and sent away to be tested turned out to be from her own fingerprint! The lump is just a fatty lump after all. We are so relieved.