Vent!

[JudyN]

I was rooting for the whippet, but did think the Westie looked smashing. I wasn't sure if she was a bit tired or just really laid back - and I'm not sure whippets have the right personality for the big show ring so I'm not complaining! I'd have been very happy if the Gordon won too.

[Shalista]

(in the US here) I'm mad i missed this! it looked like it would have been a blast to watch!

and yeah, i dont know alot about dogs but those GSD looked... unnatural.... reminded me a bit of Quasimodo tbh http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/02/living/qu ... date-irpt/

[Lara575]

For anyone who was horrified like me at the GSD who won best of breed at crufts here is some interesting reads at what has happened since.
http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.co. ... didnt.html
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/cruft ... 03071.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ow ... er-7557418

[Shalista]

Comments were interesting on one of those links. Talking about judging for breed soundness vs breed points

[mansbestfriend]

Holy smokes. The other day I called in to a local dog shop (nice shop, humanely raised meat and bones and meat products, but dog training principles that include wolves and packs and show em who leader etc. and a minimum of modern training meathods) to have a good harness fitted to my Max the GH.

The harness is smashing and it fits Max like a glove so full marks for that. While I was there, the shop owner tried springing some techniques on us which had her shop/exhibition dog hugging the walls with head and tail down and running for the nearest exit. I said "I just needed the harness fitted thanks, but not your training." With all the unexpected posturing and gesticulating that followed, I was happy to leave the shop, but Max had a nice new (Haqihana) harness.

Boring boring maybe, but I just had to vent.

[Nettle]

Not at all boring. Just underlines how careful we have to be because there are self-styled "experts" under every rock.

[gwd]

I offered to help someone teach a nice self stack for conformation shows........... they didn't want me to use a clicker because you can't use a clicker in the ring. SMH

[Nettle]

Sigh. I feel your pain.

[ScarletSci]

I offered to help someone teach a nice self stack for conformation shows........... they didn't want me to use a clicker because you can't use a clicker in the ring. SMH

GWD!! How are you doing? Lovely to see you!

[gwd]

Sigh. I feel your pain.

And today I read an article titled, 'a sea change in gun dog training techniques'. it's in the most recent canine chronicle. While i'm thrilled that the article is about a more positive approach to gun dog and retriever training (an area of dog training that has been slow to change) I was baffled by the text under the picture of one of the retrievers-name Bo. "although clicker training was not particularly effective with Bo, he is a sucker for toys and treats."

Seriously, wth? Clearly the person isn't really familiar with the use of a clicker as a bridge (ie, proper clicker training). Did they somehow think that the dog was working for the sound of the click? Was their timing just that horrible? I was glad that positive based training is becoming more accepted in the gun dog fancy I hate that the first article I read about it dismisses the use of such a valuable tool.

Btw, perhaps those in the uk can fill me in about Phillipa Williams. I saw the video of her gun dog display at crafts and it seemed that she used positive reinforcement rather than advertises, is this correct?

[gwd]

I offered to help someone teach a nice self stack for conformation shows........... they didn't want me to use a clicker because you can't use a clicker in the ring. SMH

GWD!! How are you doing? Lovely to see you!

thank you my dear..........i need to drop in more often. I've missed all of your great stories!

[Nettle]

GWD, I rarely instruct my clients in clicker training because the vast majority just do not have the timing. When one works a lot with 'advanced dog' people, it comes as a bit of a shock to realise that relatively few everyday very nice owners have any kind of timing at all. Even in the days when I took a lot of trouble to explain carefully, and left a sheaf of notes, I'd come back and find them trying to use the clicker like a remote control.

[Erica]

I've also seen people turn into robots while using clickers...all emotional feedback stops, they don't talk to the dog, smile, or do anything but click/treat. For my two, they would view this as punishment- negative punishment, probably. I do have to keep calm with Opal while training - if I get too excited and bouncy, she turns off - but I do give her calm but happy "Good girl! You're so clever" kind of comments as we're training. Delta will get too amped up if I get too amped up, but for a normal level of excitement he gets way more involved and finds it more rewarding.

So if that dog got an emotionless robot style clicker trainer, I wouldn't be surprised that it didn't work for them. Or possibly the dog found the click scary or startling.

[Nettle]

SUCH a good point, Erica. If the click heralds the owner becoming emotionally/communicatively 'absent' no wonder the dogs find it threatening.

[ScarletSci]

Just as I was getting ready to take the dogs out for a second walk, I was struck by unbelievable pain. Toothache. Although the word toothache doesn't do justice to the pain, it was toothagony. My mum even gave me a couple of her morphine tablets on top of the cocodemol I took, even those combined didn't eliminate the pain, just held it a little at at bay as long as I lay very, very still. I've never had a pain like that before! I thought I'd had toothache before, but it was nothing compared to this, it felt like being stabbed through the face. I didn't know it could come on so suddenly!

Luckily, my dentist fitted me in so quickly, within three hours of calling and describing it. So he removed the nerve and did the first part of a root canal. I go back for the second part next week. I'm still totally numb on that side and feeling a little blah, but so glad the intense, agonising pain is gone. It was the nerve. Poor dogs were so worried! They knew something was up with me. So we haven't done much this afternoon since this mornings walk and play session. Cuddles and toys are the order of the evening! Hopefully back on track tomorrow!