WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

going to the dogs . . . !

Jean, your poodles are gorgeous. I have always heard that Standard Poodles make great obedience dogs.
Rosey, Cooper looks so handsome!

Sophie and I are signed up for some more obedience classes. She is a quite well-behaved dog, but she continues to want to jump up on people and pull on the leash. This is not fun. The other (classical) training method was not working and did not match her learning style. (Duh)

We both went to a new place yesterday. These people train and title internationally, and I think we'll see some good results. I told them that I am a sponge and ready to soak up whatever they can teach me, so that walking Sophie will be a pleasure.

I am now learning Clicker Training, as well as some new things I have never heard of, such as "Watch", "Wrong" and will be learning "back" for having the dog take a few steps backward. If all goes well, I may consider a fun level agility class for Sophie; she is unlike any other dog I've ever owned (or been owned by!). She has a quite sharp mind and loves games and mental challenges. Agility may be for her. We'll get the leash pulling and jumping under control first, then explore agility.

Jane, if your dog swallowed a mole, i think it would choke to death. The moles in our neighborhood are quite large --- two to three inches in diameter as adults, and approx. eight inches long. Maybe yours ate a young one. Our Irish setter of 30 years ago caught one, or else it was a shrew or vole, but most likely a young mole. I still remember seeing its back half hanging out of the dog's mouth. EEEEw! My neighbor down the street tells me they never had a mole problem until their Golden Retriever died. He was an outside dog and behind an "underground/invisible" fence. Our dog is too small to defend herself, and these fences don't keep other dogs out, nor the foxes & coyotes around here, so they are not a good option for 17-lb. Sophie.

posted by Doris W. in TN @ 12:12 PM