 June 2011
From the EditorHi, I hope everyone is staying warm during these cold months, I have included a couple of hints on keeping your dogs warm later in the newsletter. Over the coming months I will be adding some articles on basic clicker training & free shaping for our members, this month's is the first of the series & is about clicker training for attention. Remember if you have anything you'd like to be included in future newsletters, please feel free to email it to me, my email address is remok@pacific.net.au . Until next time, Robyn K | Office Bearers 2011/12President: Gay Westmore Vice President: Barbara Murfet Secretary: Sharon Clark Treasurer: Debby Lamprecht Trial Secretary &Trophy Officer: Ann Bulke Publicity Officer: Robyn Kirkman Equipment Officer: Eddie Kirkman Committee Members: Angie Burke, Karen Moore, Wendy Russell   |
PROPS REGISTER
If anyone has props (or costumes) that you are happy to make available for others to use, please notify Sharon Clark who will keep a register of such. A list of all props available will be kept on the website. Sharon can be contacted on dwdcq@live.com.au
Clicker Training for Attention
By Mary Woodward & Susan Greenholt
Greenwood Dog Training School
Wilmington, DE
These exercises will assume that you know how to charge the clicker, if you don't know how to charge or initialise the clicker, please go to http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/charging-the-clicker.html & find out how to do this.
To start clicker training attention, go to a room without a whole lot of distraction, one where your dog already finds you more than usually interesting (the kitchen is usually best!). Have your bowl of tasty treats ready.
Say your dog's name ONCE in an upbeat, happy voice. When he turns to look at you, C&T. Then let him get a bit distracted by something and do it again. And again! You are looking for: he hears his name, and turns to look at you (hold your hands behind your back to make it easier for him to look up at your face). Many dogs will also come closer to you which is fine but not required.
If when you first say his name he doesn't look, then reach forward & gently touch him on the side or something so he turns around. Even if he doesn't look right at you, C&T. He'll soon get the idea!
At first, hold the treats in your hand behind your back, but then progress to having them sitting on the counter. Looking at the bowl of treats gets him nowhere... he needs to turn to look at you! If he keeps looking at the bowl, be patient... he will eventually turn to look at you.
Here are the next few steps.Take it slowly - but when he is consistently doing a step correctly then you can move on to the next!
Once he is consistently responding to the sound of his name, you want to start shaping the behavior so he is actually giving you eye contact. For many dogs, this is accomplished by warming up by practising as you have been, then saying his name again but NOT clicking if he looks anywhere except your eyes. If he has been looking at, say, your hands, he'll likely try that again (since it has worked so well so far!), but be patient and wait. You are hoping that he will get frustrated, give up, and look up at you as if you say, "What??" As soon as he does make eye contact, you C&T and praise! From now on, when practising attention in a quiet area, your dog has to give actual eye contact to receive a C&T from you. In a distraction situation, however, still C&T any attention as soon as it is given - don't hold out for eye contact.
Next Month - 101 Things to Do with a Box
DWDCQ MINUTES
3/2011
DWDCQ COMPETITION RESULTS
SATURDAY 7TH MAY, 2011
JUDGES : ANN BULKE - TREVOR TELFORD - CORAL PETHERS
HEELWORK TO MUSIC STARTERS
1st - Elkana Steppin Outin Style - Border Collie
Maree Rablin - 141Q
"James Bond"
HEELWORK TO MUSIC INTERMEDIATE
1st - Rowesdale Cian HTM.N. DWDF.I - Border Collie
Sharon Clark - 156Q - TITLE
"I heard it through the Grapevine"
HEELWORK TO MUSIC ADVANCED
1st - Nordenstamm Ilana (AI) DWDF.I HTM.I - Belgian Malinois
Karen Moore - 153Q
"Disco Inferno"
FREESTYLE STARTERS
1st - Stevie - Staffy X
Fay Benjamin - 142Q - TITLE
"Summer Holiday"
FREESTYLE NOVICE
1st - Ellaurena Tha Beesnees - Cavalier K.C. Spaniel
Lesley Chappell - 153.5Q
"Ebudae"
2nd - Tealpoint On The Ball - G.S.P.
Debby Lamprecht - 145Q
"Heart of Glass"
FREESTYLE INTERMEDIATE
1st - OCh Borderland Murphy DWDF.N HTM.N - Border Collie
Sharon Clark - 142.5Q
FREESTYLE ADVANCED
1st - Borderstrong Casey CDX DWDF.I HTM.I - Border Collie
Sharon Clark - 154.5 - TITLE
2nd - Ethylwyn Special Copy DWDF.A HTM.I CDX AD JD - Labrador
Ros Smith - 135Q
A small Competition with quite a few absentees (including Gay's 6) but a large Rookies Class of 11 at the end of the comp.
Congratulations to Fay and "Stevie" on their Freestyle Starters Title. Also Sharon and "Cian" on their HTM Intermediate - and "Casey" on their Freestyle Advanced Titles. Casey is the first dog in Queensland to go right through from Starters to Advanced.
Many thanks to all who helped at the Comp. - particularly Caboolture obedience club members who ran the canteen and are donating the profits back to our Club. The raffle also raised $104.
ANN B – Competition Manager
Ways to Keep Your Dog Warm This Winter
1. Dog Coat - seems simple really but an extra layer will help keep your dog warm .
2. A Warm Bed - a warm bed will help keep your dog warm at night when it's a bit chilly
3. Increased Food Consumption - If your dog spends a lot of its time outdoors, as the cold weather approaches its metabolism changes & more of the energy put into the dog gets used to keep them warm. Increasing their food will stop an outside dog from losing too much weight whilst dogs living primarily indoors may require less food to maintain a good body condition.
DANCES WITH DOGS COMPETITION DOUBLE HEADER
GRAFTON DOG OBEDIENCE CLUB,
Camp Tailwaggers,
515 Carool Rd, Carool, Gold Coast, NSW.
DAY 1
DATE: SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 2011
TIME: 11.00 A.M.
VETTING AND MUSIC CHECK: 10.00—10.45 A.M.
JUDGES: WENDY RUSSELL - JO MEREDITH - MAREE FIELD
ENTRY FEE: $10 PER ENTRY - $5 ROOKIES
ENTRIES CLOSE: 27TH AUGUST, 2011
ENTRIES TO: MANDY SANSOM—1898 SUMMERLAND WAY, GRAFTON NSW 2460 (please ensure you include Sire and Dam on Main and Limited Register dogs)
ENQUIRIES: MANDY SANSOM—(mandy@callicoma.com.au - 02 66 447019)
CLASSES: H.T.M.—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
FREESTYLE—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
THE FREESTYLE CLASSES WILL PRECEDE THE H.T.M. CLASSES
VENUE: CONCRETE AREA - APPROXIMATELY 15M X 15M
OTHER: MUSIC ON ONE C.D. AMPLE PARKING ON GROUNDS. LIMITED CATERING
SPONSORS: ANNSWITCH CANINES– CALLICOMA KELPIES & PET SUPPLIES
TIME: 11.00 A.M.
VETTING AND MUSIC CHECK: 10.00—10.45 A.M.
JUDGES: WENDY RUSSELL - JO MEREDITH - MAREE FIELD
ENTRY FEE: $10 PER ENTRY - $5 ROOKIES
ENTRIES CLOSE: 27TH AUGUST, 2011
ENTRIES TO: MANDY SANSOM—1898 SUMMERLAND WAY, GRAFTON NSW 2460 (please ensure you include Sire and Dam on Main and Limited Register dogs)
ENQUIRIES: MANDY SANSOM—(mandy@callicoma.com.au - 02 66 447019)
CLASSES: H.T.M.—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
FREESTYLE—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
THE FREESTYLE CLASSES WILL PRECEDE THE H.T.M. CLASSES
VENUE: CONCRETE AREA - APPROXIMATELY 15M X 15M
OTHER: MUSIC ON ONE C.D. AMPLE PARKING ON GROUNDS. LIMITED CATERING
SPONSORS: ANNSWITCH CANINES– CALLICOMA KELPIES & PET SUPPLIES
DAY 2
DATE: SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER, 2011
TIME: 9.00 A.M.
VETTING AND MUSIC CHECK: 8.00—8.45 A.M.
JUDGES: WENDY RUSSELL - ANGIE BURKE - MAREE FIELD
ENTRY FEE: $10 PER ENTRY - $5 ROOKIES
ENTRIES CLOSE: 27TH AUGUST, 2011
ENTRIES TO: MANDY SANSOM—1898 SUMMERLAND WAY, GRAFTON, NSW 2460 (please ensure you include Sire and Dam on Main and Limited Register dogs)
ENQUIRIES: MANDY SANSOM— (mandy@callicoma.com.au - 02 66 447019)
CLASSES: H.T.M.—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
FREESTYLE—STARTERS, NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED
THE H.T.M. CLASSES WILL PRECEDE THE FREESTYLE CLASSES
VENUE: CONCRETE AREA - APPROXIMATELY 15M X 15M
OTHER: MUSIC ON ONE C.D. AMPLE PARKING ON GROUNDS. LIMITED CATERING.
SPONSORS: ANNSWITCH CANINES– CALLICOMA KELPIES & PET SUPPLIES
