Brush Farm Dog Training Club

Training Grounds Location:Brush Farm Park, Corner of Marsden Road & Lawson Street, Eastwood

Mailing Address: 18 Railway Street, Baulkham Hills 2153 Clubhouse Phone: 9858 5281 (from 1pm Sundays) Website: www.brushfarm.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrushFarmDogTraining

Cover dog: Beethoven, currently in White Class

BRUSH FARM DOG TRAINING CLUB INC.Established 1967. Affiliated RNSWCC (Dogs NSW) 1969

WHAT WE DO •Brush Farm Dog Training Club is a non-profit organisation run by a dedicated team of volunteers, committed

to serving the local community and promoting responsible dog ownership. We teach people to train their dog to be socialised and obedient, and promote participation in canine obedience sports.

•Each year our club delivers over 300 hours of training classes, trains over 500 dogs, & runs three trials, attracting over 250 competitors from across Sydney

•Training provides a benefit to both dog owners and the wider community - dogs that have participated in obedience training are less likely to be surrendered to pounds and animal shelters due to behavioural problems or aggression than dogs with no training.

•Attending training for just one hour each Sunday afternoon at Brush Farm Park will give you the skills to train your dog to be a happy, well behaved member of your family.

MEMBER INFORMATION •Sunday training times: - (Please arrive half an hour early to allow time for vetting)

2:00pm – 3:00pm - Puppies, Brown, Green & White classes 3:30pm – 4:30pm - Yellow & Red classes

•New member registration – every Sunday from 1PM (without your dog) •For sale at the Clubhouse - collars, leads, halters, dumbbells, bum-bags, polo shirts, caps, snacks and

drinks – EFTPOS available. •Training is rarely cancelled due to rain or extreme heat (35o C and above) – more often than not we are

lucky with the weather! If in doubt, please call the Clubhouse after 1.00 pm to check if classes are on— phone 9858 5281. Puppy class is always on rain hail or shine as it can be held indoors.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEES •Payable in February each year, and covering all training fees for the full calendar year:

Adult members $90 Pensioner members $75 Junior (under 18) members $75 Dual/family members $100 (one dog) $120 (two dogs) EFTPOS available

GET INVOLVED •General Meetings are held bi-monthly at Brush Farm Club House, Eastwood at 8.00 pm. All members are

welcome to come and have a say in our Club’s affairs. Supper is served after the meeting. •Our Club is run by volunteers - please see Noel, Heidi or your instructor if you would like to assist by helping

set up the training equipment, serving in the canteen, working on our website, training to become an instructor, or assisting with a myriad of other jobs that makes the club run !!!

•Steward at club trials – Approximately 20 people are needed on each trial day to set up equipment, marshal competitors, record results, staff the kitchen, and pack up. See Noel to join the Steward Squad.

Club Office Bearers President: Noel Reilly 9639 4291 Chief Instructor: Heidi Richardson 9801 8797 Treasurer: John Clifton Secretary: Linda Allen Vice Presidents: Anne Affleck, Anna Steinberg Dep. Chief Instructors: Greig Edwards, Danielle Leong Assistant Treasurer: Louraine Canning Trial Secretary: Karen Lamb Registrar: Karen Forsyth Canine Examiners: Bill Short, Colin Richardson Equipment Officer: John CliftonEditor ‘The Barker’: Natalie Leong

Patrons: Mrs M McGarvey; Steve Austin;The Mayor of Ryde

Committee Louraine Canning, Frances Canning, Bill Short, Angela Munge, Greig Edwards, Kym Robins, Colin Richardson, Karen Lamb, Janelle Woodward, Anne Martin, Danielle Leong

InstructorsAnne Affleck, Geoff Craine, Vivien Dunkerly, Greig Edwards, Peter Hewitt, Amanda Koolhaas, Danielle Leong, David Marcellino, Anne Martin, Noel Reilly, Heidi Richardson, Anna Steinberg, Colin Richardson, Janelle Woodward, Natalie Leong, Kylie Williams, Alan Luc, June Johansson, Tania Cochrane

EDITOR’S THOUGHTS

Welcome to the August issue of the Barker!

Just a few words to thank everyone for putting in the effort to come to dog training over the cold winter months. It can be

hard to drag yourselves away from cosy warm heaters and expose yourself to the cold and wet elements but we’ve

managed to have some great training Sundays and more importantly, we’ve seen lots of happy and engaged dogs. I

believe that training your dog should only be done with a joyful attitude, and that while obedience is important, the

relationship that can develop between a person and a dog is priceless.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGWEDNESDAY 15TH AUGUST

Please note that the 2018 Annual General Meeting for Brush Farm Dog Training Club will be held at the clubhouse at

8pm on Wednesday 15th August, 2018.

At the AGM, all Committee positions will be declared vacant, nominations will be accepted and elections will take place. Please fill in the form below should you wish to nominate for a position.

All club members are invited and very welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

I hope everyone enjoys this issue of the Barker - a huge thank you to

Phil for contributing his article. It’s a great insight into the life and

benefits of having a service dog. Danielle also has her regular

Doggy Diaries with some important thoughts on co-operative care.

Happy Reading and Happy Training! - Natalie

CLUB NEWS

August Trial

On Sunday 26th August, Brush Farm will be holding Obedience, Rally O and RATG trials. Competitors from across NSW will be competing in a range of obedience exercises.

There will be no training on this day.

However, all club members are invited to come along and observe the action! Please note that it is best to leave your dog at home. Competition will start at about 9am and continue on until the mid-afternoon.

For an up-close, behind-the-scenes experience, why not volunteer as a steward? Even if you are a brand new member, we would love if you are available and willing to help out. There are generally two shifts to fill so please speak to Chief Instructor Heidi if you are interested.

Stewarding gives you an amazing glimpse into what obedience trialling is all about. You get to watch training skills in action in a wide range of dogs. And you can obtain great insights from interacting with the other stewards and the judge. Congratulations!

A huge round of applause to instructor, Greig Edwards and his beautiful Border Collie, Cindy. They recently attained a higher herding title. Cindy is now registered and known as:

ETHERIAL CLEAN HEART HSAs

Note: HSAs stands for Herding at Started level on the A course with sheep. If you have any questions about Herding or are interested in starting the sport, Greig is more than happy to chat to you.

Handlers’ Day

Our third and final Handlers’ Day will be held on:

Sunday 16th September.

Brown and Green Classes are on as per usual: 2pm. White, Yellow, Red Classes will also start at: 2pm Experience Handlers and Triallers: 11am

Handler’s Day is a friendly competition between club members in White Class and above. It is a great way to test your dog training skills and get a feel for the more formal dog obedience trial atmosphere. Our instructors will be asking for you to put your names down to participate in the weeks before.

Ribbons are presented to the highest scorers in each class and at the end of the year, a trophy is awarded to member who performs the best in all three Handlers’ Days. Bragging rights are also up for grabs!

Harnesses

At a recent Committee meeting, it was decided that dogs may wear well-fitted harnesses in class. This is to allow for dogs to wear the equipment that their handlers consider the safest and most comfortable option.

Car harnesses with a swivel attachment are still not permitted in class.

For dogs to progress out of White class and above, collars need to be worn for the promotions testing. If you have any questions at all, please chat to one of our friendly volunteer instructors!

We are planning to discuss equipment choices in an upcoming edition of the Barker, so stay tuned!

Can Pigs Fly?Most likely not, but Sara the Labrador can!

  Meet Sara, my two year old Assistance Dog who holds a Public Access Licence under the auspice of AWARE Assistance Dogs Australia.

As a team we’ve flown 18 flights all with Virgin and mainly Syd - ADL/Melb. We are always seated in Premium Economy which guarantees heaps of leg room. Sara gets her own ticket for the window seat to comfortably lay on the floor where she sleeps most of the flight; even take off and landing doesn’t register much interest. 

The flights usually go with out incident except for last Wednesday ADL to Syd. I don’t usually drink before a flight to avoid the dreaded ‘walk past’ as you make way to the toilet. The only problem is....where do you put a Labrador while going to the loo? Usually she stays at her seat but this time I sat her outside the toilet door but unknown to me Sara went for a chat with people in Business Class. They were very nice about it and wanted to know how Sara helps me.

I described my Early Onset Dementia, Alzheimer’s Type and how Sara helps me in two key ways. Firstly she finds Items around the house. If I can’t find my Phone, Keys, Wallet, etc I get stressed and my memory gets instantly worse. I send Sara off to fetch the item I may be missing and this makes leaving the house a breeze. Secondly, Sara allows me to take risks.... think train, bus, ferry, plane, large crowds etc.

With her I’m able to stay independent. If I get lost she comes in for a cuddle until I get my memory back. I really can’t do without her.   Our next big adventure is canyoning and abseiling, yep you heard right. I’m currently in talks with ‘National Parks’, ‘Blue Mountains Adventures Company’ and ‘NSW Police Dog Unit’ (for a dog harness to make it possible to abseil). I’ll follow up with some pics and another story.

If you would like further information about Assistance Dogs or Dementia just give me a call on 0467 543 349.

- Phil Hazell, Brush Farm club member

Assistance Dogs are highly trained and able to perform tasks to help people go about their day-to-day lives in a wide range of circumstances. Many of us are familiar with seeing eye dogs or guide dogs who enable people with visual impairment to navigate the world. Phil has given us a wonderful example of the work some Assistance Dogs do. Here are some other types of Assistance Dogs you may not be aware of: •Hearing dogs provide assistance to people with hearing impairments by alerting them to important sounds

(telephone, doorbell, smoke alarm, etc) •Medical alert dogs can provide advance warning of seizures (for people with epilepsy) or low blood sugar levels (for

people with diabetes) •Some service dogs assist people with physical disabilities with tasks such as providing physical support to balance,

retrieving household items, assisting with laundry, opening and closing doors/cupboards/fridges, turning light switches on/off

•Psychiatric service dogs can be used to help people with a range of disorders. For example, dogs can be trained to assist in panic attacks and provide specific support to people with PTSD.

•Among other tasks, Autism Support Dogs can provide a extra level of safety for parents by being taught to “anchor” a child that might otherwise wander away.

HANDLERS DAY 1 27th May

The Club holds three Handlers Day events each year. These days are an opportunity for everyone in White, Yellow and Red Classes to put their training skills to the test and receive individual feedback about how they are going. There is also an Experienced Handlers category for instructors and trialling members (whose dogs are capable of entering Obedience competitions). These events also provide scope for a dose of friendly competition with ribbons on the line, as well as a trophy for the best performing dog and handler team across all three Handlers Days. Our next Handlers Day is on September 16th.

Experienced 1st DanielleLeong Rory GoldenRetriever

2nd AlanLuc Hopper JackRussellX

3rd JanelleWoodward Poppy MiniSchnauzerX

RedClass 1st JuneJohansson Eva Beagle

2nd EdwinYu Kobe Labradoodle

3rd N/A

YellowClass 1st LizGill Papavero LagoNo

2nd N/A

3rd N/A

WhiteClass 1st RichardWatkins Zoe AussieShepherd

2nd KendraXu Jazzy ShelPe

3rd MichelleWatkins OPs BorderCollie

Handlers Day 1 Results

HANDLERS DAY 215th July

Handlers Day 2 Results

Experienced 1st NatalieLeong Pippin EnglishSpringer

2nd HeidiRichardson CooperMudgee

LabradorXMiniSchnauzerX2nd JanelleWoodward Mudgee MiniSchnauzerX

3rd BarbaraHorsfield Henri Dachshund

RedClass 1st CaitlinLaRose Jessie Labradoodle

2nd JuneJohansson Eva Beagle

3rd

YellowClass 1st RichardWatkins Zoe AussieShepherd

2nd

3rd

WhiteClass 1st StephenHarvey Dyson Labradoodle

2nd VivianLee NaNo BorderCollie

3rd ElizabethAnderson Zoe MalteseX

Brown to Green Sharon Zhang - Bagel (Beagle X) Zoe Williams - Beethoven (Border Collie X Brittany) Kathy Clark - Buddy (Cavalier X) Stuart Clark - Le0 (Cavalier X) Susan Stentz - Casper (Bichon Frise) Martin Wu - Marlee (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) Robert Menzies - Marcus Aurelius (German Shepherd) Alison Rahill - Ellie (Lab X Staffy) Liz Bredon - Pippa (Cobberdog) Sally Hardon - Lucky (King Charles Spaniel) Yunan Lu - Roland (Bichon Frise)) Alan Jones - Bella (Cavalier X Poodle) Eric Shing - Bao Bao (Poodle) Patrick Gough - Arlo (Lab X Staffy) Summer Liu - Sosuke (Rottweiler) Ray Sekhan - Raphael (Cavoodle) Val Bazylenko - Sigmund (Labrador) Claire Zhou - Ramen (Toy Poodle) Tristyn - Quinn (Labrador X) Christine Dolle - Archie (Shetland Sheepdog) Mandy Dixon - Bobby (Toy Poodle X) Jack Hung - Ramen (Poodle) Sally Sarkissian - Molly (Cocker Spaniel X) Shikumah Maruel - Snow (Maltese X) Michelle Hose - Butch (Maltese X Jack Russell)

Puppy Class Graduates AdrianLong-Cali(CavalierX)MichelleJordan-Marley(FrenchBulldog)MartyRodgers-Rocket(Kelpie)NickyBoulter-Kali(Labrador)SummerLiu-Sosuke(RoNweiler)ElliRugg-Banksy(BorderCollie)WangFamily-Dooby(ToyPoodle)YamalKumar-Laila(RoNweiler)DonnaMundry-Luna(SchnauzerX)JoanneVanDeHaar-Sammy(Staffy)ElisaBazgir-Dior(Pomeranian)KelvinKo-TeddyBear(ChowChow)HongTaoHan-Jackie(TenterfieldTerrier)AmandaDixon-Bobby(ToyPoodleX)AnneWheeler-Molly(Labradoodle)AngusKirkpatrick-Luke(StaffyX)GraceLam-Ollie(Labrador)ChrisPneDolle-Archie(ShetlandSheepdog)PriyaParker-Freyja(Collie)EllenKim-WooChoo(Schnauzer)YanZhang-Joy(Labrador)MadelineMoscato-Schnitzel(Cavalier)ParyaMohommoddi-Persis(Staffy)Robardsfamily-Banjo(Cavoodle)David&LindaWhi^ord-Elmo(Pugx)David&ChelsiWilliams-Keith(MiniSchnauzer)Jemma,Brendan&LachieSarell-Charlie(Cavoodle)KitYu-Kiki(Labrador)KimOsman-SPtch(FrenchBulldog)

Green to White Stephen Harvey - Dyson (Labradoodle) Leo Leon - Lilah (Lab X Kelpie) Gwyn Bromhead - Bella (Labrador) John Clifton - Charlie (Labrador X) Lyn Shayler - Samantha (Labradoodle) Heidi Richardson - Cooper (Labrador X) Debbie Champion - Sparky (Maltese X Jack Russell) Vivian Lee - Natto (Border Collie) Zoe Williams - Beethoven (Border Collie X Brittany)

PROMOTIONS

White to Yellow Kendra Xu - Jazzy (Shetland Sheepdog) Richard Watkins - Zoe (Australian Shepherd)

Yellow to Red Caitlin La Rose - Jessie (Labradoodle) Kendra Xu - Jazzy (Shetland Sheepdog) Richard Watkins - Zoe (Australian Shepherd)

KINDNESS MATTERSto both dogs and people!

Positive reinforcement is a term from learning and behaviour psychology. It describes the way in which behaviour that is reinforced (rewarded) is more likely to happen again in the future. In class we use food to reinforce behaviours we want our dogs to be more likely to perform again - sit, down, stay, recall, etc.   Reinforcement is anything the learner (the dog) finds rewarding. In class, the easiest option is to use food. In other scenarios you can try using toys, play, praise and "life rewards" such as permission to go sniffing. If your dog is not interested in what you have to offer (i.e. your dog won't eat the treats you have with you), you cannot use that as a reinforcer at that particular time… because the dog will not perceive that as rewarding! Reinforcement will vary across different scenarios (e.g. my dog works for kibble at home but not in class).   We use positive reinforcement with our dogs because it is effective and KIND. After all, since dogs are "man's best friend", they deserve to be treated with kindness. As indeed any living creature should!   [A word about "dominance" because this cannot be repeated enough… You do not need to teach your dog that you are "dominant". The original theory about dominance hierarchies in wolves and the “struggle to be on top” HAS BEEN DISPROVEN. This was originally observed in a captive pack of wolves and has not been found to be relevant to naturally-occurring wolf packs in the wild. Dominance behaviours do indeed occur to keep the peace in a highly structured and largely peaceful way. The beautifully fluid body language of canids, however, is near impossible to replicate in a dog-human relationship. Therefore, don't worry about dominance! Instead, think about what behaviours you would like to reinforce!]   Because our club would like you to build a positive relationship with your dog, we try to highlight the ways in which you can reinforce your dog's behaviour. Although we focus on traditional obedience behaviours, you can use these methods in any aspect of your dog's life. You can use positive reinforcement to teach your dog anything from general life manners to amazing tricks!   But here's the great thing… positive reinforcement WORKS ON ALL ANIMALS, including us. In class, your instructors will try to praise YOU when you do the right thing, in the hopes that you will do it again. If you see behaviour you like, notice it and appreciate it! That will make it more likely to happen again.   On the flip-side, if you see behaviour you DON'T like, what should you do? If you simply want to express your annoyance or disagreement, there is usually no need to say anything at all! Everyone is usually doing the best they can with the knowledge they have at that particular time. Of course, if someone is being rude, inappropriate or dangerous, that is another issue… Health, safety and wellbeing obviously come first. But if what you say might cause someone to feel sad or upset, think twice! Find another way to express yourself. Or perhaps, you can instead find something to be positive towards and REINFORCE.   This note is just to encourage everyone to make Brush Farm Dog Training Club a happy and peaceful place for both dogs AND people to be able to enjoy.

Did you know?

From 2006 onwards, one of the oldest guide dog organisations in the USA, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has transitioned from “traditional” training methods (involving correcting a dog for making a mistake) to maximising the use of positive reinforcement training (rewarding the dog for making good choices). Under the traditional protocols, approximately 45 to 50% of dogs completed the entire training process and became successful guide dogs. Maximising the use of positive reinforcement has seen the graduation rate rise to between 65 to 80% of dogs. Guide dog organisations across the world, including within Australia, now seek to incorporate more positive reinforcement.

Source: https://thebark.com/content/guide-dogs-blind

DANIELLE’S DOGGY DIARYAdventures in Cooperative Care

Overthepastfewmonths,mysisterandIhavebeenworkingonourCooperaPveCaretrainingskillswithourdogs.Whatisthis?Othertermsregularlyusedincludelow-stress,fear-freeorforce-freehandlingandposiPveanimalhusbandry.EssenPallywewantourdogstobeenthusiasPcandwillingpartnerswhenitcomestoallgroomingandveterinary-relatedprocedures.ThesetypesofpracPceshavebecomecommoninzoos,whereitiseasierandsaferforeveryoneinvolvedtohaveexoPcanimalswillinglyperformbehaviourstoaidintheircare.AcPviPessuchasblooddraws,teethcleaningandultrasoundscanbeundertakenwithouthavingtousesedaPonoranaesthesia.However,manypeopleoverlookthisapproachwithourdogs.Possiblybecauseit'srelaPvelyeasyto"force"ourdogstodothings-takeabath,havenailstrimmed,beexaminedbyavet,etc.Manydogsstoicallyputupwiththeseexperiences.ButothersdevelopnegaPvefeelingsandcanbecomequitedistressedabouttheseacPviPes.Thisdistresscanbedisplayedoutwardlybystruggling,aNempPngtoescape,orevenbiPng.Somedogsmaysimplyshutdownandfreeze-sadly,thistypeofdistressmaynotbereadilynoPced.Mypreferenceisformydogstofeelrelaxed,comfortableandwillingtobeapartofrouPnehandling,groomingandveterinaryprocedures.TherearetwomainelementstocreaPngthistypeofpartnership: 1. CHOICE:Mywholetrainingphilosophyisabout

creaPngopportuniPesformydogstomakegoodchoices.ThisisvitalincooperaPvecaresinceanyPmeyouremovethatelementofchoiceyourisklosingyourdog'strust.IwantmydogstoknowtheycanoptoutatanyPme.Youmightask…"Wellwhywouldyouwantyourdogtomakeachoicethatyoudon'tlike?Ineedtotrimmydog'snailsbecausetheyaretoolongsohedoesn'thavetheluxurytochoosenottohavethemtrimmed!"…AndthisiswhyyouneedtoworkonallthesebehavioursliNlebyliNleonaregularbasis.SothatwhenyourdogNEEDSthistypeofcare,youdogsays"YESPLEASE!TRIMMYNAILS!".

1. POSITIVEREINFORCEMENT:Ofcourse,theeasiestwaytofosteryourdog'sdesiretoparPcipateinhusbandrybehavioursistopairthosebehaviourswithposiPvereinforcement.FoodisohenthemostconvenientandeffecPvereinforcerformanydogs.WhenseingupcooperaPvecaretrainingsessions,keepinmindthatyouwanttocreatearelaxedlevelofengagement.Therefore,youdon'twanttobeusingyourdog'smostfavouritetreatthatmakeshimwanttoturnhimselfinsideouttogetit(I'mthinkingroastbeeforsalmonfudgeorsomething).Rather,chooseafoodthatisreinforcingbutnotcrazy-making.Iusekibblealotforthesepurposes.

Sowhathavewebeenworkingon?OurdogshavevariedlevelsofcomfortwithcooperaPvecare.Theyoungestdog,RorytheGolden,hasbeenraisedwithlotsofthissoheisthemost"cooperaPve"ofthebunch.Heloveshisnailsbeingtrimmedandhisteethbeingbrushed…infact,helovesbeingexaminedandmadeafussofingeneral!Butourolderdogshavehadlessofthistypeoftraining.Crosby(7-year-oldLabrador)isgenerallyhappytogoalongwithmostthings,hecanhavehisnailstrimmedbutisnotfullycomfortablewithit,andheisnotascooperaPvewiththevetasheiswithus.Pippin(5-year-oldSpringerSpaniel)hasmajorissueswithhisfeetbeinghandled,helosestrustveryeasily,andhehasafearofthevet(heisoneofthose"shutdown"dogssohecanbeeasilyexaminedbutheisexperiencingextremedistressduringtheprocess).

DANIELLE’S DOGGY DIARYby Danielle Leong (Instructor)

Here'ssomeoftheexerciseswehavebeenpracPcingtohelpimproveourdogs'levelofcooperaPvecare:Sta$oning(matandtablework):ThisissimplyaboutcreaPngaposiPveemoPonalresponseforthedogtoremaininplaceoneitheramatorgrooming/examinaPontable.Thingsthathelphereare"licky"treatssuchasstuffthatcomesoutofsqueezetubes(babyfoodisagoodopPon)orsomethinglikeasnufflemat(wherethedoghastosniffaroundtofindthetreats).TheseopPonslastaprolongedamountofPmeandhelptoreinforcethatrelaxedfeelingyouareaimingfor.StaPoningexercisesservetocreatechoiceforthedogsincethedogisfreetoleavethematortableatanyPme.ItistheirchoicetomoveontothestaPonandreceivereinforcement.Iftheyleave,nobigdeal…theyjustnolongerreceivereinforcement.Youdon'tneedcuethedogtodoanything.IftheyCHOOSEtomovebacktothestaPon,thereinforcementthenbeginsagain.

Dura$ontarge$ng(noseandchin):A"nosetohand"targetandchinresttargetaretwothingsIteachallmydogsforanumberofreasons,includingcooperaPvecare.IaddduraPonveryearlyon.WhenIcuetheseduraPonbehaviours,IexpectmydogtoholdthatposiPon(nosetouchingmyhand,orchinresPnginmyhand)unPltheyhearamarkerword("Yes!"or"Good!").ThesebehavioursaresuperusefulforcooperaPvecaresinceyoucanuseanosetargettoposiPonyourdogforanexaminaPonorprocedure,andachinrestcanbeusedforearandeyeexams.AddiPonally,theseduraPontargetsarehelpfulforyoutoaskyourdogtoperformwhilstsomeoneelse“doesstuff"toyourdog.Forexample,Iuseitwhenmydogneedstohavehistemperaturetakenbyavet.

Atamoreadvancedlevel,youcanuseduraHontargetstofurtherenhancechoice.Forexample,IaskCrosbyforaduraHonnosetarget.Ithenhandlehispaws.Ifhemovesoffthenosetarget,Istoptouchinghispaws.Hecanchoosetore-connectthenosetargetandIwillthentouchhispawsagain.HewillreceivereinforcementatsomepointaQerthat.Basically,thetargetbehaviourbecomesasignalformetoconHnuethepaw-handlingbehaviour.

Handlingcondi$oning:ThisisaboutcreaPngaposiPveassociaPonwithalltypesofhandlingthatyourdogcouldbeexpectedtoencounter.Youapproachthisinagraduatedway,buildinguptowardsthemoreinvasive,forcefultypesofhandling.ThisisaclassicalcondiPoningexercise.BythisImeanitissimply:◦1)somethinghappens(yourdogistouched),followedby◦ 2)agoodthinghappens(yourdoggetsatreat).Wearenotaskingforspecificbehaviourfromyourdog…justthattheylearnthatvarioustypesofhandlingpredictagoodoutcome.Youstartwithgentlestroking,movinguptomoreforcefulstroking,poinPng/jabbing,pinchingskin(as

foraninjecPon)andontorestraint/pickingup.AndyouwanttomakesureyouworktheenPrebodyofthedogasmuchaspossible.RememberthatwhatyouaredoingiscreaPngaposiPveassociaPonwiththeseacPviPesandshapingthedogsemoPonalresponse-anyPmethedogshowsavoidance,discomfortorover-arousal,it'sPmetogobackastepandbuildupfromaneasierlevel.

Becomingcomfortablewithtools:Ifyouhaveabreedthatrequiresregularclipping/grooming,yourlistoftoolswilllikelybelongerthanmine!Butforme,mydogsneedtobecomfortablewithdogbrushes/combs,nailcuNers,toothbrushes.I'dalsolikethemtobecomfortablewithitemstheymayencounteratavetsuchaseye/earinstruments,stethoscopesandthermometers.YouapproachthisinthesamewayashandlingcondiPoningabove.Startataneasylevelandgraduallyworkyourwayuptomoreintenselevels.

Forexample,werecentlypurchasedanailgrinderforPippinsincehehatesnailcuSers.WeareintheprocessofcondiHoninghimtoit.Westartedoffwithjustthesightofit=treats.Thenhavingitcarriedinahand=treats.Thenmovingitaroundhisbody=treats.Thentouchinghispaw=treats.Thentouchinghisnail=treats.Nowweareuptoturningiton=treats(sinceheneedstogetusedtothesound).We'llletyouknowifwegetuptosuccessfullyusingittogrindhisnails!

Ok,soI'vegivenabriefrun-throughofthecooperaPvecareexerciseswehavebeenworkingon.Itmightseemlikealotofwork!Butit'sthetypeofthingthatifyougrabahandfuloftreatsandworkononceaday,yourdogwillreapthebenefitsatsomepoint.Youmightwanttofocusonjustonethingthatcouldbehelpfultoyourdog(likepawhandlingorduraPontargets).

IrecentlyhadtotakeCrosbytotheemergencyvet(don'tworry,he'sfinenow!)andjustdoingsomechinrestsandnosetargetshelpedkeephimcalmandhappyfortheiniPalexaminaPonwithavetwhowasacompletestrangertohim.I'mhappythattherearethingsIcanworkontomakeiteasierformydogsatthosePmeswhentheymightbefeelingsickanddistressed.

Ifyou’dlikemoreinforma1on,comefindmeonaSundaybeforeora7erclass!-Danielle

Helpfullinks:hNps://www.facebook.com/groups/PosiPveDogHusbandry/hNps://denisefenzipetdogs.com/2015/11/10/cooperaPve-care-vet-visits-nail-trims-and-brushing-oh-my/hNp://www.allpetseducaPonandtraining.com.au/husbandry-behaviours.htmlhNp://www.kathysdao.com/arPcles/husbandry-how-tos/

REMINDERS

2018 CALENDAR

AUGUST Sunday 5th Training Sunday 12th Training Wednesday 15th Annual General Meeting Sunday 19th Training Sunday 26th Obedience / Rally Trial - NO TRAINING

SEPTEMBER Sunday 2nd Training / Puppy Class Starts Sunday 9th Training Sunday 16th Handlers’ Day 3 Wednesday 19th General meeting Sunday 23rd Training Sunday 30th Labour Day Weekend - NO TRAINING

OCTOBER Sunday 7th Training Sunday 14th Training / Puppy Class Starts Wednesday 17th Committee Meeting Sunday 21st Training Sunday 28th Double Rally O Trial

- NO TRAINING

NOVEMBER Sunday 4th Training Sunday 11th Training Sunday 18th Training Wednesday 21st General Meeting Sunday 25th Training - Last for the year

DECEMBER Sunday 2nd - Dog’s Christmas Party

•Please pick up after your dog. Pooper-scoopers, bags & bins are provided.

•Keep away from dogs tethered in the roped off area. Please remind your children that these dogs MUST be left alone when their owners are not present

•Dogs wearing Green Collars are aggressive to other dogs. Dogs wearing Orange Collars are not yet friendly towards people. Please give these dogs the space they need.

•Please do not leave your children unsupervised. Children running on the field can frighten and excite some dogs.

•All handlers must wear enclosed shoes. Handlers with inappropriate footwear will be asked to leave the grounds.

•Please keep your dog on a lead unless an instructor tells you otherwise.

•Dogs that have run off during off-lead exercises must be worked on a long lead, available for sale from the Clubhouse

•Senior class members are requested to ensure all club equipment is packed away before letting their dogs off-lead to play - a pack of exuberant dogs charging around the field poses a significant safety risk to volunteers still at work.

Contribute to The Barker!

The Brush Farm Barker is our community’s newsletter and we welcome everyone and anyone’s involvement!

Let us know about you and your dog! Send in a cute photo. Tell us how awesome your dog is. Why did you join Brush Farm, what are your training goals? Send in some info or requests for our Breed Spotlights. Let us know about fun doggy activities you are involved in. Or if you happen to know any great locations to take dogs for a walk, play or even a getaway! Feel free to pass on any interesting dog-related articles or news stories.

And let us know any questions you have about dogs, caring for dogs and dog training - we will try and find some answers!

Email us at brushfarmbarker@gmail.com Or get in touch on our Facebook page!