cool dogs

HOLY CRAP. Did you take this photo? I can't imagine lining up five dogs for a photo. I mean, good god, those dogs must be saints. Serious props to you, dude.

They are VERY good dogs :) Little brindle boy Conway is still learning, hence of the expression of impending doom/death by camera, but overall they are excellent models.

I work at a vet clinic every once in a while where we do a lot of jobs for a couple of adoption agencies. I remember this one time I had to help a chick from an agency try two line up two dogs for a photo. Great dane and a golden, TWO DOGS! Our efforts were in vain, sadly.

Aww, he is rather pitiful looking. Second from the right looks...well, rather high. But happy! The first one reminds me of Rin Tin Tin, and that last one- she (I'll assume she by the harness) perhaps looks the most stoic. But the blinking makes it look like she fell asleep during the shoot. Like a senile grandparent. "Grandma. Grandma...HEY GRANDMA!" "Huh, wha!? What you want, sonny boy? Cantcha see I'm takin mah beauty nap?"

Anyway...lovely dogs.

the second from the left looks SO HAPPY. *blissdog*

Your crew is very nice looking - but who is that good lookin' brindle there? I don't think I've seen him(?) in your gallery before.

Thank you.

That would be Conway.

He's very handsome!

FA is eating some of my replies, so hopefully in an hour 54908014 things don't post up at once.

But Zora, my brindle hound mix puppy, died in early January.

Conway was a puppy I was fostering through my work, who had come in with Parvo at five weeks. He just ended up staying after Zora died.

Oh... my condolences for Zora.

It's very selfless of you to have taken on a foster puppy, and a parvo survivor to boot!

He was a really cute puppy, and something about him really, really reminds me of Gypsy.

Zora was struck and killed by a car at the end of my driveway. Our electric, automatic-closing gate malfunctioned. We had just gotten home from shopping a few minutes before, and I didn't pay attention like I should have. She took three steps out the gate and was killed instantly.

That happens.. more often than one would think, unfortunately.. no matter how careful.
Again, my deepest condolences. No one should have to go through that.

What a crew! You must be a dog whisperer to get them to line up and sit still like this! and no leashes! damn! I want to train my dog to walk off leash in wooded/not crowded areas BUT unfortunately she wants to attack and kill anything thats not human that moves :( and she doesn't always consider children human so I don't know if I have much hope with her! But I'm trying! How did you train your dogs to do so well off leash?

Hey!

I thought I replied to this, lol.

Anyway, it sounds like your dog has high prey drive. With my dogs, the very first thing I teach them is a solid-as-possible recall. I don't care what they are doing, when I call, then NEED to come. I teach mostly using pure positive methods, as I've found this gets the best, most positive results in training. Treating, rewarding with tug, excited crazy lady style praise. My dogs love it.

And, my dogs are all just really incredible ;)

yea I HAVE to work on recall with my pup. She has a crazy prey drive, as soon as she sees something like a bird or squirrel, cat or even another dog she flips her shit. I saw that one way is to start with clicking and rewarding everytime the dog comes to you on their own, then calling them using a command, something that they know means COME HERE RIGHT NOW! And to never use the command unless you know they are going to come to you. How you do train recall?

I start them on a long lead--like a 50 foot lead. There is arguement against this method, but it has always worked for me.

I will leave them hooked to the long lead, let them get that first burst of hectic energy out playing, then I will just call them, using whatever command I choose (Usually I just say their name, then 'here'--which is the command I use for get here right now! On hiking trips or more casual when I'm calling the group, I will say 'come on guys', lol), if I don't get a reasonably timed response with them heading back towards me, I will use the long lead as a sort of reel and start pulling them in. Usually it just takes a little tug on the leash and they are coming back to me. Then when they reach me, wether I've had to reel them in the whole way or not, I praise and reward like they just did the most amazing thing in the world.

It usually only takes a few days of repeat lessons for them to understand the concept, but I leave the lead on for several more training sessions. And I *always* start teaching recall in an enclosed area.

I do like your method! I will have to work with my dog this way... I want her to be able to go hiking with me at some point off leash and I don't think it's impossible to get a good recall! wish me luck :) and thanks for the advice!

They're the Avengers!