I am glad to say I have had lots of positive help from my new class.  So grateful for patient people with kind training methods who don't look down their noses because you have a crazy dog! They may think I am hopeless at training but they never never show it - all they do is encourage - and that is what makes a good teacher.   In fact I have been told that there is another dog very like my Meg.  It may turn out that she is indeed Meg's litter sister - now that will be interesting - nature versus nurture - looking forward to meeting her and owner and exchanging info.

It wasn't Meg's litter sister after all although she probabally shares genes somewhere - sounds like they have the same Dad.  In looks they were very different although both red and white.  They both got excited watching the agility but Meg was on her best behaviour yesterday and responded very well to being told to lie down and be quiet.  In fact yesterday she shone!  It was only a fun show but she got 2 clear rounds out of the three and got a first and second place.  Got to say it is very encouraging - she did a recall start -no problem, and got her contacts well.  In fact on the first round if I had stayed upright she probabally would have gone into the tunnel correctly - I slipped into bad habits and bent down as she came down the dog walk.  I now know of a good trainer and classes too - my aim now is to go for Bronze in the doggy good citizens classes.  I believe I can do it now with her if I can just find the time to get to classes.

Glad to hear your new class is going well, its very dispiriting having an excitable one in a class of goodies. My dog Vic went from being the top of his class to the worst dog ever when we went on to the next one. It was his hormones poor thing, I didn't agree with the advice I was being given by the trainer ( when he started to scream with excitement I was told to pull him around in a circle?!), he is a very sensitive dog and gets upset just by being told off, yanking him on his lead and bashing him about would have ruined our bond. I'm going to visit a new class soon, its a lot further away but sounds great, they even have their own sheep for getting dogs used to stock, if it's as good as it appears I'm so joining.... their waiting list, hahaha

That was not very useful Pookin! The other dog that everyone thought was like Meg turns out to spin round and round as well as barking - not something that you want to start.    I have done various things - as I have already mentioned before - one of my trainers made her lie down - not pin her down note - he calmly took her lead and said lie down.  Meg objected and snapped at him but he just persisted quietly and calmly to tell her to lie down.  She capitulated after a last show of teeth.  I could get her to lied down and then just kept my foot on the lead but she still barked from the ground.  When queing to go into the ring I get her attention and do various things with her - just sit, down, give me your paw etc. Nothing to alarming because she has to keep an eye on any dangers that may be around (roll eyes).  The trouble is when they get so excited and fixated on the other dogs running around the ring then it is very difficult to get focus.  I hope this behaviour will continue to fade now.  So glad because I don't think my legs could take anymore of the clawing as she did her alligator walk at the end of the lead.