anyone got any ideas on how to calm a 24 month flatcoat down! we had him at his first agility show today let him go and what looked like he was going to fly round the course turned out to be one big party! with everything just being a game - including grabbing mouthfulls of grass at any point possible!although he did get his contacts today which must be a first for him without being caught at the bottom! - he certinatly is different to my older one who is a lot calmer (and managed to go clear in both her classes today!) - hopefully the youngsters party was just down to being young and not having worked outside in his momory (started training with him outside towards the end of the summer last year as well as working him outside at KCJO camp) - i just need suggestions on how to calm him down for comps - i had done obedience work with him outside to hopefully get some concentratation but it was obviously to no avail! any suggestions - i know hes a flatcoat but there must be somthing to try!

you know that flatcoats are called the peter pan of the retriever breed never grow up,but in this case he was learning to fly with out his magic dust,just enjoy him he will calm down the more shows he gos to,some breeds lines in flatcoats are more clamer than others,it depends on lines,he only a baby still,i have 4 of them,my first one was mad, but these 4 are great together,if you want to talk more do give a ring on 01252310267 aftre 8pm.

terri

talking of flatcoats- my dad who's blind and had one guide dog until he was nearly 10 that was lovley has now got a lab x flatcoat , its so naughty, it jumps up on people coming in, it steals paper anything on the floor, -shoots past my dad to say hello to anyone coming in despite getting told to sit-or go to his bed, then he just avoids my dad when hes done wrong as he knows he'll be told off- he messes on the paths outside, even though hes put out at home and told to get on!!!!i feel so sorry for my dad, the dogs a hooligan, on checking things out he was given to my dad just over 13months---surely he must still be more or less a puppy at that age. hes such a happy outgoing dog, but to me not the makings at the minute of a guide dog,--its making my dad feel hes failing the dog and now he makes excuses for him-the dog will ignore sit down whatever if it feels like it BUT i found today that when id taken his kong DUMMY!!!, off him and held it in my hand, i just had to whisper sit, down and it was instant, so he knows what he should be doing, my dads 70 going on 100 at the minute,

Het - you'll probably have that sort of behaviour until he's physically incapable of it! Just enjoy him, and don't take life so seriously!!! :-)))

He may possibly calm down a little by the time he's about 5, but if you've chosen a flatcoat (with your eyes wide open) you can expect little less!!!

Seriously, I have found that if you choose your strain carefully, some are less frantic than others - a little depends on the breeding, but if you get a suet pudding, it's not a flatcoat!

Dizzy - I was always a little surprised that the GDBA started introducing flatcoats - to sharpen up the cross-breeding programme, I believe. Think they are re-appraising the situation.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

two of roseberrie jet sisters went to be guild dogs,one fail,by the way i chicken out doing brie with rush,at the weekend,beacuse i am going to the world dog show in july for 5 day, the pup would only been 3 weeks old,so i may do it next time,

we knew he was going to be mental yesterday becuase he always is (esspecial if not under tight control when working in agility) although we do normally manage to get round at least half a course with him - we didnt even manage to first jump!

we have a half sister of his at home and she is as clam and quite as anything, his mother, and the brother and sister which we regularly see at shows are also fairly calm so no idea where his hyperactivity came from (althuogh its hard to believe the 3 that show are from the same litter as the all look totally different as well!) althogh he does have great brain power and just loves to work and finds it no trouble at all to pick up new commands so much so that we are being told to try him in the field or do working trials with him (as if agility and obedience on top of showing wernt enough!)

we just need a way to keep the brain engaged from doing a bit of obedience work whilst in the que to run and getting over the first jump - although we have been expecting for a while that it will take a long time for him to mature both body wise (still looks very much a baby) as well as brain wise but may be trying to get him to the KCJO agility semis at birmingham in septemper in pushing it a bit!

what shows do you go to,and what is your dogs breeding,did you go to the frc ch show on saturday beacuse jo and myself where there,we live in the south,jo show and workes her dogs the same as my husband and i do with our dogs,my email address is reversing mail but i cannot send email out pravite,so i have to go though the broad,for massages

we mainly show around the midlands although this year we will be doing many shows becuse we are pulling my boy from the show ring because he really is not ready to do graduate let alone post grad classes - he is a morrieland dog, and my other is a hazelmere - both by Gayplume Fine Fettle, we were at the FCRS show on sat and somehow managed a 4th in undergrad!
but since we wont be doing many shows this year with having guy out of the ring we were going try and get to more obedience and agility shows although if he keeps mondays performance up im not to sure! althgough well still do them with jess as if shes jumping she usually goes clear but just isnt fast enough for the placments but since we have her qualified for the KCJO agility dog of the year semis she kind of needs the pratise!

i do know his brother and mum,they show down here,plus i know howard and mary brown they are good friends of david cole who i got jet from,i did show on sat but my liver girl glenturret snow blerone jw,is in season, so i only showed her brother,and mum we got place too,

A girl I went to school with in London with Retinitis pigementosa, I bumped into as few years back here in Bristol (what a surprise both of us moving here!).

She had a lab bitch Guide dog at the time. Recently (well about 2 years ago!) I bumped into her again, and she had a Pure Flatcoat as her new Guide dog.

She told me he was naughty, but she found this charming and a challenge, but I would imaginew that for an older person this kind of Guide dog (imature) could be confidence sapping!

Maybe your Dad has got the diluted version, but with the flatcoat uppermost?

it looks like a flatcoat, even got the feathered tail. lovley highly glossy coat, heads different to a lab, i called today as id been sent some dogstuff and took a huge heavy rubber bone-flavoured down for him--bad idea, once he had it he ducked and dived out the way of anyone , when my dad called him ,he wouldnt go, hes still like a puppy to me, and very head strong

popped down to my dads today and had a look through the bumph re the guide dog--seems hes a lab-goldie cross, although hed pass for a poor flatcoat, he was puppy walked until a year i think it said ,then handed over to the trainer ,my dad got him just short of 14months!--hes very clever and has learnt to stay just out of reach if hes done wrong-i got mugged as i went through the door, my poor dad was shouting, here, sit and whatever, he took no notice at all-so i just ignored him, made no eye contact and led him by his collar to my dad, he told him off held his face etc to tell him no--as soon as he let loose he flew over wagging his tail At me happy as anything---any clues, i feel so sorry for my dad-although i think ive persuaded him to talk it over with someone- at 70 its done nothing for his confidence

He should really talk to Guide Dogs. Sounds like he's really pushing his luck and may need a tad more training :D

bec---------[nobody else read the following]-------i agree with you , but the guide dog folk told him to expect the dog to push its luck for around 6months- hes had him 4, hes a bit better in some things but worse when he wants his own way, i feel a dog as headstrong would of better suited a younger person, he was also trained by a new trainer????

(faints) Problem is having a dog like this does nothing for the Guide Dogs reputation!

i met his trainer once at my dads-wasnt impressed,------ the person who had him while they had a holiday and is used to guide dogs called the centre about him jumping up-it nearly knocks my mam off her feet. -im shocked at how young he is, also the small amount of time spent on training him, he even messes on the path when theyre outside!!

Dizzy my neighbour also has a lab guide dog and had similar experiences to your dad, he was not a happy man told them this dog was the worst he'd ever had.

They had to keep coming out to re train him as he is such a large dog (neighbours a big chap so needed a larger dog) and so boisterous it was a nightmare for him. He got told the theory behind them coming not so well trained was so that the dogs could mould to his way's as a handler rather than the trainer. Like the guy said if I can't get the dog to come to me to be harnessed what use is he to me anyway?

This dog is now 8 years old and settled and working well but it was a long hard slog for both of them, he was lucky in a way as his parents still had his retired guide dog so he'd sometimes harness the 2 together and use the retired dog as a training aid.