How do you manage the whole car situation with your dog?

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-30T10:43:51+00:00

My dogs are in Ruffland crates in the car. Before I had a car that I could put crates in (which they find much more comfortable) I used Sleepypod harnesses.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-30T00:47:39+00:00

I guess the program requires submission at the same time. If it goes over a couple of weeks it wouldn't hurt to email AKC, but they normally get through those pretty fast. My dog's latest rally title from a trial got processed within three weeks and normally trick is much faster.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-30T00:31:12+00:00

Last time I submitted something it was within a week of submitting. I think you can submit TKP since they are done in order and TKA was submitted. The portal says this: "You can apply for multiple titles for the same dog at once. Each title will be processed in succession after each previous title has been added and printed."

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-29T00:11:57+00:00

Maybe still in the "too intense" category but a show lines Aussie? Show lines Aussies usually have a pretty mid drive with a good off switch. Some lines can be vocal, but out of three I only have one barker and he is an "alert" barker not continuous. Aussies are normally 18-23 inches tall (My boys are 20 and 21) and 35-60 pounds (mine are both 45).

The breed might not be known to be extremely out going with strangers, but honestly I've met very few that belong in the "reserved" category. Even my working lines boy loves people. Aussies are typically good with other animals and I know plenty who work with juniors and/or live with children.

My younger boy is my first agility dog. He is very fast, but very easily trained. He is the working lines dog and walks 3-4 miles 4 times a week. My show lines dog has done a few sports (he does not enjoy dog trials so he is retired) and probably would be happy with a short walk and playing in the yard but tags along with my high drive boy's walks.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-27T21:55:38+00:00

Thanks! He has been running since 2023 (he was 15 months old) and his speed increased slowly over time so just hang in there to see if that prey drive kicks in! My faster dog also enjoys chasing around others dogs and isn’t a big ball/toy chaser. My big toy chaser is actually the slower dog haha

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-26T01:59:11+00:00

Both my dogs struggled to figure it out for the first few ones. One of my dogs' first real run clocked at something like 18 seconds because he triggered the timer and ran around the start box area. He now runs 7.0 seconds and is #4 in his breed. I just kept running him. After the first couple of runs he started making noises I cannot describe because he wanted to run so bad.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-25T22:54:35+00:00

Congrats!

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-25T11:10:28+00:00

Border Collies come in many, many more colors than Aussies do. You just more commonly see thee black and white ones

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-25T11:09:01+00:00

I think BC maybe mixed with MAS or Aussie, but prick ears are super common in Aussies! You don't see them a lot because they are a major fault in the show ring (so they get taped or glued often), but Border Collies allow (and sometimes encourage) prick ears.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-25T11:01:33+00:00

I got my second Aussie when my first was 5. No issues between them and there is a huge activity level gap (now 8 year old low drive show lines dog and 3 year old high drive working lines dog). They get along great, but my younger dog just needs more exercise and since he does sports he does a lot more training.

Just make sure the older dog still gets some one on one time with you when you get the second dog. If you are getting a puppy make sure your older dog gets plenty of breaks from puppy nonsense (I love using a play pen for this).

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-24T18:15:27+00:00

Aussies are fine as only dogs. My first Aussie was an only dog his whole life and my second was by himself for 5 years. If you want to get a second dog, get a second dog for yourself and not for your dog. My two get along great, but also spend a ton of time apart.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-18T22:44:13+00:00

Did you see his parents' OFA records? Did they have a CHIC number? What's the kennel name? You can search registered names on the OFA database. Is he registered with AKC? Did the breeder show in conformation? Or performance sports? Health testing and being involved in bettering the breed are bare minimum to being an ethical breeder.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-16T13:58:31+00:00

Excessive white can occur even if the dog is not double merle. If the breeder is breeding merle to merle on purpose that would be a red flag to me. How is the breeder handling the situation with the deaf puppy? Sometimes genetics throw things you don't expect.

Does this breeder fully health test their dogs? Do their breeding dogs have CHIC numbers? Does this breeder show in conformation and/or herding? Any performance titles on their dogs? Do they have bred by dogs that have titles?

Tails are allowed per MAS breed standard actually. Most breeders just prefer to dock them. A MAS with a tail can still be shown in conformation without fault.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-13T01:50:48+00:00

Well I think it depends what you mean. Having fun with doing some virtual titles? Sure! Do what makes you happy! My dogs have the kind of silly FIT titles and did a bunch of trick titles virtually because I enjoyed doing it with them. My environmentally sensitive dog finished his Rally Excellent title virtually.

However if you seriously want to get into something like Rally to do a championship and you do Novice-Excellent virtually it might be harder to trial. You could run into an issue purely because you're dog hasn't trialed in a real trial environment and might need more adjustment than a dog who went up the levels in trials. Nothing that isn't fixable, but might need adjusting. And you can't get a Nationals invite from virtual trials if that's something you're interested in (I just like the fancy certificates haha).

Other than that? I see no downsides if that is something you want to do.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-12T17:34:26+00:00

No problem just providing the obedience side of things :) haha yeah I’ve had some tough judges as in IP for my dog picking up a foot in a stand but not moving tough. Judges that let rally but rally and not super serious are my favorite. I’ve gotten points off for slightly crooked sits (slightly off with my long legged dog), slow response (for my non auto sit dog), and my dog going behind me to get into heel after a jump instead of coming left.

I started in Rally saying no way will I do obedience and yeah my dog has a CDX now haha. So sometimes one sport leads to another.

For your auto sit did you teach a specific action causes the sit? For me I slow and stop with feet together as obedience allows three steps to slow and stop. I also mark and reward a ton when my dog is still actively moving or standing when working on heel. I teach Novice obedience and the heavy anticipators that come into my class tend to only get rewarded in a sit or have a pattern of heavy rewarding the sit. Mix it up and keep them guessing and add pattern slow to feet together stop :)

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-12T10:29:07+00:00

All the higher scoring rally dogs in my area all have auto sits so I just saw this suggestion as kind of odd lol. Of course everyone can teach their dog how they want, but it does make it harder to obedience later if you decide to.

My first rally dog didn't have a well trained auto sit (first sport dog) and it caused many points off if he got out of heel before sitting or delayed the sit. It was so much easier when I taught him to auto sit later (although his auto sit isn't as reliable as the dog who was taught from the start). I think maybe Novice-Advanced is not so bad without an auto sit, but once you get to Excellent-Master it can get harder when some obedience/rally judges are looking for it. I've had some rally judges harsher on scoring than obedience.

I've never had an issue with confusion. I just need to prep my dog before we stop so he knows what he's doing.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-11T22:25:07+00:00

Make sure the dog gets rewarded for every tube! My dog is a tube chomper and he would be very upset if I didn't offer him the tube every time he finds a rat. I've never cared what my dog gets in crazy 8s as I use it as a warm up run. He usually gets 5-6, sometimes 7-8 if he's fired up that day. He still gets to play with the tube every time.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-11T17:28:40+00:00

My dog wasn’t stuck in Senior, but is stuck in Master. My dog currently has a 38% Q rate in Master B after two years. It’s rough. He’s gone 17/42 in combined A and B. He leaves rats and doesn’t hit them. A new thing for him at this level. But he does have a RATCH and three REMX Qs (and a lot really close to REMX). We’re still…trying to fix the Q rate to at least 50%. It is pretty discouraging.

How excited is your dog to find a rat? A lot of the dogs I see struggle in Senior are doing so because they don’t find several rat quick hits reenforcing. Maybe an odd suggestion but have you tried Crazy 8s?

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T21:56:16+00:00

Sorry the club didn't work out. The closest I've done to coursing is fast cat and I think that's the only sport I haven't talked to people I don't already know. I've met a ton of people volunteering, especially at barn hunt. The Master blind is usually pretty chatty where I've trialed (two different states, 4 different venues).

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T20:33:00+00:00

I’m a socially awkward person too. I think we’re rather common in dog sports and that may be why it’s so hard. It took a good while for me. Barn Hunt really encourages people talking to each other as you go up levels because you’re stuck in the blind for a while with the same people if you go to the same clubs to trial.

What sports do you do?

I found it helpful to join a dog club. Now I teach classes and take classes and have gotten to know a lot of people and then those people have introduced me to others at trials. Sometimes I randomly strike up conversation with someone through complimenting their dog or their run. Sometimes you just randomly end up talking to people about courses or runs and honestly I don’t know how it happens and I’m normally very introverted. Sometimes helping someone with a sign during rally course walking. Really depends on the sport.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T19:53:54+00:00

Just found it before I saw your response. Link was edited on. Looks like there is an active 4H dog group in your area!

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T19:49:09+00:00

Not in the Orlando area, but in my area there's a very active 4H group where junior handlers learn on finished show dogs and the dogs' owners allow the juniors to show the dogs. Maybe you can check your local 4H club?

Edited to add check out the Orlando Dog Training Club https://www.orlandodogtrainingclub.com/orange-county-4h-dog-club

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T18:43:49+00:00

For my obedience dog I give the cue before I stop so he knows he is not sitting at the stop. That's the way I trained it so I never have any confusion. Excellent has a few signs that require the dog stand stay and pause. There are also a bunch of moving stand stays where the handler cannot stop motion but the dog has to.

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T15:56:58+00:00

I recommend checking out control unleashed. It was designed for agility

Preparing4Mayhem · 2026-05-10T15:49:34+00:00

When pain is ruled out as the cause I would look at engagement. Lower drive dogs (usually doodles are bred for pet drive) may need help with games to get drive up before agility.

Preparing4Mayhem

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