Belgian owners?

[linkhttp://mysite.verizon.net/rynovrabel/id1.html]http://mysite.verizon.net/rynovrabel/id1.html[/link]
 
Here is my website with pictures of the current dogs in residence.  Dessie is a terv from Tervuren de faire l'affaire.  I am currently looking for a malinois.  Gonna travel out to VA next week to visit a breeder.

Your dogs are beautiful. I show Visa as well -- do you do any other sports? We are doing agility and herding right now, but we're starting a kennel club and we're going to bring Rally-O, flyball, and flying disc to the city so I imagine we'll start those too. I'd like to do therapy and possibly schutzhund with her puppy.

Dess and I compete in conformation (not any more since he is finished and not a specials dog), obedience and rally.  Doubt I will ever have an agility title.  My passion (and his) sheep.  We have one leg on HSAs and plan on trying ducks this summer.

Visa is stunning.  Great pictures, the 3rd one is really good.

Here's a Belgian moving a ball using nothing but the stare to do so:
 
 

Same dog, same ball:
 
 

Your dogs are all sooooo beautiful!
 
I am the proud owner of a Tervuren. She's just a pup, but what a little wizz kid she is! Love her to bits!!! We are interested in Agility, i have been told two different things.. One: Just obedience for now until she is over a year due to her bones and growing. They say that the  exercises from agilty can cause problems. But I was also told that it is important to start her now... that for puppies they  keep the jumps set at the lowest levels and just to get her started ASAP. Tomorrow we are going  to observe a class.. Any thoughts?
 
Also, I have been encountering some fear issues with her... Loud noises are the the worst. We do socialize on a daily basis and I don't coddle her or tell her "it will be alright, i try and let her adjust. but she doesn't always and i hate pulling her on the leash when she gets that way...Is there a point when i should step in and assure her? I certainly don't wish to traumatize her.
 
Thanks!
 

What a cutie KK!
 
As far as agility goes, NO jump training over, say the height of 1/2 way up the leg until the growth plates have closed.  And no weaves that are inline (off-set okay)  until she's mature as some say this can put stress on the spine.  So with those restrictions in mind, there's still plenty your and your dog can learn about agility. 

Hi KKelly!
 
If you want to do agility, you should try to find a puppy agility clas, or you can do exercises on your own. Running and jumping is only 1/10th of the work. What you really need to work on is establishing good contacts, good handler and obstacle focus, comfort on equipment, and basic obedience commands. Contacts are especially important. I'm glad I spent so long working on them. If you don't have good contacts, you're screwed lol.
 
As for fears and insecurities, I worked alot with Visa on these issues. She was given to me by her breeder because she was too shy and "freaky" to breed or show. After working with her, she is going to be bred this weekend and she has four points towards her championship! I had problems on the leash as well. She would tug and look around her in fear, stopping and starting. I would take her out in secluded areas and slowly I started bringing her into public. I treated her for approaching people and got people to treat her. If something made her growl or "murfle" I would distract her. Scolding her for it makes the dog think that something really is wrong, and associates the stimuli with your dissaproval. Telling her "it's okay" and petting her makes her think that she is right for doing the behaviour. So what you do is distract her with something that she knows and is comfortable with, like downs, sits, or other fun tricks. Once she is focused on you and not the thing that is bothering her, you can try playing tug or fooling around with her. For loud noises, try shaking a can full of coins or dropping a big book and treating her at the same time. Make loud noises a part of your daily routine.
 
Hope that helps, your pup is cute! May I ask where you got her? []

Yes that does help. Thank you very much to you both!
 Where i got Chinook is from a breeder up in Antwerp. ( I live in Belgium) 
 
I have a few other questions, but i am pressed for time this morning so will come back later today.
 

Sorry i didn't get back yesterday, crazy busy day.
 
Chinook had her first official day in school last night. She's never at a loss for attention, litle suck-up was fawned over by all[sm=lol.gif]. Talk about being proud of her, it's not like I am biased or anything, but boy is she ever sharp as a tack.[] I had been teaching her at home, Come- Sit- Down- As well as working on Stay & Heel ( but i wasn't doing those 2 roperly).So now we are working on correcting myself so i can correct her! Poor thing, it's not her fault... but Mommy is learning too.  One of my biggest lessons is proper hand positioning on the leash.
 
I  am constantly amazed by how quickly she learns. Last night our challenge was teaching her to obey her commands at my side. Previously everything i taught her, was done by standing in front... And she's been doing them erfectly this way...But now i need to change and teach her to asume these positions at my side. Sit, she mastered in lightening speed. She was glued to my leg and wouldn't budge It's the down that will take more work and good leash ettiquette..I am scared i am pulling on her neck too much...I had been walking her on the flexi leash and we didn't have pull issues although i was often letting her go to the left go to the right or whever she would like to explore..  However ,now on  what i guess is a standard leash she wants to strain. Is the "corrective quick pop" of the leash the right way for her to learn?
 
 
 At home, the behaviours I have been working on are jumping when excited and puppy nipping. I have been using "Off" and putting her into a "sit" then praising..but this isn't sinking in. She does the sit, but will return to jumping up... I've gone completely still and turned my back on her, and she is all over me trying to give me love nips on my neck and ears etc..Am I not handling this properly?I have been told by a few people i need to lift my knee,but  that thought makes me cringe. She may be growing, but she's still just a pup. That can't be right is it? I dont want to be too soft, i want her to be disciplined and know i am in charge, but i most certainly do not want to hurt her!
 
 
Puppy chewing: I yelp remove my hand or whatever and give her something exceptable then praise. She's doing okay with this ( unless over excited). I assume its a stage, brought on from her age and teething.
 
Lastly for now...She is not an aggressive dog, but we had one situation. My husband and I were lounging on the couch, and his hand was dangling down..it happened to be near her chewey ( he didnt try to take it) but she bit him, not in play either she was being possessive. And with me we had one incident. She likes grass clippings by the mouthful. (Which can't be good for her.) So when i went to take it away she got mad and snapped.... didn't bite me but she did snap.
 
It was a one time thing with each of us. Honestly she is great with me, i can remove treats, dog chews and bones, pick up and change her dog bowl while eating, i put her toys up of a night etc...So I am not sure what that was about. Is it her just challenging us? She has a sweet disposition so i cant see this being her norm. She's never been hit and never will be by us that's for sure! But i did scold her and put her in time out immediately. Are there other methods i should be using?
 
I did watch some of the agility class last night. And sunday they have a demonstration after her next class. We're looking forward to that. I spoke to a few people and they encouraged me to have her begin now. My biggest concern is that i am far from bilingual.I am doing okay, but there are times i am at a loss and i dont completely understand what they are trying to tell me to do so they must come show me ( more than once sometimes) So I dont know if  we should just watch from the sidelines more, or dive right in and do both the basic obedience course and agility at the same time??? Would that be over training?
 
Seems i got a bit wordy today. Sorry about the novel.
Have a great day!