In December 2001, U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft announced plans to deploy military personnel to patrol the Canada-U.S. border. After September 11, Ashcroft criticized Canada's "porous" border, though there was no evidence that any of the terrorists, all holding legal U.S. visas, came through Canada. It was not the first time that the longest undefended, and perhaps indefensible, border in the world was contentious.
With the 1783 Treaty of Paris diplomats attempted to settle the many disputes over the boundary, but they had little knowledge of the geography or history of the lands under discussion. The document they produced was vague and unrealistic, with an airy reference to a latitudinal connection between Lake of the Woods and the Mighty Mississippi. They determined the boundary as a line from the upper corner of Lake of the Woods due west to the Mississippi River. You don't have to be a geographer to realize that a person could get lost seeking that connection.
On October 20, 1818 a British-American convention clarified the western border between Canada and the United States "as a line from the farthest northwest part of Lake of the Woods to the 49th parallel and thence west to the Rocky Mountains." That same year both Britain and the U.S. registered joint claims over the Oregon Territory, the region west of the Rockies and between 42o N and 54o 40' N. The conflicting claims over Oregon became an explosive issue in the 1840s as the Americans coveted a boundary all the way up to Russian Alaska. The British saw the Columbia River as the appropriate border.
In 1844 James Knox Polk used the boundary dispute as his campaign platform in the presidential election. His slogan was "54-40 or fight!" and he promised to go to war over the issue. Polk won the election but decided that he would rather negotiate than fight and the British were happy to comply. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 (in American history called the Treaty of Washington) extended the 49th parallel to the Pacific. (The little island of San Juan lay in an ambiguous area and the Americans staked their claim by landing troops there in 1859. The matter was referred to the German emperor Wilhelm I in 1872 and he decided in favour of the U.S.)
Determining a boundary on a map is simple compared to actually marking it on the land. Both nations appointed boundary commissions to map the frontier, with each team working separately. Lt-Col John Hawkins headed the British Commission and Archibald Campbell was his American counterpart. There was friction between the two men, who disagreed about how to proceed. Hawkins argued that boundary markers should be placed every mile "in open ground." The Americans refused to bear their share of the cost but did agree to place markers wherever the 49th parallel crossed "streams of any size, permanent trails, or any striking natural features of the country."
Cutting on the 49th parallel, on the right bank of the Moyie River, looking west, 1860 (courtesy North American Boundary Commission).
Added to the tension between the two men were disputes between their governments, the occasional military fracas, a series of aboriginal wars, hostility between the Americans and the British commissioners, rugged terrain and variable weather. It took four backbreaking years for Hawkins' men to locate and map the boundary determined by the Oregon Treaty. It took another half-century before the Hawkins-Campbell survey was officially recognized.
Laura Neilson Bonikowsky is a subject editor of The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Are you interested in reading about Canada? The most comprehensive and authoritative source on all things Canadian can be found on The Canadian Encyclopedia site . Sharon from Paradise Island, aka Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Bigsis Pat's Journal
This stillness feels like your presence, dear Lord. This hum in the air, your gentle breath. This sunlight your purifying touch. And this peace - the kind only you can give - reaches far past my understanding
This past Sunday, early in the morning, about 7:30, I took Max for a walk, down on the seawalk. As I was walking it came to me - the quiet. It was so still, all I could hear were the birds chirping, and my footsteps. And maybe the occasional caw of a crow.
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It tells you how many hours and how many seconds you have been alive on this earth and when you were probably conceived. How cool is that?
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Welshgog WelshGoG aka Owen from Wales
One Man's Kingdom?
At one time in history, men of wealth or power (or possibly vision), were keen to make their mark upon the world to leave something behind them to remind the world who they were!
One such man came to a small valley in Wales, where minerals could be dug from the earth, and sold for profit elsewhere; and land could be bought quite cheaply upon which to build a home and his industries. Labourers could be recruited locally; building materials quarried from his land; and a local river harnessed to power his machines.
So this man bought land and employed people to dig stone from it to build a home for him, he opened a mine, and a quarry and employed more people to work in them. He established a mill at the side of his river and employed more folk to work there too. His mine and quarries were high on the mountainside; so the man devised and had built a system by which the coal and minerals could be brought down to his valley, from where they could more easily be transported. He decided that his workers should live nearer to his works and his mill, so decided that he would have built for them cottages - which he would rent to them. Now the man needed a shop, from which his workers could buy food, clothing and furniture, and an Inn, from which his workers could buy ale or spirits. Soon this man had his own little kingdom - in his own little valley.
You can see this man's kingdom in the picture above; his home is the large white building on the left, his mill is the large building on the right. The terrace of cottages the man built for his workers is partly obscured, but can be seen to the right of his home; while the Inn and shop that he built are close to, and on the left of his mill in the picture.
Eventually, our man noticed that profits from the sale of his coal and minerals and the products of his mill were decreasing; so unfortunately he couldn't offer his workers an increase of pay; but, as they lived in his cottages, and bought food from his shop and ale from his inn, they didn't actually need money! He would give them instead tokens, which they could redeem for food and goods - anywhere within his kingdom; and in this way, our man could regain some of this lost money!!
However, each year, profits seemed to decline; while the cost of maintaining the cottages and of buying and transporting food and ale seemed to rise - so he was forced, unfortunately, to charge more tokens as rent and for the food that he sold. Would you believe it - his workers eventually started to leave his kingdom; they claimed that they were starving, that their children were ill from lack of nourishment - they were even prepared to take their indebtedness to him with them!!
After a few more years this man found that he could no longer get people to take employment with him, his mine and quarry closed for lack of men to work them. His mill lasted a while longer, but eventually suffered the same fate. His family grew up and moved away - eager to make their own mark upon the world and his kingdom gradually dwindled away.
What mark you ask did this man leave upon his world?
Well his fine home now provides shelter for elderly and infirm people who would struggle to look after themselves; though it no longer bears his name.
The workers cottages that he had built; were renovated and modernized (saved from ruin really), and each was sold for many times the annual profit of the man's kingdom.
His inn and shop were demolished when the building became unsafe.
His mill, now no-longer powered by a water-wheel, is currently being used by a company who manufacture plastic pellets.
Of his mine little remains - indeed only the smoke stack for boilers that once existed to make steam for winding engines.
This mine has been lost for so long now that few even remember its name; though many can tell of the hardship that workers there endured. Limbs and lives this mine claimed in its day; when a tired miner grew careless at the end of a long shift, or when cost cutting left insufficient shoring in an area still worked.
Pictured above are the man's quarry, and the spoil heaps from his mine. Below are pictures which show all that is left of his devices for moving coal and minerals down into his valley.
Nature has now reclaimed much of this man's kingdom, as you can see.
Frogs and small fish live in the pool where his mine once stood; wild birds nest in the quarry where minerals once were extracted; trees, grass and shrubs grow in abundance over all of his works.
The owner? His name is remembered, though usually spoken with distaste, or contempt!
Please take a moment to visit Owen's Space
Jan's Ramblings
Hi Friends, last weekend we had a few days out of town camping on a property.AussieLifestyle
On Monday I went on a day trip with our Probus Mixed Club which is retired professional and business people.
We left from our home town Casino at 7.30 am and travelled to Tweed Heads on the Queensland border. We then boarded a river boat and travelled to the little village of Tumbulgum, which has a very popular tavern, where we had lunch. Our coach came along by road, and we rejoined it for the trip home. The countryside is looking lush and green as we have had regular rain since last October. It was a lovely clear, day, pleasant temperature, and nice company.AussieLifestyle
If you want to see more of our lifestyle in Australia, or join me on Multiply
Hugs, Hugs, Aussie Jan Diary of events
I'm Rich...
This morning I searched my wallet.
Thanks for being my friend and e-mail buddy!
from Lena and Charla
Be sure to check out all the wonderful craft ideas in the WWWCOF Craft Site and let us get this group active and crafting. Any ideas, please send them to Aussie Jan .
WWWCOF Kraft Corner
In this issue ...
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Member of the Month Nominations
Chrissie - because she has put so much effort into changing her attitude on life. It took a lot of work on her part and we are all so proud of how far she has come. I for one love the new upbeat Chrissie!
This award is not intended to be a comparison of member to member; each member's time and contributions are valuable and we acknowledge with pride that every member does what they can do.
The "winner" is the member who has received the most votes from the membership and nominations for Member of the Month for June closes June 30th so be sure to cast your ballot here today! Do be sure to add your comments as to why you have selected the member you are nominating.
Every member of the WWWCOF gives their best of their time and abilities; each one deserves this award!
Our Furry Friends/ Family Members
Our Furry Friends
Good morning Everyone:
This weeks column is all about getting your dog to know "Who the Master is"
Our Chrissy is having a very hard time with her Benji knowing who is who, so hopefully if these suggestions are followed he will be as Obedient as he should be. It will make for the walks with Chrissy and Benji a lot more pleasant for both!
Good Luck Chrissy...
Training Your Dog
Author
Cindy Moore, cindy@k9web.com
Copyright 1997-1999.
What is Training?
There are multiple meanings to the term "training." It's important to understand that when deciding what you need to do with your dog. Here I offer my distinctions:
First, there is "behavior training." This is the kind of training in which a dog is taught to be a "good citizen." Typically this includes housetraining, good behavior around other people and dogs, reasonable leash manners and other small things that make a dog a much more pleasant companion. A well behaved dog attracts no special notice from the public (aside from amazing some with their good manners).
There is "obedience training," which is generally teaching the dog how to perform specific activities. This can include traditional "obedience" exercises such as heeling. The emphasis here is on prompt and precise performance. While there can be many overall benefits to such training, the training is usually for the training's sake and not necessarily to improve the dog's behavior. Dogs that have been obedience trained will perform specific tasks when their owners ask them to do so. (And as a matter of fact, some obedience trained dogs may well behave poorly; an excellent herding dog that nonetheless barks quite a bit for no apparent reason would be an example.)
"Activity training" refers to training for specific activities -- this includes hunting, herding, Search and Rescue, lure coursing -- any of a myriad number of activities designed to showcase the abilities of the dog and his handler, particularly in activities for which the dog has been bred to do. These days, such activity also includes "sports" such as frisbee, flyball, agility and so on.
Of course the lines tend to blur between all of these distinctions. A certain amount of obedience training will help with behaviors. For example a dog that is heeling will not pull on the leash. Still you want to keep this in mind when selecting a training class so that it best matches your needs. For many pet owners, the behavior oriented classes are the best way to learn how to understand and control your dog. For those of you who want to enjoy a sport or compete in an activity with your dog will need to move along to more complex training.
You need to be aware of whether your dog needs behavior modification (where you will have to find out the underlying reason why your dog digs and not just put chicken wire over everything) or obedience training (to understand commands). Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that digs because it is bored may become less bored with obedience training and stop digging. It is important, however, to understand that the dog stopped digging because it was no longer bored than because it now knows how to heel. You will need to modify your approach, or select a trainer to help you, with behavior vs. training in mind.
So much for the type of things being taught... another factor to consider is that there are many methods for teaching any of these!
Help! Which one is the right one?
There really is no right or wrong. There are methods that are more effective under certain circumstances than others. Things to take into consideration when choosing the most effective method for you and your dog include: your personality, your dog's personality, your goals, your abilities as a trainer, and your experience as a trainer.
For example, if you are not happy with a particular method of training, for whatever reason, then it is unlikely you and your dog will do well with this method. Your dog will pick up on your reluctance and either share your dismay or take advantage of the situation to do as he pleases.
If your dog is the strong, take charge type, a method that does not deal with this trait will result in his walking away with the training sessions, getting very little done. Conversely, if your dog is very sensitive, there may be a variety of methods you can use so long as you are very careful about how you correct him. Or, a very submissive dog may need a particular method that emphasizes learning something new very thoroughly so that they may be as confident as possible when doing it. You have to observe your dog closely and figure out what his strengths and weakenesses are.
Your own abilities as a trainer come into play, as well. Some people have a natural sense of timing and an almost instinctive understanding of what their dog is thinking and how to react to it. Most people do not have this ability but can learn it to some degree over time. Others just do not. Recognizing your particular strengths and weaknesses will let you use each more effectively. Another ability some people seem to just have, others can develop, etc. is the ability to "read" a dog; that is correctly guess what the dog is thinking or feeling during training. This ability is valuable as it allows you to make appropriate adjustments on the fly to increase the effectiveness of your training.
Some methods are very effective but can be abused if the wrong person uses them. For example, the Koehler method of dog training worked very well on many dogs, in the hands of its originator. Koehler reportedly had an astute sense of timing and a keen awareness of how to present something fairly to a dog, but the "Koehler Method" as applied by others was so often abusive that today this method of training dogs is in disrepute.
Obviously, therefore, a good trainer is one who helps YOU figure out how to train your dog. A good trainer helps you learn to observe your dog for important clues to his behaviors and actions. A good trainer watches you and your dog work together and helps you learn where you are letting your dog down. A trainer's job, in short, is to teach you to become a trainer of your own dog. It is not a trainer's job to teach your dog. Typically, you only see your trainer for one hour a week. Training requires short, daily sessions. YOU are the one training your dog. (Sending a dog away to be trained is a separate consideration, with its own set of potential problems.) A good trainer has several methods under their belt and helps you figure out which ones work best with your dog.
Don't worry, there are some constants in dog training. Consistency and Fairness.
Theory of Learning
Let's start off with an examination of current theories behind learning. Most training methods actually use a little of everything even if they are weighted toward one method or another. And some teaching methods are actually making use of the same principles even if they appear to be widely different. So it's worth going over this.
Classical Conditioning
The principles of classical conditioning were worked out early in this century by Pavlov, and thus is also called Pavlovian conditioning. In the original experiments, a bell was rung, and the subject (as it happens, a dog) was given food; eventually, the dog began to salivate on hearing the bell, apparently anticipating the arrival of the food. This is pure stimulant-response stuff, since the signal (the bell) always comes before the reinforcement, and the dog doesn't do anything to make the bell ring.
So we start with:
trainer rings bell (stimulus)
dog gets food (reinforcement)
And end up with:
trainer rings bell
dog drools (response)
dog gets food
How can this be used? A great way to use classical conditioning is to teach the dog secondary rewards. Let's say you want to use a particular word or even a particular sound (such as a click) as a reward just because it is simpler than whatever your dog's best primary reward is. So train your dog by saying the word or making the sound and then treating him with a primary reward. He'll start to associate the two quickly and your alternative will become a suitable interim reward for your dog. You'll need to refresh the association from time to time, of course, but it does expand your possible repertoire for telling your dog "You done good!"
If you're observant, you'll also notice that most dogs are classically conditioned. If you say "Sit!" and they sit, that is a stimulus- response sequence no matter how the sit itself was taught.
Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner outlined the principles of what he termed "operant conditioning." In contrast to classical conditioning, in operant conditioning the reinforcement cycle starts with some action on the part of the trainee (in Skinner's language, the operant). Operant conditioning is therefore always dependent on behavior, whereas classical conditioning is not. We have:
dog does something (operant behavior)
dog gets food (positive reinforcement)
Under this theory, if we control which behaviors are reinforced, we should be able to get the dog to offer those behaviors more often. If the dog gets good stuff in association with a particular behavior, he's likely to repeat it; if something bad happens, he's less likely to repeat it. In practical training terms, this means that if Andy picks up his dumbbell (step 1), Andy gets some turkey (step 2); if he doesn't, he doesn't get the turkey. The result should be that in the long run, Andy will grab the dumbbell eagerly, even if he isn't a natural retriever.
Combining elements of each
In contemporary dog training, a lot of attention is paid to operant conditioning -- "clicker training" is nothing more or less than the real-world application of one small part of Skinner's research. But classical conditioning is almost always present, and should be kept in mind: think about the dog who hears the bell -- his drooling represents the kind of happy anticipation that we want in a working dog. Classical conditioning, in its practical application, is all about training for attitude. If he associates good stuff (positive reinforcement) with training situations (think of that as the bell ringing) he'll show the same kind of eagerness that you'd expect if you extrapolate from Pavlov's droolers. In addition, even with operant conditioning on a dog, you will eventually associate a command with the behavior, so that you can elicit the bahavior from a stimulus! Such a sequence would be:
dog offers behavior (say a sit)
dog is rewarded
cycle continues until dog continually offers behavior
trainer now says "sit"
dog sits
dog is rewarded
which combines elements of both operant and classic conditioning.
Rewards and Corrections
Keep these firmly in mind:
A REWARD results in an increase in the selected behavior.
A CORRECTION results in a decrease in the selected behavior.
Well that seems obvious enough, why did I bother putting those down? Because all too often, obvious as they may be, an astonishing number of people ignore them. How many times have you seen someone call their dog over and over and over again while the dog blithely ignores them? How many people wind up automatically rewarding their dog all the time until they find that the dog is either bored and wanders off, or won't do a thing unless the food is held in front of them? How many people smack their puppies when he soils in the house but never wind up with a housetrained dog?
Let's examine each of these scenarios in detail. The person who calls their dog repeatedly without doing anything is in fact teaching their dog that the "Come" command is meaningless. The dog is neither being rewarded for the correct behavior nor being corrected for the unwanted behavior. Therefore "Come" has no particular meaning for this dog.
If you consistently reward the dog no matter how he performs the selected behavior, you will have two things happen. First, the behavior will never improve as the dog has no feedback on which is "better". Second, the dog learns that he always get rewarded, so the incentive to keep working (unless the dog is very food motivated) will decrease. Or, if the dog is strongly food motivated, he may flat out refuse to do anything the moment he realizes that he will not get food. In this latter case food has stopped being a reward and is now an entitlement and no longer will increased selected behavior.
A puppy that is smacked for soiling in the house has no way of associating the correction with the action, particularly if it happens well after the act. Furthermore, hitting a dog is interpreted by the dog as aggressive rather than corrective and so will not reduce the selected behavior.
Back to rewards. Rewards should be given in such a way as to increase the behavior in question. This means, to begin with, that it should be something your dog enjoys and is motivated by. For some (many) dogs, food will do. Toys, squeakies, tug toys, tennis balls, are often good bets. A few dogs seem to be motivated by verbal praise, although to be honest, not so many as people would like to think. In most cases dogs learn to accept verbal praise as a secondary reward, through association with a primary reward. You can also use multiple reward methods, especially if that interests your dog.
(A primary reward is something that is inherently rewarding to your dog -- food, petting, toys, etc. A secondary reward is something that the dog learns is a reward. For example "Good Dog!", a click, clapping. The technical term for a reward is positive reinforcer.)
When you reward a dog, it should be directly associated with the selected behavior. A reward is ineffective if you apply it at the wrong time. However, the most common problem with rewards is that people will inadvertantly reward a dog for unwanted behaviors. Here is an example: Your dog growls or barks when he sees other dogs. Since you think he is afraid, you pet him to calm him down. "It's OK," you say. "Nothing bad is going to happen." OK, so what happened? The dog growled, you rewarded him. He's no dummy; he'll growl again in the hope of a reward next time.
Corrections are equally full of pitfalls. First of all, what constitutes a correction? That's even more difficult to answer than for rewards. For some dogs, the tone of voice will do it, for others they'll never notice it. Many typical corrections are really secondary (eg, learned) corrections. And, many typical corrections really don't do anything other than make the dog afraid of you, or, when applied inconsistently, cause the dog to lose trust in you. Here is another classic example. Your dog is on the far edge of a field, and you call him. He doesn't come. You call him again. He doesn't come. No matter how often you call him, he doesn't come, so you march over and start to correct him. Or, he finally comes over and by this time you're so mad you correct him. So what happens? In the first instance, the dog may well have no idea what you're mad about. If he's never learned the "come" command (even if you think he knows it) then going over and popping him a couple of good ones will teach him that it's really bad when you go near him! If he did come over to you and you popped him a good one, what do you think he'll remember next time you call him to come? That's right, you just applied a correction to a behavior (coming to you) in order to decrease it!
People very frequently misuse rewards and corrections in this way because many people seem to think that dogs really do know which are good and bad behaviors and will correctly associate one behavior (out of several) with the punishment. This simply is not the case. Dogs will associate what they most recently did with the correction or reward.
Comments on Training Methods
As I've pointed out, there are a number of different training methods available. None of these methods are perfect and none are guaranteed to work on your dog (regardless of what it says on the cover).
People frequently disagree over which methods are "good" and even which are "best." This kind of argument is fairly pointless, as the effectiveness of each training method is subjective. Find one that works for you and don't worry about criticisms. On the other hand, suggestions to help overcome specific training problems may be what you need and you shouldn't reject it out of hand because it's not in the method you chose.
A good trainer will be aware of many different ways to teach a dog how to do something. The best trainers can read their dogs and pick out the best match for that dog to teach him something. Not all of us are brilliant, but a willingness to drop something that is not working and try something else still lets us take advantage of finding the right way to teach a dog something. Over time with a particular dog, you should find that you are more likely to choose the right way to present a new concept to this dog.
Good results in obedience training require large doses of consistency, good timing, and patience. You must be consistent: use the same word for a particular command every time (e.g., don't use "Come" sometimes and "Come here" other times). You must develop a fine sense of timing when introducing new commands and later correcting behavior on learned commands. Patience is needed: losing your temper is counterproductive. Get the whole family to agree on the commands, but have only one person train the dog to minimize confusion for the dog.
Establish a daily training period, preferably just before dinner. It can be as short as twenty minutes, or longer. Establishing a routine helps.
Don't expect overnight success. It can take up to two years of consistent work, depending on the dog, for a properly trained dog. (This is where the patience comes in!)
You must praise often and unambiguously. A smile won't do it. Give abundant verbal praise, scratch your dog on the head, etc.
Try making the command word part of a praise phrase. In this case, whenever your dog is in the desired heel position, you could say something like "Good heel!" in a praising tone of voice. Note that you only give the command once but that the command word is repeated in the praise phrase for reinforcement. That seems to satisfy the objective of the proponents of repeating the command (i.e. letting the dog hear the command often) without actually repeating it as a command. Further, because it is being said when the dog is doing it right rather than during a correction the dog doesn't create any negative association with the command as the latter is likely to cause.
If you have a puppy -- don't wait! Enroll in a kindergarten puppy class once its up on its shots. Don't wait until the pup is 6 months old to start anything.
Training before "six months of age" is fine if you see the puppy having fun with these lessons. Just remember to keep the lessons short, don't loose patience when your puppy suddenly forgets everything it ever knew, and give it plenty of time just to be a puppy. In the long term, the time you spend with your puppy exploring, playing together and meeting new people is probably more important than your short "training" sessions, but both activities are very helpful.
Remember:
Make it fun for the pup.
Expect setbacks. Just because the pup understood what you meant yesterday, doesn't mean he'll remember it today. This means lots of repetition. Teach the basic commands: sit, stay, and come for now.
You may find it well worth your while, especially if you are new to training dogs, to attend obedience classes. Most places have local training schools. Be sure to check up on these places. Call the Better Business Bureau and your local SPCA for any specific complaints registered with them. Especially check carefully places where you ship your dog out to be trained: many of these places are suspect, because YOU must also be trained to handle your dog. Beware of advertising that claim LIFETIME warranties on the training, GUARANTEED solutions, etc. It is best for you and your dog to go through obedience training together, so that you both learn from each other.
No matter what kind of class you're looking for: from basic puppy kindergarten for your little puppy to basic obedience for an older dog to more advanced training for a dog that's already done some work, you'll want to pick the class out carefully.
First and foremost, pick out a class where you are comfortable with the methods and the trainer. If you don't start off with this footing, learning anything positive from the class simply won't happen.
Next look at the size of the class and how much time the trainer spends with each person. Ideally, the smaller the class the better, although for puppy classes you want at least four or five dogs since socialization is an important part of the class. Does the trainer allocate time outside of class for questions (either an extra several minutes before or after class or giving you her phone number for class)? What sort of guarantees do they offer? If they say your pooch will be trained in six weeks permanently, no questions asked, run do not walk away from this outfit. If, however, they offer followup help after the class is over or offer a few extra classes for specific problems after or during the class, this is a good outfit.
Check out what their policy is with aggressive dogs in class. It does happen that one of the dogs attending the class frightens and intimidates the other dogs. There should be a clause for dismissing such a dog (or better yet, going into private training with it), or having it muzzled and otherwise restrained to minimize disruption to the class.
Attention
An important aspect of obedience training is getting your dog's attention. Your dog will not perform as readily if he isn't paying attention to you. There are a number of things you can do to get his attention, and you should be sure to praise him for paying attention.
Attention goes both ways. In turn, YOU must pay close attention to your dog. Many dogs will stop being careful if they know you're not paying attention. If there's one piece of definitive advice about dog training this must be it.
Umbilical cords
Put your dog on a medium-to-short leash and tie him to your belt. Now, go about the house on your ordinary business. Do not pay attention to the dog. It will quickly learn to pay attention to you to determine when you are going to get up and walk around, or where you are going. This is an especially effective exercise with puppies and also lays a good foundation for learning to heel later. Start with short periods of time, say 15 minutes, and work up as your puppy gets older and more familiar with this exercise.
Watching
If you look up and catch your dog watching you (this is different from the staring contests mentioned above because the dog is not "staring" at you when he is watching you move around), praise him.
Food in your mouth, spitting it at your dog
An excellent exercise for teaching attention. It gets the dog to concentrate directly on your face, not your hands or pocket. Do this as a separate exercise, until your dog understands that he must watch your face. Also, DON'T let them pick up the food from the floor or ground. If you do, they will learn that they don't have to catch the treat. They can just wait and pick it up. And don't let them come back later to clean up.
Talking softly
Talk softly to your dog. He will have to pay more attention to you. This is especially effective when younger, and is a good habit to get into.
Attention as part of the exercise
Integrate attention into the exercises themselves. For example, heeling is not just keeping to your side in the proper manner, it's also *paying attention* while heeling. Demand this attention as part of the heeling exercise, and your dog's heeling ability should improve.
Corrections
You should never correct when you yourself are upset, angry or downright mad, especially at your dog. Good correction depends on timing, a keen awareness of what the dog is thinking, and quick switching between correction and praise, all of which are difficult when you are upset. Stop the exercise until you regain your equilibrium. You will have much difficulty training your dog if you continually get mad while doing it. In fact, if you always or often get mad when training your dog, someone else should train him. You will get absolutely nowhere yelling at your dog.
The dictum "don't train before 6 months of age" doesn't make any sense unless you're talking about the correction involved in formal obedience training. If you think about it, you train your dog all the time whether you realize it or not. Dogs are great at picking up your body language and tone of voice. Even if you're not trying to train them, they're "training" themselves using the clues we give them (and many "problems" are classic cases of the dogs misunderstanding their owner's signals).
If possible with a young puppy it is best to use the "correction" of distraction. When you deny the puppy something, try to replace it with a positive activity rather than just being negative and oppressive all the time. Otherwise, limit your corrections to a verbal "no."
Most dogs at some point will refuse to do something that he knows how to do. this is independent of how he has been trained. Striking out for independence appears to be a semi-universal mammalian trait, judging from the behavior of human adolescents. However, you must be prepared to enforce the idea that the dog does not really have an option about doing what you tell him to do. Otherwise the dog will increasingly choose whether or not to obey you and become unreliable. You do have to know the dog you are training and be able to tell the difference between confusion and refusal. Correcting a confused dog is quite detrimental. Learning how to tell the difference is part of being a trainer. While no one can really teach you this skill, you do have to learn it.
Always praise the dog immediately when he listens to your corrections. Again, this gives the "jekyll and hyde" feel to dealing with your dog. But it is very important to immediately praise your dog for listening to you. This helps build confidence and keeps the dogs from having that "hang-dog" look when performing.
Proofing
Proofing is a method where you make sure your dog understands a command, after you have taught the dog the command. It isn't fair to proof a dog on a command when he is still learning what it means.
For example, you teach your dog to stay. After making him stay in a relatively distraction-free environment, you step up the pressure. You throw balls up in the air and catch them, squeak toys, have someone stand near your dog and talk softly to him. If your dog gets up, gently put him back. If after doing this for a while, the dog still gets up, then you start putting him back less gently, i.e. taking your dog roughly by the collar and putting him back, escalating to picking your dog up by the collar so that his front legs come off the ground and VERY slowly putting him back in its place, escalating to picking the dog up by its skin so that him front legs come off the ground and VERY slowly putting him back. Some dogs get the idea more quickly than others; stop your correction when he stays down.
When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by throwing balls all around him, bouncing them on the ground, etc. Also, someone else should try to offer him food, make strange noises such as clapping , barking like a dog, meowing like a cat, using toys or things that make strange noises.
When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by putting him on a stay and having someone shout in a loud voice "ROVER, COME!" (do not use your dog's name), "OK", "DOWN" (if doing a sit stay). If at home, put him on a stay and go and ring the doorbell. It should take several months (6-8) to work through all of these distractions and care must be taken to not blow the dog's mind by putting him in a situation that he is not ready for or by never letting the dog "win" (i.e., successfully perform an exercise).
Always let the dog "win" on the last exercise in the session. That is, end the sessions on positive notes, with much praise. This keeps your dog interested in the work.
Using Food
The use of food in training dogs has a long and contentious history. Many people dislike the use of food, feeling that a dog should do things because YOU ask him to, not in hope of a reward. They point to dogs that will refuse to do things when they know they won't get food for it. Others advocate the use of food in training, saying that for many dogs it is the best reward to use, that the use of food is a much more humane method of teaching dogs, and that it is an excellent way to motivate a dog.
Certainly each side has some valid points. For example, the repeated use of food as a bribe will quite often result in the dog refusing to do the expected exercise without the bribe being held out. However, this is considered and incorrect usage of food by food advocates. There is a difference between bribing with food and rewarding with food. Under the latter system, the dog never knows whether or not it will get food as a result of performing the exercise; the rules of variable reinforcement mean that the dog will try harder and harder for that reward. The problem is that many folks don't know how to reward intermittently, and it's also true that rewards are more frequent while the dog is learning the exercise and taper off when the dog understands it. Many people fail to notice the dog's progress, and fall into habits, and hence into bribery.
On the other hand, not every dog becomes an enthusiastic performer for verbal praise or toys alone. With some exceptions, almost every dog will view food as a good reward and modify his behavior accordingly to get more of it.
The controversy is really rooted in more philosophical considerations than in actual performance (or not) from the use (or not) of food. Some people just plain don't like the idea of rewarding with food, and others do not mind using it.
The bottom line is that, food or not, most dogs need a reward, a motivator, in order to put on their best effort in training. And the trainer needs to understand (and observe) how to find out what the dog's best reward is and how to apply the reward most effectively.
Training and Corrective Collars
There are several kinds of collars. There are the plain flat buckled ones for everyday use available in a wide variety of colors, sizes and fastners (from buckles to quick-release).
Note that puppies (generally under six months of age) do not need corrective collars.
For training purposes, there are choke collars (also called training collars), pinch collars and prong collars. Used properly, there is nothing wrong with any of these collars, although they often look rather alarming. The point is that these collars are for control, not for pain infliction. Yanking savagely on these collars is counterproductive; firm corrections get the point across without injury. Try this experiment: wrap each of the collars around your arm in turn and have someone experienced with corrections give a correction to your arm.
To prevent your dog from injury from corrective collars, do not leave them on when you are not around. Its usual collar should be a plain flat buckled collar; save the choke and prong collars for actual training and when you are around.
Note: electronic collars are another form of training collars, but you should never attempt to use them without the help of an experienced trainer. Most dog owners will never need to use this kind of collar; it is primarly used for training toward competitive events or trials, at a level far beyond that of pet owner's needs. It is NOT a "quick and easy fix" to behavior or training problems and in fact can badly exacerbate them. If you think your circumstances warrant the use of an electronic collar, first find yourself an experienced trainer to help you. Make sure you observe this trainer working with their own dogs and that you like the attitude that you see.
Resources
Training Your Dog FAQ
Cindy Moore
Here is another Suggestion from Our Sharon on Obedience as well.
First you have to introduce the verbal "come" command so that your dog
connects its use with the act of coming to you. Start inside with no
distractions around, crouch down or kneel, then in a friendly and welcoming
voice say "Benji come", you can even wave a tasty treat around to lure him
over if necessary. When he gets to you, immediately praise and reward his
effort. Repeat this exercise many times throughout the day to reinforce the
connection.
Never under any circumstances punish Benji when he comes back to you. Even
if Benji seems to take an eternity to respond to you and you've got smoke
coming out of your ears through frustration, it's important that you don't
get angry with him as he'll associate your anger with the last action he
did - which was coming to you.
Your goal is to make coming to you a more attractive option to Benji than
any other alternative action.
Never let him off leash in public before you have Benji responding very well
to your come command. Benji has to work his way up to this privilege.
Your come command should be something Benji looks forward to hearing,
something he has a positive association with. You do this by making it
wonderful each he comes to you, make it worth his while. Certainly do not
only use the command to call Benji over to snap the leash back on after an
off leash run or call her away from fun.
Incorporate the come command training into your daily activities. Use it to
call Benji over for him dinner or call him over at anytime just to give him
a scratch behind the ear or a tasty treat.
When you are teaching Benji the come command off leash and he doesn't
respond, don't chase after him, first try waiting for him. If you do have to
go and retrieve him don't punish him when you catch up with him, just go
home or start your training session again, this time on leash.
Never call Benji in situations you know he won't come to you. You don't want
him to think that sometimes it is ok if he doesn't respond to your "come"
command. It has to be every time and Benji must never get away with not
respecting it.
Put Benji on a leash (just the one you take him on walks with) and head
outside. Call him with the same "come" command and walk backwards, when he
comes close to you give him a treat and a nice scratch behind the ear.
Practice this at various stages throughout your normal walk, don't forget to
always praise Benji's good work!
As with all obedience commands start your training sessions out easy, master
one step then move on and build upon it. Challenge Benji along the way, but
don't move too quickly. He will gain confidence all the way along this
process. If you apply repetition, reinforcement and patience to training
techniques, you and Benji will achieve great results. If at any time while
working through these steps Benji doesn't seem to be "getting it" just take
it back a step and work on an easier level.
Hope this helps you somewhat Chrissie. Good luck as it can be a lot of fun
too!!!!!!!!
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of
his tongue.
-Anonymous
Remember: Your pets are your most loyal family members, giving unconditional Love. So Don't forget to give them a big hug today.
I am looking for more stories about your PET ....... please submit to me so I may feature them in the newsletter Pet Column. email your stories to me, Jami from Maryland
And here is a request from BigSisPat: BigSisPat
REUNION ARGENTINA OCTOBER 2008
With four months to go before Reunion 2008, those of us in the host country, are still waiting to know how many have confirmed their flight, especially if we want to take full advantage of group bookings and possible discounts once here.
If it wasn't for last minute nothing would ever get done!!! Please let us know real soon
Photo Reunion 2004
Photo Reunion 2006
Photo Argentine Chapter and Add:
Who are we going to add to this group for reunion 2008
The inscription form to take part in this unforgettable event can be found here:
inscriptionform Look forward to getting lots of them!!
PLANET KRYZYS, our Planet awareness site: has been updated with a novelty tree Jan of Australia, discovered on a walk. There are lots of interesting member notes in there
Bio fuels will clean the planet............of its poor.
It is becoming so evident, that there is no room for discussion. There is a direct relation between the rise in prices of food and the rise in demand for bio fuels.
The food crisis produced by the rocketing rise in price of basic foods around the world, will affect, in the coming years, in a frank and cruel way, more than 800 million people, mostly on the African continent, Asia, and the Caribbean, a large percentage of which will be children under 5.
The fact that the production of fuels of plant origin has entered as a competitor in the food production market, has drastically modified in record time, the quantity of the available offer in face of the constantly rising demand. Bio fuels are obtained from the same products and use the same land that is used to feed large part of the world population.
But this isn't all, because together with the price of grains and cereals, the price rises for the fodder for animals, and the value and use of spaces needed for the development, cause the rise in other basic products like meat, eggs and dairy produce.
In the last 8 year the quantity of corn destined for the production of ethanol in the USA alone has risen 500%. This means that in 2008 almost 100 million tons of corn alone, and in the US alone Hill be destined for fuel instead of feeding the people. During the last year the price of corn has risen 130%. The price of rice has shot from 300 dollars a ton to 1.200 dollars in the last few months.
About half the population of the planet survives on less than 2 dollars a day, and around a thousand million on less than a dollar a day. People for whom wheat, soy, rice and corn form the base of their food, and until the start of this food crisis counted for 75% of their income.
It is possible that in the next few years, it will not be possible to calculate these figures, as everyone will be trying to get food and water necessary for their own survival. The world food programme has warned that in the world reserves are at their lowest level in the last 30 years
Source:
Ecoportal
As if that isn"t all, there is the matter of over fishing in all the seas and oceans of the world. And please don't accuse me of pessimism. It is happening NOW
Alphalist There are an incredible number of useful articles there to help you get the best from your computer or put things right that aren't working too well. Perhaps you also know of some trick we could all use, so send it in and get it added.
The answer to the brain teaser is the question:
The prisoner goes to any of one of the guards and asks "If I ask your companion which door leads to instant freedom, what would he say?" Whatever the guard says, he takes the opposite door. How? Let's suppose he asks the guard who tells the truth. The guard knowing his partner will lie and would name the wrong door, tells the truth (i.e. his partners lie) Imagine door A is freedom and door B is death. The liar will say B for freedom. The honest one , knowing that his companion will answer B, so he tells the truth. So the prisoner takes the opposite door. If on the other hand, he asked the liar the same question, the liar, knowing his mate would tell the truth, tells a lie and says B
I’ll be away on holiday for a couple of weeks, going with my husband to his native province of Salta, north Argentina. Tell you about it when I come back
Comments and suggestions
Daphne from Argentina
if you read this page write to me anyway.
FUN
What kids hear and then write...
If you need a good laugh, try reading through these children's science exam answers.
THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA
The computer swallowed grandma.
It devoured her completely,
I've searched through the recycle bin
In desperation, I asked Jeeves
So, if inside your 'Inbox,'
This is a tribute to all the Grandmas who have been fearless and . . . .
Lena
Plant a seed of friendship; reap a bouquet of happiness!
Scatter seeds of kindness everywhere you go!
One of the World Wide Web Circle of Friends' best kept secrets is Jeanette's Garden Room . Jeanette from the Land Down Under has set up this site for all of those who love gardening - like she does, and loves to be creative in making garden junk. Do take some time to visit and join her site and share ideas, seeds, photos of your garden and plants, laughter and great sites to visit.
Inspirational
Friendship
If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:
bakerlee42@hotmail.com
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the l obby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
1. Free your heart from hatred.
Pass this message to 7 people except me.. You will receive a miracle tomorrow.
bmcarthur5@shaw.ca
A little boy got on the bus, sat next to a man reading a book, and
noticed he had his collar on backwards.
SILLY QUESTION OF THE WEEK
To the Top
Did You Know
Unusual Facts about the Human Body
Well, we all have one and I venture that most of us take it for granted unless it starts to hurt or let's
us down in some way. It is truly an incredible, living entity that has some very unusual capabilities.
Below are just a few of tthem that make the human body unique.
1) An adult has fewer bones than a baby - yup we start out with 350 of them but as some of
them fuse together during growth we end up with 206.
2) Our nose, while not as sensitive as a dog's can remember up to 50,000 different scents. Hmm,
was that banana or vanilla?
3) Don't stick out your tongue if you want to hide your identity. Just like fingerprints, each tongue
has it's own individual print.
4) When you sneeze, did you know that the air from that sneeze can travel at more than 100 miles
per hour?
5) If blood vessels in your body were laid end to end they would cover approximately 60,000 miles
and the incredible heart you've got ticking away in there pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood through
those vessels daily.
6) Did you know that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days? If you didn't, the acids
that digest your food would also digest your stomach.
7) Now here's something to "Sleep" on! You can go without eating for weeks but eleven days is the
limit you can go without sleep... any longer than that and you'll be asleep forever.
To find out more truly amazing but little known facts about our wonderful bodies got to:
Weird Facts About the Human Body
Merrie
Health Matters
DIY Fitness
Trivia Quiz Game yet? Go on try it ... it is fun and it is hosted by Aussie Jeanette
Earthweek
The best gift you can give Anyone is Prayer
Bea wwwcof: Bea is finally getting better from this, almost 2 year,
healing from hip surgery. The wound is closing from the inside.
Please continue to keep Bea in prayer. She has had a rough way to go.
Pat Broatch wwwcof:
Please keep Pat in prayer for God to give
her strength and heal her from this illness she has.
Sharon wwwcof: Please keep Sharon in your prayers for guidance,
strength and comfort. God knows Sharon's needs. Let's all continue to
lift Sharon up in prayer for God to surround her with His Angels
UPDATE:
UPDATE:
FLMarie wwwcof: Mom also has fibromyalgia
and has been put on the new medicine Lyrica and it
is also helping her. Please continue to pray for her pain.
UPDATE:
UPDATE:
Kathleen: ( Dear friends of Charley & FlMarie) NO UPDATE
Please keep Kathleen in our prayer list. The Dr. told her there is
nothing they can do for her the Cancer has gone through her body
and bones. She may not see the summer through. Please pray for
Salvation for Kathleen and Jodie and for God to send His healing
Angels. Kathleen is in a very bad state of depression.
Lonnie England: ( Char's Cousin) Lonnie's breast cancer is a stage 1.
The surgeon is having another mammo on her other breast and then
biopsy to make certain the calcifications are not cancer. Please keep
her in prayer.
UPDATE:
Daphne wwwcof: Please continue to keep Daphne
and the wwwcof reunion in your prayers. May this be a
good turn out and many meet for the first time.
May God provide that many shall go.
Ronnie: (Brother of Donna Coffey)
Please prayer for my brother Ronnie he had a heart attack.
He is home now and doing a little better.
Shar: I received an email from Shar, and her 27 year old Granddaughter
passed away in her sleep . She was the Mommy of 7 young ones. Please
pray for her children and that her family opens their hearts to these
children. May each be touched by this passing that a soul be saved.
Yvonne: Yvonne is a Grandmother also raising her 5 year old
Granddaughter. Yvonne's Mother has cancer all through her.
She is 80 years old and a Christian. Our prayer is that God take
Yvonne's Mother by the hand and guide her home soon and quick
as she is now starting to suffer and hospice is there. This is Yvonne's
first death experience ever. May God Bless Yvonne and her family
with strength and comfort.
Many of us have UNSPOKEN prayer requests. You don't have to do anything
but give the name and through prayer God will do the rest. Please send any you
may have to me and we will certainly pray for you.
Joyce, Steve, Scott, Carl, Dawn, Alan, Kirk, Kevin, Anthony, Charla
Karen, Jonna, Tim,
Let's Remember to pray for our Government Leaders and Global Warming.
Also all that have lost homes and family in the tragedies of earthquakes,
volcanoes, and whatever comes their way.
Please keep "ALL MILITARY EVERYWHERE" in prayer for safety and,
an End to this War.
Nick Bradley Iraq
Erick Landry Iraq combat engineer.
Gary Hogan: NO UPDATE Please keep Gary's
wife Cindy (32 years old) In Prayer for God's healing as
she has been diagnosed with stage 4 cervical
cancer.
ALLOW GOD TO BE YOUR PILOT
REMEMBER HE FORGIVES ALL
We have many prayer requests that go beyond our circle.
Although, as we pray and we add these, our
"Circle of Prayer" becomes larger.
Do you know someone who doesn't know JESUS?
Please visit Charla's Prayer Request Page to Pray for Others.
Please email Charla , from Florida, USA with any Praises, Requests and/or UPDATES Thank you. May God Bless Each One and Have a Great Week!
Pray for Others
The best gift anyone can give to another is to pray for him or her. We live in a sinful world where bad things happen to people and people are tempted to sin. Praying for another person not only helps that person find God in the midst of trouble, but also helps us recognize the blessings that God gives us daily!
1 Timothy 2:1,2 says to offer prayer, supplication, intercession, and giving of thanks on behalf of all men. Yet we sometimes neglect to pray for others because we concentrate so much on our own interests.
How often do we think to pray for others, whether or not they request our prayers? Bible prayers are filled with requests and thanksgiving for people other than the one offering the prayer.
God answers knee mail
Postage guaranteed!
Recipe Corner
Members Favourites
All that will be left is a smile!
While Daphne is away we will be featuring the "Best of",
You see, we have recipes for all tastes in our marvellous cookbook. (but there is still plenty of room for more, so just keep them coming!!)
For those of you who are just just entering summer:
Caribbean Breeze
WWWCOF COOKBOOK
Maxine Lauzon/Ontario Canada
1 Cup cold milk
1/2 medium ripe banana
1/4 Cup . frozen concentrated tropical fruit juice [undiluted]
Put in the blender, blend all untill smooth
WWWCOF Seasonal Regional Favourites
Prawn Avocado Salad
WWWCOF Seasonal Regional Favourites
Yield: 8 Servings
Broadcast Date: December 6, 2005 Prawn avocado salad Sunrise Christmas recipes A Christmas special for Southern hemisphere, presented by Jeanette Lane, Australia
32 (800g) medium cooked prawns
1 Cup flat leaf parsley, leaves
1 iceberg lettuce
Thousand Island sauce:
2 avocados, sliced
1 Cup whole egg mayonnaise
2 mangoes, sliced
1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cucumber, peeled, halved
1/2 Cup tomato sauce
-lengthways, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled,
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
-chopped
1/2 green capsicum, chopped
11/2 Tbl lemon juice
1 red onion, finely chopped
1. Shell and devain prawns, leaving tails intact.
And for those of us who are just officially coming into winter... (Bah its been cold for weeks!)
Barley And Lentil Soup
WWWCOF COOKBOOK
Yield: 8 Servings
3 Tbl Olive Oil
2 Tsp Basil, Dried And Crumbled
2 Onions, Chopped
1 Tsp Oregano, Dried And Crumbled
4 Garlic Cloves
5 Cans Beef Broth (14 Oz)
3 Carrots, Sliced
1 Can Tomatoes (28 Oz), Whole
4 Celery Stalks, Sliced
2 Tbl Tomato Paste
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Cup Pearl Barley
8 Sun Dried Tomatoes, Drained &
1 Cup Lentils
-Chopped
To Taste Salt & Pepper
Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions and saut� until translucent. Add next 6 ingredients and cook until bell pepper just softens (about 6 minutes). Mix in the broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, stir in barley and lentils. Reduce heat and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Thin soup to desired consistency with more broth, season with salt and pepper.
WWWCOF Seasonal Regional Favourites
Orange Coffee
WWWCOF Seasonal Regional Favourites
Yield: 2 Servings
1 Cup strong coffee
Whipped cream
1 Cup hot chocolate
Dash of cinnamon
2 orange slices
Our planet awareness site, Planet Kryzys has many interesting stories of different aspects of a planet under Crisis. Do please take a moment to visit it. Daphne from Argentina
I hope you have enjoyed this week's edition of Global Express which I would like to close with the following:
Because you're so special,
I've got something really important to give you...
You're always there for me
You've even held my hand
Whenever I had problems
You would always understand
I'm so glad to have you
Now, you better believe~ My Heart! ~
Bless the Day
designed and created by
Emma from Maryland, USA
View the WWWCOF Global Express Beefs & Bouquets
We want to hear from you and remember
these comments just go to show that
We don't have to be perfect today. 
ORLD 
IRCLE OF 
RIENDS 
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