I have just started walking Paxy, using sometimes flat collar and sometimes a harness. She actually walks better on the flat collar as she pulls sometimes on the harness (which is usual for most dogs!).

Now when walking at the moment I am happy for her to sniff away and look around. She's a funny thing though when she sees something new she just plonks herself down in a sit and watches with ears pricked. Then she decides if she likes it or not. I am happy for her to sit and watch, yesterday it was a flock of seagulls that fascinated her. Sometimes it is a barking dog - she decided she didn't like it and would not move forward so I carried her 10m and she was then fine. It is a bit of a start stop walk - takes twice as long as normal! So far new experiences are running people, bicycles, scooters, walking across bridges, birds - lots of them, kids playing soccer, young children crying, strollers/prams, water and of course other dogs.

I miss timed our walk in the leash free park yesterday and encountered the morning meet of off leash dogs. All was well until the four labs decided they wanted a new friend. We then had to retreat to 50m away to watch. Paxy was happy to play with the little fluffies but very unsure and submissive to anything bigger than her. She loves people but is a bit wary of dogs at the moment.

Went back again today to the leash free park (no dogs at all today) and she was very wary until we went to the water and she found a dead water rat!!! Enjoyed walking along water's edge and picking up rocks, shells and other stuff in her mouth carrying it for a short while and then dropping it for something else. She then decided she would walk out into the water. That was fun!! Then started jumping and splashing in the water like a little kid, even more fun!!! Would have kept going out further except I only had a 6ft lead on her and my arm doesn't stretch that far!

What do other people usually do when you start to walk your puppy?

I don't feel that I should be trying to impose too much on her at this moment as she is processing so much new information. We will be starting obedience classes 1 May.

Our pups have always been allowed to follow us around, so they are already comfortable being close to us, when it is time to start lead training we just slip it on and away we go.

Their yard is right out the front of the house so they get to check out the world as it passes by especialy big trucks, utes with barking working dogs and cattle feeding in the paddock across the road.

Then there's the countless trips to town to the vets to say hi and to the produce to pick up food and meet lots of people and if we're really lucky a trip to Melbourne to the seaside.
That's how we commence and continue training for walking, introduction to new things, and socialising

i do about the same as TJ apart from the seaside now as its to far away but the dam is good the bigger dogs take the pups down to the dam and then bring then back again all wet and smelly i have taken the pups to proston show were Mirra was fighting the lead all the time she was not trying to get away but trying to do her own thing like eat those hot chips over there she was a right bugger but i have taken them to mums place and the vets but i have not taken them to murgon yet i do take the big dogs shopping some times and tie them up out side the shops but if i did that with the pups i think they would not be there when i came back out, it's not a town that i trust

With Ceejay I started early from my trip from Eucheca to Calliope in Queensland. Long car ride, met lots of new people, went to lots of different towns and even met a few dogs on the way. Great experience for her, even went on a ferry trip in the car with us. Then it was off to my friends property with their 5 dogs for an intro and a walk around the paddocks for a while. Once she was all needled, out to the bigger world with walks around Calliope and introducing her to new things, bikes, skateboards, prams, cows, kangaroos etc etc. It wasn't until she was about a year old that we started doing heel work. It was the same with Izzy. Tonight we picked up Takeaway and went to the local IGA to pick up food. It was quiet, thought cool, took them out of the car walked them around at a heel, when I stopped they sat etc. But they had no leads or collars. Watched people etc. Had one comment "What well behaved dogs.....WOW no collars or leads, how do you do it?". I replied training, patience, perseverance and a touch of fun.

Just have fun with her. Imagine all the smells that are assailing her. Do you know any friends with friendly dogs start off with them especially if they are bigger so she doesn't get a bad experience with a strange dog right off.

Have just signed up for the Canine Good Citizen 8 week programme which starts in May for Paxy. It is a Delta run course. I had the option of this or the sunday morning training session. This has about 100 dogs attending and is mostly run by volunteers the numbers in the classes vary week to week and also the instructor. I chose the Delta course because there are 6 dogs in each class there is a consistency with the instructor and I know the instructor's training is up to date. It's also run during the evening as opposed to the sunday morning so I can sleep in!!!!!LOL The only problem is it is in winter and I just spoke to a friend who did it with her dog a couple of years ago and she said watch out for the rabbits that come out at night and the mist comes in and you can't see your feet sometimes!!! Too bad if you had a really little dog you might lose it!!

We went for a walk yesterday in the middle of the day and poor Paxy was buggered afterwards. But it was quite warm and I think she struggles with the bright sun with her eyes. She would slow right down in the shade and when she got to the end of the shade she would stop and sit or lie down. So will try do evening or early morning walks with her. Might have to get her some Doggles or a hat to stop her squinting - she'll get wrinkles!!

She's starting to sit when she meets people on a walk and is starting to be happy about meeting other dogs too.

Forgot to say she gets lots of compliments on her blue eyes. One description yesterday was "metallic blue eyes". And I'm always asked what sort of dog is she/he/it????? Had one fellow tell me she was some sort of cross breed. Another misheard me and thought I said "koorie" which he didn't like. He didn't seem to like "koolie" either. A lot people think she is part cattle dog! I met one lady who had two nice dogs and then heard her on her mobile when I went past her on the way back talking to someone about a koolie puppy she had met!!

Yep know what you mean Blue dog.
I get told my Xena aint a coolie as she doesnt have the blue eye and brown eye so I actually have a mongrol. She has two brown eyes. I also get the "what" when they ask what breeds of dogs I have. The latest one when we were going home from Mount Gambier we stopped half way home let the girls out and these two ladies said what cute dogs asked me about them told her friend they were coolies and after I told her the ages and breed and that they werent related promptly told her friend that these were coolies very strange dogs and that my border collie was the mother. Couldnt work that one out. My border collie is 6 years old one of the coolies is 9 and the puppy is 7 months old. O well at least my 9 year old can keep her age a pity about the border though LOL
cheers
Danni

oops forgot to add in good luck with the delta course
cheers
Danni

Blue dog good luck with the training, it is a lot of fun. Lots of solialisation for her, being a koolie Paxy will be in her element. Ceejay is an attention hound when it comes to new dogs and people and I am sure your girl will be the same.

Being up here in Queensland especially the central coast area, hardly anyone has heard what a koolie is. I get a lot of comments about my Kelpie having a very strange coat, and I say she is an Austrian Koolie, A What? Then you go and explain to them what they do and where they come from, and you can see the disbelief in their eyes.

Ceejay i get the same up here... I take my girls most places with me and get so many questions about them. I am thinking of putting a sign on back of my ute to tell everyone the name of the breed.

I take them to the local markets and it takes me ages to get around the circuit as so many people pull us up to ask what breed the painted kelpies are...

I've been waiting for the day that someone finds me saying that Wal's breed is the Koolie offensive, but so far it hasn't happened (thankfully). I'm so glad to have the option of the 'K' spelling these days. I'm always prepared with the explanation about the name probably coming from non-native English speakers who owned them modifying 'collie' etc, but like I said, haven't had to use it yet.

Amongst Australian dog ppl (at least ppl who are into training rather than showing) Koolies are kind of legendary, aren't they? They have a reputation as the 'real deal', I think. But not well known amongst non-dog-crazy ppl. Having heard some of the outlandish breeds that some ppl claim their dogs to be - miniature pomeranians, and shiatsu for eg - guess shouldn't expect ppl to automatically believe us when we tell them about a breed they've never heard of. And I have to admit (hang my head in shame) that when I met Wal I thought he was a cattle dog X BC.

I did have one friend ask me if Paxy was Chinese!!! She's one of my mother's generation!

Did meet another fellow last week who spotted her breed straight away - he used to have one that worked cattle, said he was nearly 2 before he was a good worker but he could just send him out and he'd bring the cows home!

JackieH the same thought has gone through my head but a personalised number plate saying Koolies or Kooleez. Something along that line. I have only met one farmer around here who knew what she was, and he said was the only dog I had that I allowed in the house because she deserved it, best bloody dog I ever had. He then asked whether I will be breeding but alas Ceejay has been spayed (I could not be a breeder I would want to keep all the little blighters).

Bluedog I would have replied that no she only speaks english. lol.