Playing ball...

[RonandJan]

Before I had Indy, Bacca loved to play fetch and return. He did it without fail everytime.

Then when I brought home Indy, the game for Bacca became "steal the ball"....If Indy got it, he would bring it back. If Bacca got it, he would run away with it and hoard it between his front paws. So I tried using several balls. No luck. Bacca would either just ignore the 2nd throw (he already had HIS ball) or would leap up and steal that one too.

I swear these boys act just like human brothers. They rough house like boys have wrestling matches - mostly all in fun, but sometimes it turns nasty. They take each others toys, and then when they finally tuckered, they flake out wherever they can find a spot.

See this is the problem I am having with MMM and fetching. He plays "keep away" with Teddy so much, that is what he wants to play with me. I have the additional problem with he brings it halfway to me and if I reach for it or nudge it with my toe, he steals it and runs away with it, only to laugh and bring it within arms reach again.

McKinley has a warped sense if humor, but I trim his ears, so all is fair in love and fetch.

Any ideas on getting him to stop the above is appreciated as well.

 

[Phebe*DD]

See this is the problem I am having with MMM and fetching. He plays "keep away" with Teddy so much, that is what he wants to play with me. I have the additional problem with he brings it halfway to me and if I reach for it or nudge it with my toe, he steals it and runs away with it, only to laugh and bring it within arms reach again.

McKinley has a warped sense if humor, but I trim his ears, so all is fair in love and fetch.

Any ideas on getting him to stop the above is appreciated as well.

Phebe wasn't returning the ball consistently, so I started using the 'touch' command that we use to reconnect in agility. 'Touch' means to touch her nose to the palm of my open hand (with a treat tucked between my thumb and palm). If I say 'touch' while she is returning with the ball, she will drop the ball when she is about 6 feet from me, and it rolls right to my feet because she's headed directly for me (and the treat).

 

[RonandJan]

Oh Margaret, I hadn't thought about that. I have been working on the touch command out at the vegetable garden. Keep in mind, we are at least 3 miles from the nearest road there, so MMM is off leash and allowed to roam at will. I have been working on his recall that when he comes to me he must touch my hand before he can go back to playing. A treat tucked in my palm will really confirm this and then I can use it to correct the fetch command.

Thank you.

 

[Justicemom]

Phebe wasn't returning the ball consistently, so I started using the 'touch' command that we use to reconnect in agility. 'Touch' means to touch her nose to the palm of my open hand (with a treat tucked between my thumb and palm). If I say 'touch' while she is returning with the ball, she will drop the ball when she is about 6 feet from me, and it rolls right to my feet because she's headed directly for me (and the treat).

I do something similar when teaching the formal dumbbell retrieve for obedience. I say get it and throw at treat between my legs when the dog get about 5-6 ft for me. They can then drop the dumbbell which rolls up to my feet and drive though my legs to get their reward. If I don't say get it,they are to front. It keeps them motivated to drive into the front and helps them not stop short or walk in. It always makes the retrieve really fun as the faster they run back the more likely I am to release them. Traditional obedience trainers are horrified that I let them drop the dumbbell. Grasp!

 

[Caro]

I taught Deska the dumbell retrieve with treats to beging with - first when he picked up the dumbell i gave him a treat, then got some distance, etc. I also had the problem of him dropping the dumbell before reaching me but the trainer showed me to walk backwards before he dropped it and it makes him walk into me with the dumbell.

Only problem now is he loves the dumbell so much he keeps nicking off during class to retrieve the dumbell from my bag! And then expecting a treat.

 

[RonandJan]

McKinley loves being the devil's advocate. I tried throwing the treat between my legs when he was 3 to 4 feet out......he dropped the object immediately and went for the treat.

I think MMM is smarter than me and therein lies the problem.

(I'll keep trying though.)