cycas Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 Oh yes. I have done that. I worked on it for months. I trained Mollydog to prod the ball with her nose on command. I got a ball that rang a bell when it moved, and now I have a dog that can run to the ball 10 feet away or so, and ring its bell. I tried smearing nice things on the ball, and got a dog that can run to the ball, lick it, prod it, and ring the bell. I got a ball that was on a rope, hoping she might be prepared to grab the rope. Nada. The best success has been with fluffy toys, because she will actually consent to open her mouth for those occasionally. Those are the only things she has ever retrieved (never more than once though) but they tend to get her so excited that she loses focus on me altogether. ( Sorry, I didn't intend to make this yet another Mollydog will not retrieve thread, there is another of those around somewhere, and I promise I went through every suggestion on it. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs B Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 (edited) OK. I won't give up just yet - so you can't either. Forget the ball. Perhaps stick with the fluffy toy? I know you say she gets too excited then, but then if Mollydog's interested and excited, then she'll want to try harder. Two fluffy toys perhaps? And six hands (to hold toys, clickers and treats of course - this IS a clicker training thread ............... ) So, still sticking with the clicking for showing interest, interacting etc with the toy. If you actually get a retrieve, get really excited yourself (you're a Fugee, you will enter into the spirit of the thing) jump up and down, dance around, clap your hands, smile - and give her an even bigger and better fluffy toy as a reward - NOT to retrieve, just to play with. So, she's done the boring bring back a semi-interesting fluffy thing, you've given her a bigger and better fluffy thing to do whatever she wants with. Don't forget the food circuits as well - I'm sure you said she was a foodie, and she obviously likes chasing. If not fluffy toys, and not balls, use your imagination to try other things that might nudge her imagination into interacting with them - a piece of cloth, dumbbell (yawn), plastic bottle, ring - doesn't have to be a dog toy, it could be something from around the house if you think it will work - even a sock, or couple of socks rolled up together, or a glove or something like that. What else could you possibly have to do on a Sunday ............ Edited November 25, 2007 by Mrs B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 A failed racing greyhound that came to my training class would not retrieve anything- we even tried a rabbit skin on a rope. Her owner had a jewellery roll. She put a titbit in the roll and rolled it up; letting Gem see her do it. She put the roll on the floor and when Gem picked it up , to get the titbit, she made a BIG fuss of her, unrolled the roll and gave her the titbit. Gradually, she threw the roll further away for Gem to get and bring back to get the titbit. That was the nearest she ever got to a retrieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts