Kimbas_mum Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I would really like to train Maddie my Saluki X to retrieve for a couple of reasons, I want to move on a bit with her obedience training cos she is doing really well and the next thing coming in class is the retrieve. Plus my 2 boys are doing flyball now and I would love Maddie to join in, she has no problem doing the jumps and is by far the fastest dog there it is just that she is not remotely interested in picking up the ball at the other end!!!. I have tried clicker training her but she is so disinterested in food or play that it makes it quite difficult to motivate her to try. The only time I have known her to pick up anything is to get the boys to chase her (she likes the boys a lot if you know what I mean!!!) and at that point she is so focussed on the boys that she couldn't care less what I am doing. Any ideas would be welcome Katherine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 If you find out, do let me know. I think I've tried everything, but am always willing to give it another go.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted April 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I got all excited then cos I thought someone had some more ideas!!! Oh well, will keep trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 I think if she were my dog, I'd want to train her to enjoy toys or food, easier said than done but there are ways of doing it. John Rogerson wrote a booklet on "how to get your dog to play" esp. with the retrieve in mind. If you could get her interested in food are you folllowing all the rules: when the dog is hungry, fresh tasty treats (not winalot biccies or pedigree treats etc) no distractions no other dogs etc etc... I'ts not easy as of course she is saluki x, (do you know what the cross is? ) but it's easy to teach such a breed to retrieve with the clicker, unfortunately they need to like food or toys really...) You can also use other things for rewards such as allowing her freedom, that kind of thing, but it's harder to implement. Maybe someone else will have some other ideas, but I'd look into teaching her to play if possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted April 7, 2006 Report Share Posted April 7, 2006 (edited) No other suggestions in terms of flyball, but just to say that it took me 3 years to get a retrieve out of my lurcher. In typical lurcher fashion, he would chase anything that was moving and then take it off to destroy it. If it wasn't moving, he wasn't interested. Maybe that's part of the problem - in flyball the ball is static. Fortunately, Charlie was food onsessed and with a clicker and food I did eventually get him to retrieve - so much so that he became the dominant ball retriever of all my dogs, even ahead of Ross, who is totally ball obsessed. Pam Edited April 7, 2006 by mum24dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted April 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 I think if she were my dog, I'd want to train her to enjoy toys or food, easier said than done but there are ways of doing it. John Rogerson wrote a booklet on "how to get your dog to play" esp. with the retrieve in mind. If you could get her interested in food are you folllowing all the rules: when the dog is hungry, fresh tasty treats (not winalot biccies or pedigree treats etc) no distractions no other dogs etc etc... I'ts not easy as of course she is saluki x, (do you know what the cross is? ) but it's easy to teach such a breed to retrieve with the clicker, unfortunately they need to like food or toys really...) You can also use other things for rewards such as allowing her freedom, that kind of thing, but it's harder to implement. Maybe someone else will have some other ideas, but I'd look into teaching her to play if possible We think she is either pure saluki (according to a breeder I saw the other week) or crossed with a whippet, that is the only thing we can imagine she could be crossed with cos she is so fine and looks just a like a small saluki (right colour, coat and proportions). She is fed raw anyway and we only ever do training sessions right before feed time, she will take food off you but it is in a kind of "I'll eat this to make you feel good" way (you know what saluki's are like!!!) The treats I use tend to be sausage/frankfurters/liver cake/chicken/cheese etc, anything less and she won't really take it at all. All training sessions are done with the boys shut in another room or outside so she can concentrate on me instead of the gannet boys!!! I will try and get hold of the John Rogerson book and see what it suggests, she loves to play with other dogs, just not interested in toys and you have to be pretty careful about throwing things or being to energetic yourself cos that worries her (not sure of her past but almost certain she has been beaten/kicked and had things thrown at her) Will keep trying and let you nkow how we get on, let me know if yuo all come up with any other fab ideas. Thanks Katherine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 (edited) Maybe if you feed raw, it's so nice and also possibly filling so that she sees other food (treats) as nothing like as interesting and yes the saluki bit doesn't help does it <g> I can't remember if Vera posts on here - I go on too many forums - but she has a saluki lurcher and is doing obedience and retrieves etc with him. Hopefully if she's on here she'll see this and may be able to help with some extra ideas Good luck, if you succeed come back and let us know how you did it !! Lindsay x Edited April 8, 2006 by Lindsay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingu Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 the one thing katie isnt that good at is retrieve however we have cracked it she loves to play tug so we started off with a ragger and a game of tug. then dropped the ragger. when she picked it up we played tug. then the ragger gradually thrown further and further away. when she brings it back .. we play tug. now progresing to a sendaway\find\retrieve you just have to find something the dog loves to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted April 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 I think I might try with a rag on a piece of elastic or something to see if I can encourage her prey instincts a bit, will have a session ni the garden later and see what happens. Keep the ideas coming please!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Akita never liked to retrieve. I'd throw a stick and she'd pick it up and munch it to pieces, so I gave up and just stopped. Then a month ago I threw a stick and she brough it back. She is now 8 years and 9 months old.... how long can you wait? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted April 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Akita never liked to retrieve. I'd throw a stick and she'd pick it up and munch it to pieces, so I gave up and just stopped. Then a month ago I threw a stick and she brough it back. She is now 8 years and 9 months old.... how long can you wait? I suspect as long as it takes, maybe one day she will join in when I'm playing with the boys (and not just to make them chase her!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegk68 Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Kimba's Mum have you had any luck yet? Care to pass on some trade secrets if you have? I'm in the same boat pretty much. I have a labrador retriever (note the name retriever!), who retrieves b*gger all . Not even a stick, ball, rag......nothing. I have tried so many times, with so many things and nothing. He doesn't even look at the object when I throw it, just sniffs my feet or something, and I do try to get him excited etc. He doesn't even play 'tug'. In fact he doesn't do much at all in the play department He doesn't have to retrieve or anything like that, I just thought it might be fun for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traceymcl Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 I'm in the same boat pretty much. I have a labrador retriever (note the name retriever!), who retrieves b*gger all . Not even a stick, ball, rag......nothing. I have tried so many times, with so many things and nothing. He doesn't even look at the object when I throw it, just sniffs my feet or something, and I do try to get him excited etc. He doesn't even play 'tug'. In fact he doesn't do much at all in the play department He doesn't have to retrieve or anything like that, I just thought it might be fun for him I have a bullmastiff who was very much like that. Didn't play tug, would not chase toys at all and like your dog didn't even look at toys if I threw them. I tried for two years to teach him to retrieve and used the best treats I could but I had no success at all. A big part of the problem was that he actually doesn't like holding things in his mouth - I think it's quite uncomfortable for him. The most important thing I started doing with him was learning about TTouch. It really cemented the bond between my dog and I and made him feel happier so he was more open to learning new things. The second most important thing I started doing with him was I use pretty much all his food as training rewards. When I first started, both my dogs were on raw and I used to use their chicken wings as rewards. All they got in bowls was boring veggies. Everything exciting was (and still is) handfed by me. My dogs are now fed on a combination of naturediet and raw. My bullmastiff now retrieves beautifully. He doesn't sit and present as would be required for obedience but he does run out happily, grabs the toy and then runs back to me with it at a gallop. He does now enjoy retrieving for its own sake but I also often reward him with food just to keep the act of retrieving paired with something very positive in his mind. We did a test at college recently where he had to do some gundog work which included retrieving a rabbit skin dummy. The examiner commented on how happy and enthusiastic he was while doing the retrieve. Tracey xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoC Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Is she feeling apprehensive about taking food from you? If she's anxious, she wont feel able to eat. I know you don't know her past, but I find with Len, that a training situation always used to make him shut down, because such harsh methods had been used on him. We just had to build his confidence with very short sessions, good rewards and no pressure. I would do as Tracey says, and use her usual dinner as the reward. All dogs are food motivated to some extent, otherwise they would starve to death! If she is playful with the other dogs, then it IS possible to redirect her onto toys. Depending on how important it is for you to get a good level of obedience. I would be a teeeeny bit concerned about her relationship with the other dogs, she's getting all her needs met for free (dinner in the bowl, social and play needs met by the dogs) so I would prevent her playing with the other dogs while you teach her to focus on you. If you loved reading magazines but hated books, and were then locked in a room with nothing but books you might pick one up and start reading. Then you might discover that you loved books after all, and would choose one over a big pile of magazines. One way to get them more interested in toys is to 'play' with food (terrible manners I know!) so if you feed raw, go to an open space and throw chicken wings etc. I imagine she'll enjoy chasing type games cos of her breed, so you can use that to your advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Fran Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Oh - just remembered some more tips - turn sideways as the dog approaches you - your dog may be worried about approaching your directly (it's rude in dog language ;)) Make sure the item is big enough - when you go to take a smaller item, the polite dog will let go immediatly because it's polite.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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