April 29, 2011
My dog does a great job on scratch boxes in my back yard, but will not work them when I take him to K-9 training. What can I do?
Full Question:
Ed,Again I need your advice. I am training my GSD to detect narcotics. He's kept in a kennel in my fenced back yard. He works great on a scratch box and has alerted on marijuana. He has a very high ball drive.
Problem is that his ball drive seems to disappear outside the back fenced yard. When I take him to K-9 training he isn't interested in playing with his ball. If I put his scratch box on the parking lot where we're training he will about tear the box open scratching and biting at it. But after he gets the ball if I throw it he doesn't appear interested. When I bring him in the house he'll tear up the house playing with his ball.
I tried posted his in the front yard to tease him with the ball. It didn't seem to get his attention.
What am I doing wrong or what can I do to help?
He is trained in criminal apprehension and will do bite work in every environment I've put him in.
Thanks,
C. S.
Ed's Answer:
It is hard to guess about a dog through a short email.
If I did feel that the dog had the drive and the issue was a training problem then I would work on drive building in different locations - I would use the Flinks method to do this. I show you exactly what to do in my tape BUILDING DRIVE FOCUS AND GRIP.
Once I could work a dog in drive in every location then I would add the drug work in different locations. I would do it with 3 to 5 scratch boxes and I would keep it simple. Then move slowly into vehicles and other locations. You can always try this by trying to work a dog in drive (with the ball on a string) before you try the scratch box work. If he will not work in drive in a location then you will not get him to work drugs on boxes in that location.
If I did feel that the dog had the drive and the issue was a training problem then I would work on drive building in different locations - I would use the Flinks method to do this. I show you exactly what to do in my tape BUILDING DRIVE FOCUS AND GRIP.
Once I could work a dog in drive in every location then I would add the drug work in different locations. I would do it with 3 to 5 scratch boxes and I would keep it simple. Then move slowly into vehicles and other locations. You can always try this by trying to work a dog in drive (with the ball on a string) before you try the scratch box work. If he will not work in drive in a location then you will not get him to work drugs on boxes in that location.
100% (1 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful
Can't find what you're looking for?
100% (1 out of 1)
respondents found this answer helpful
