Any suggestions on how to build prey drive? I purchased my 5 month male Shepherd a month ago. He is doing pretty good on obedience training, but he is not at all interested in toys. I have tried to get him interested in balls and other toys with no luck. Recently he has shown some interest in a kong frisbe. He will walk to it and pick it up and go lay down with it and thats about it. I'm starting to come to the realization that I can obedience train him and hopefully train him to track and heard cattle (just for fun). Any ideas or comments please.

 Quote: randy white

Any suggestions on how to build prey drive? I purchased my 5 month male Shepherd a month ago. He is doing pretty good on obedience training, but he is not at all interested in toys. I have tried to get him interested in balls and other toys with no luck. Recently he has shown some interest in a kong frisbe. He will walk to it and pick it up and go lay down with it and thats about it. I'm starting to come to the realization that I can obedience train him and hopefully train him to track and heard cattle (just for fun). Any ideas or comments please.

Have you tried a moving toy or rag? Something that moves erratically and teases him and that you don't seem to be the "motor" behind?

No I haven't. I saw in Ed's training video where it looked like he put a rag and tied it to the end of a broom handle and would let the puppies chase it. I will try that tonight and see if it helps. Thank You for the reminder.

Randy White

Here is a great DVD....

http://leerburg.com/101e.htm

How excited are YOU when you try to build prey drive?

It took me a month to get my Border Collie interested in playing ball/frisbee. He was 20 m/o when I got him, and had not played with toys before. I knew he had prey drive because of the way he worked sheep, but it just wasn't transfering over to a toy.

So I became the most animated idiot in the front yard about playing with the ball or tug(if I had close neighbors they would have thought I was nuts). I also used a squeeky ball at first becasue it got his attention better, or would drag a braided fleece tug on the ground. I kept him on a leash to help him focus on me and kept the sessions to 2-3 minutes, and did several of those a day. I also crated/kenneled him inbetween, and didn't play with him except when I was trying to build his play drive (he had walks, but no free time). As it started to click, I'd put him up after 2-3 times of chasing the ball (while he was still having fun). And did it several times a day. I also have the DVD that Carol posted the link to, and that was very helpful.

Fast forward 5 months. You say "ball" or "toy" and his look says "where". He will chase a ball or frisbee, and play with a tug. He eventually lays down if he gets tired, but if you throw it again, he'd be be off after it. He will work to get his toy, and I can use it for motivation in training.

Randy I am in the exact same situation. My female will chase rags (or anything you drag for that matter)but when it comes to chasing a ball or something she will do it once or twice then stop. If you start dragging a rag though she is right back playing.

Mara I am going to try your approach and see what she does...It is proving difficult to find anything that she truely loves.

I picked up one of the CUZ or Just Cuz toys (round soft rubber ball with feet), squeaks obnoxiously and bounces irradical, it lit Cato, my pup, UP! He's running full speed ahead after the ball and retrieves wonderfully. I stop when he is amped though. Careful on the squeaky ones if you're training for SchH too.

Great post Mara.

 Quote: Michele McAtee

Great post Mara.

Yes, and for me, one part especially resonated.

Old Earth Dog Bob Scott cautioned me when I was trying to elicit some prey drive in an older rescue dog, to quit while the dog was still excited, every time. That really made a difference.

I stopped letting the game continue until he got bored or tired and started to put the toys away while he was still excited about it.

Also, as Mara says, it made all the difference when I acted like a lunatic.