Last Wed. we brought home our new puppy. Raven is a staghound, with greyhound, borzoi and Scottish deerhound in her background. She seems very bright and sweet, with not too many alligator moments yet.

Pics:
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa220/beccolina-art/100_2210.jpg
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa220/beccolina-art/100_2212.jpg

She's done very well getting used to the leash. I need more adjustment to tethering--I keep nearly tripping over her. Potty training seems to be going well--she's very responsive to praise. I have a few questions.
1. It's normal for puppies to be more active first thing int he morning and last thing at night, right? She also has several play sessions during the day, but seems to be wound up during these two times of day.
2. Can anyone suggest training treats that won't upset her digestion? I tried teeny-tiny pieces of bologna (smaller than a pencil-eraser size). She was very motivated for them, but had diarrhea from them too.
3. I've walked her next to the stroller a few times, and she gets a little fixated on the moving wheels. When I stop, she sniffs, then isn't interested. I really do not want her to decide that chasing wheels is a good idea. She'll be fast enough to catch traffic in the school zone where we live. What is the best way to teach her to ignore wheels without making her shy of the stroller?
4. How do I teach her to chase and fetch a ball and what is a good age to start it at?

2. I was steered toward Natural Balance Meat Rolls, cut into tiny pieces, and they have worked beautifully. My dog is bonkers for them, and they are formulated specifically for dogs' digestion.

A Staghound in Wyoming?!! lurcher country!
I'm thinking you need to look up some jackrabbits!

NEVER allow the wheel chasing. That could develop into a bad habit with a sighthound.
My suggestion would be to teach her what "NO" means and look into marker training. Once she/you understand the marker concept then it's just a matter of teaching her to look to you for reward when someone goes by with the stroller. You walking here with the stroller should come after that.
Same with playing fetch. Marker training.
As you've noticed, objects that don't move hold little to no interest to a sight hound.
I'll be curious as to how that relates in the fetch game.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Same with playing fetch. Marker training.
As you've noticed, objects that don't move hold little to no interest to a sight hound.
I'll be curious as to how that relates in the fetch game.

This may be similar to training my dog to fetch. She has very high food drive, and I taught her to fetch for food. Outside of working for food (or bringing a toy for tug), she has zero interest in objects or retrieving.

Does she look like she wants to chase anything at all Becca?
The stroller wheels, I think in this case are a little different. Theres more going on then just movement with her being kept next to it, the noise, baby, etc..

I think you may have better luck starting out with a stuffed animal type toy then a ball. Something that resembles prey a little more.

Duane, thanks for the advice on treats.

Bob, finding jackrabbits won't be a problem--They're all over this end of town. The breeder here breeds the staghounds to help keep coyotes in check, so even choosing a quieter, less-drivey pup, she'll have a good prey drive. She'll chase anything that's moving, especially if it is smaller than her. We put a plushie ball on the end of a piece of yarn and played with her like a kitten. That's how we got her to walk on a leash without freaking out about it. My oldest walked about 10' ahead, dragging and wiggling the plushie ball, and she forgot all about having a leash on.

Once we get her over to the big field at the schoolyard, she just wants to run and run without chasing anything, just to move. Right now I can (barely) stay up with her. It's not going to last. I need to get really good on my landrollers before she turns two.

Getting her to chase a ball is easy. I just don't know how to communicate to her that I want her to bring it back to me once she catches it. My older dog with drop whatever he's chased as soon as I call, and I've never figured out how to get him to keep whatever it is in his mouth long enough to bring it to me for a reward.

 Quote: Becca Fuentes

Getting her to chase a ball is easy. I just don't know how to communicate to her that I want her to bring it back to me once she catches it. My older dog with drop whatever he's chased as soon as I call, and I've never figured out how to get him to keep whatever it is in his mouth long enough to bring it to me for a reward.

Well this is something to build on, and should make it pretty easy... Others will have successful methods; I will relate what I've done, and seen work with other dogs as well.
You need to cut the distance. Try tossing it only a couple of feet. At first, mark just picking it up. Then, take it, and mark (Keep the dog on a line if it wants to run off with the toy/ball). Before long, at a couple of feet, the dog should turn to you with the ball. Once the dog will consistently pick up the ball and give it to you, add the command ("brrring", "fetch", or whatever you like). Once this behavior is consistent, you can start increasing distance.

Connie or Bob can pbly tell you how to teach it by backchaining from the "hold it". I've never done it that way.

ETA: I now know how much I appreciate my past dogs that would retrieve just for the pure fun of the game!

Edited by Duane Hull (08/21/2012 02:08 PM)
Edit reason: eta

This will probably conflict with what some others will say.You just want to play fetch, am I right Becca? No formal retrieve?
If thats all you want, I would think about one thing only. Fun. If you want a formal retrieve, you can add the pieces like hold or bring later. The fact that she'll chase a toy means you're most of the way there.

Just like in recalls, you want running to you to always be fun so before throwing the toy for her, teach her to out it so you won't have a conflict with her bringing it back, thinking she's going to lose it. Do that completely separate and work on fun, happy recalls for a reward.

Have you seen anything on teaching an out with a tug? Or have you taught anything like that?

 Quote: Duane Hull

Connie or Bob can pbly tell you how to teach it by backchaining from the "hold it". I've never done it that way.

For plain old fetch, I back-chain simply from the release into my hand.


I'll go so far as to say that I'm simply eliminating the whole "won't give me back the ball" thing and nothing else, because if you already have a dog who wants to chase the ball, you have everything else.


I totally agree with Duane: start close!

Start close!
You know that moment when something that seemed really complicated becomes very simple and obvious all of a sudden? Yup, that was it. The problem with the older dog isn't giving me the ball or toy, it's bringing it to me in the first place. He runs after it, gets it, then drops it and comes back, like, "Look, I caught it, what now?" Starting close would really help eliminate that.

Steve, you're right, fetch just for fun, and to give her an appropriate outlet for her desire to chase something. I can take her to safe areas to free-run, but I can't provide rabbits for it. I think the cemetary might object if I let her loose in there (though they have plenty of rabbits). The golf course might have issues with it too.

There is lure coursing in Greeley, CO, a few hours away. I may look into that when she matures.