hello dog people . looking for some feedback on my methods with my new BC puppy. am particularly interested in what the flinks devotees have to say .
just received hector on may 10 at eight weeks of age . like my first BC he will be trained for SAR purposes , specifically TTD , general ground search and avalanche search .
the very first thing he did the day i picked him up was to go get a piece of sheeps wool about three meters away , trotted over to me and presented it to me from a very nice sit . you could have knocked me over with a feather !
that night we drove from seattle up to kamloops for a camping weekend . we had some quality alone time together . the breeder had given me a soft cloth tug toy which he showed some interest in . with scout ( my first dog ) i had always used a rubber ring as his reward and retrieve toy . hector showed some interest in this so i bought him a puppy sized one and thats when the lights really came on . what i did was lay on my side on the ground , piqued his interest in the ring and then rolled it a short distance . the first time he dashed after it , then brought it straight back to me to lay at my side . again , total amazement ! we've established a regular game of this now , with some rolls up to 10 meters away but mostly short . i say the word fetch in an enthusiastic tone , and never make a grab for the ring when he returns . i give him the long body strokes and just snuggle with him while he chews at the ring . i do little finger tugs with the ring but always let him "win " . after about a minute or so i do another roll .
i lay on the ground for two reasons : so i don't appear too imposing , and so he knows that i'm not going any where ; if he wants to play he has to bring it to me . so far , so good . is this sound thinking ? eventually i'll sit , then stand , but not for a good while .
the other game that we have developed to try and stimulate prey drive ( and focus , grip ) is to suspend the ring from a string , which is looped through a hook in the ceiling . i bounce this around to get him going , he grabs it and we engage in a little tug , where again , i let him " win " . he chews on it a little while , then i start the tug again . this has progressed to about 30 sec tug where he emits a low "grrrrrr" . he enjoys this and i quit after about three reps , when he is still keen . i am close by , and encourage the " tug " , but my thinking here is not to be engaged in a direct match , but still to be involved in the game . is this sound ?
looking forward to replies , criticisms and suggestions , all welcome , ian

Hi Ian,

I think you should

1) Stand up. Reason: Laying down could create in your dog a desire to make contact and dominate (not attack but body and paw signs you don’t need to encourage or would later want in S&R dog.
2) Continue to play as you are. Reason: If the dog likes it then you are developing a drive you can use later. Forget the idea that tug games encourage aggression it is what is a game and if your dog does not understand the difference then he or she is perhaps not suited for the work you have designated.
3) Put the dog away when he wants to play the most. Reason: This will increase your dog’s desire to work and you will avoid over “play training” which kills drive. Basically if you see your dog lies down and starts chewing instead of being ready to “spring” at the opportunity to play more you have pushed the dog to far. Next time remember it and be aware of your dog’s working window.

Good luck.
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Ian

You are doing it wrong. If you want to learn how to do this work properly - get the Drive Focus and Grip video - you are not going to be able to re-invent the wheel - Fact is you are off to a bad start