I watched 3/4 of the dvd last night before walks. I think this would be great for Dixon who doesn't show a ton of drive (except for cats), but I'm a bit nervous about starting this drive work with Jake. He gets so amped up over a simple game of fetch... he is super mouthy right now, and he HATES to give up the ball. FYI I'm not looking to go into bitework, I don't think he has the nerves for it, so I'm not sure if the mouthy-ness is an issue.

Is it possible to create 'pack leadership' issues by building drive? The part that worries me is letting him "win" quite a bit in the beginning. Will he think he is 'winning' during the play/tugging exercise because he gets to keep the object? Or is that the point-- to build the confidence?

Another question: when teaching the Out, did the dog Bernhard was working with already know the out? The one he popped super hard on leash (where the handler/owner commented that he's a pretty hard dog and Bernhard had to pop him again to get him to actually out the prey object). What are some other ways to start teaching the out? During fetch, food works for us only if we're playing mini fetch inside. Outside I have a devil of a time getting him to give up the ball (at the moment a squeaky football). Another object doesn't seem to do anything for us either. I've had the best luck with just ignoring him once he's returned to me, then waiting until he is distracted by something else and scooping up the ball; it becomes less and less like fetch...

I think this would be good for us- especially the focus in drive part, I'm just a bit nervous about putting Jake in drive... lol. He's a lot of dog.

No matter how many times the dog wins the tug/ball/prey item during drive building, at the end of the exercise, the item gets taken away and put out of sight until the next time. So in the end, you are always the ultimate winner.

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What are some other ways to start teaching the out?

Funny you should ask....

Check out with Cindy is doing here.

Prey becomes dead and boring until he lets go, and which point she explodes back into super-fun-happy-time.

Just started this today. Actually started it with two toys. The sticky out is on its way...well...out.

I even started as gradually as simply touching the string on the ball, and marking his calmness. Then bam, out comes the hidden toy.

Toys aren't fun unless they're in your hands. I previously did a lot of throwing which means there was a degree of self rewarding which had nothing to do with me.

I credit Michael Ellis with that piece of valuable wisdom.

http://kaiserhaus.com/rushob4months.wmv

lol- you know I've watched that video clip before and didn't realize drive and focus are what I was watching!

I will see if this makes a difference, thanks!