I've been going through the excersizes in the video for about 2 weeks now. My problem is this; When outdoors my dog shows absolutley no interest in the usual prey items. It seems she is only interested when in doors. with a stick from a tree though she goes crazy, she even shows more drive than when using her favourite prey item indoors. I can get some good drive and focus work done with a stick, but it's affecting the grip, as there are many weird angles that the stick can be bitten from. I'm thinking I should buy a new toy and hide it in the park for 24hrs and then go with the dog and introduce the toy in the park, so that the smell and gerneral wonder of the park is transfered onto the toy. Hopefully the dog will then be as interested in the toy as she would be in a stick. What do you more experienced guys think?
I'm betting your enthusiasm is inhibited outdoors a little (you know... not wanting to look like a madman waving a tug around), and the dog is reacting to that.
What sort of prey items are you currently using?
(Not a big fan of sticks after seeing what it did to the mouth of a dog from my Sch Club.)
Thanks for the quick response. I've been switching between a bite pillow and a kong tyre. No I'm not the greatest fan of sticks either. I don't know about my enthusiasm being less indoors, maybe you're right. It just seems that something switches on as soon as she sees a stick in my hand though. even her facial expression is different to when we're indoors with the usual toys. She gets a crazy look in her eyes, you know?
a Kong tyre is basically just a small rubber tyre made for dogs. it's good because as it is round it can only be bitten at one angle, but she prefers the pillow. I've been wanting to get a ball on a string but I've been taking the indoor vs outdoor problems into account and have only really just came up with the idea about hiding the toy outdoors. perhaps after a few sessions I could bring the toy home for indoor work too. If things go well i could get optimum drive indoors and out! yay! Thanks for your help. You've really helped me coordinate my ideas.
It's really hard to make proper drive with bite pillows or a tire-shaped toy.
While it may be fun for the dog inside (where it takes less drive to keep her focused, less distraction), they are boring outside. They really aren't prey items, and it's hard to make correct drive (plus, it really sucks to get smacked with something so substantial during drive building).
The stick has novelty of it's own (since she doesn't get to see sticks in the livingroom), and thus some of the focus returns to the work. Plus, a stick is smaller and easier to make drive with than a bitewedge.
It's not really a matter of location, but a matter or proper prey items, and distraction.
Can't make prey or build drive with the wrong thing.
I am with Alyssa. Try to experiment with different prey items. I don’t like pillow for drive building. I save it for bite development after the drive is already there.
If the dog likes a stick, perhaps try a thin jute tug like this one (seventh down). My dogs both love it and it is easy for me to handle and tuck under an arm or in a pocket. Try tossing it around like you would a stick to get the dog interested. Later you can transfer the interest to a bigger/thicker tug if desired for bite development.
I prefer a ball on a string. I like the Orbee for lots of stuff, but have found that a harder ball (fifth down) for my advanced dog is easier for us both and the grip is great, for both him and me. Just be aware that a hard ball can hit a soft dog and kill the drive and any desire to play. The Orbee is perfect for my puppy. Balls on a string can be moved quickly and cause the dog to get excited easier at the beginning.
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