http://youtu.be/uZ19zCogXGo

Willow has been a stray for quite some time and has some er..."fun" scavenger habits. While most of the really bad ones have been broken (most of those were counter surfing and box/bag opening related) the biggest issue we've had working on OB out in the field has been breaking her focus on the amazing ground smells, so we combined the recall game with an area we know she loves to sniff in to practice making the "right" choice of coming to a handler to be rewarded with amazing things rather than trying to find different amazing things in the grass.....

Her distended stomach is still due to the enlarged liver, but every test in the book has come back okay and well within perfectly functioning levels with no apparent signs of disease, they're going to see if they can take a look at it when they're in their spaying her. She'll also be getting some benign growths removed and looked at. Apparently large livers can be a GSD thing and if she has been bred the amount of times she's appeared to have been bred things can move around which can make for an odd profile, plus she still has no topline muscling (we're working on it XD it HAS improved). She can run now and loves to play chase with Gamble (admittedly, he's moving at a slow trotting pace but I think it makes him happy that she's happy when she catches him).

bump/reminder

Have you tried using canned tripe smeared onto your hand? The stuff stinks so bad it makes me nauseous and it is, by far, the smelliest, goodest thing you could ever have on your person from a dog's point of view. You could also try 'leave it' games where you put some bland bait down, hold onto the leash to the point where she can almost reach it but not quiet even while fighting to get to it, and reward for giving up/looking away with the tripe. That might help her connect the dots that things on the ground are boring, but you throw a party for her when she makes the right choice.

 Quote: SamanthaTopper

Have you tried using canned tripe smeared onto your hand? The stuff stinks so bad it makes me nauseous and it is, by far, the smelliest, goodest thing you could ever have on your person from a dog's point of view. You could also try 'leave it' games where you put some bland bait down, hold onto the leash to the point where she can almost reach it but not quiet even while fighting to get to it, and reward for giving up/looking away with the tripe. That might help her connect the dots that things on the ground are boring, but you throw a party for her when she makes the right choice.

I think I'd used surgical glove if I were to rub my hands with tripe. The stink on that stuff sticks like flies on....errr....honey.


As to the sniffing
That often times is an avoidance/coping behavior. The dog may be stressed with the obedience. All of it should be a fun game as in marker training.