OK so I've been working my dog with a 12" tug and a "flying squirrel" according to the building drive focus & grip DVD for about 6 months or so now. He's pretty into it, he has good drive when he's well rested. I posted a while ago about my dog barking at the feather duster when the cleaning lady is here - well today I decided to see what he does if I used that as his prey item instead of a tug etc, since he seems to go nuts for it when the cleaning lady is dusting. I mis-interpreted his barking at the duster - the movement was triggering his prey drive and his barking at it was because he's technically not allowed to have it.

I have never seen my dog, and I mean NEVER seen my dog as crazy for a prey item as I have when he was trying to get this feather duster - normally when working him in prey his obedience is awesome, I can hold his prey item to his nose and he won't try to grab it, he doesn't bark for it or jump around for it. With this duster it was a whole different story, my chest is covered in scratch marks from him jumping up trying to get it, he dives thru bushes and whacked his head on a tree (and didn't phaze him) trying to get the damn thing.

That said - how do I transfer this intense desire onto another prey item? I am trying to get him used to biting a jute puppy sleeve to get him used to wanting to bite it, he has a good grip on it, and I can get him off the ground entirely when he's on the sleeve - but his desire to bite the sleeve needs to be heavily provoked, and he has a tendency to lose interest in it, his favorite toy is the flying squirrel that Ed sells, but even his drive for that isn't as high as the stupid duster.

So basically I suppose my question is "is there a way to make him go as crazy for one item as he does for another"? I want him to see the sleeve and go as crazy for it as he does the duster. Seeing his drive for that stupid duster has given me a total boost of confidence that he is capable of working the way I want him, if I can transfer this to the sleeve. The only other thing he goes as crazy for is a plain white towel, but even that doesn't come close to his lil performance in the front yard this morning with the duster, but it's probably his 2nd favorite "thing".

I'm tempted to dust the damn house with the puppy sleeve LOL.

Now there's a visual: Mike as a cleaning lady waving his feather duster around!
Made my day... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, for months he was denied the object that he desired. this can be done with a tug as well. The other thing is that even if he gets the duster, there isn't any real satisfaction. Frustration is a tool many people don't have the discipline to use. Try back tying your dog and working him with the tug on a line. Don't let him have it for a week. keep the sessions short and the dog crated. POW! This has always worked well for me. Remember that the bite is a reward, so if he is given a bite repeatedly when he is way high in drive, he is more likely to get into this state to begin with. This also takes time (not a week) so if you have no patience, please disregard what I just wrote.

Thanks Jeff, I'll give it a shot. I worked him with a 12" tug a while ago, then put it away for about 3 weeks, when I brought it back out he was way more interested in it - so I can see how your method would benefit me.