emmabelle Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 My dog met a flyball for the first time tonight... at least, I think it was what you call a fly ball... a weighted ball on the end of a rope? He thought it was fabulous and so I am going out in the morning to get one. My dog has a high drive to hunt birds.. huge instinct there. I need to channel it a bit ..... So apart from fly ball thingymajig, what do you suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Have you had a look at the training in drive threads? Lots of suggestions for toys as well as methods for training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I use four different things when doing drive training. (1) Rag on a short stick. (2) Ball. (3) Ball on half a fishing rod (4) The soft toy Spot brought Montu tied to half a fishing rod. (4) is used when he isn't showing much interest in anything, which is rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Best drive toy? The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Best drive toy?The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. So you don't think dogs can have a favorite drive toy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Best drive toy?The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. I know that is true for prey drives, but thats not possible for food driven dogs is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmabelle Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Best drive toy?The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. I know that is true for prey drives, but thats not possible for food driven dogs is it? Interesting replies. I especially like the fishing rod ideas! Great fun. So far, he loves a pull toy, one of those with the frayed ends and the twist in the middle... I run like crazy, he grabs, we tussle a bit, he wins eventually.... but the fly ball took over that yesterday. It must be good. Thanks - I'll have a look at the other threads too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) Best drive toy?The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. So you don't think dogs can have a favorite drive toy? yes, of course they can, but I just feel that what you do with it is much more important than what it is. It seems easy for people to blame the toy when things aren't going right and then there are people who seem to be ETERNALLY searching for EXACTLY the right magical tool that will send their dogs over the top. I often find myself out & about with my dogs & no toy. Grass, leaves, bark...and my all time dependable, an empty smoke packet ..they all work, just as well as any tug or ball. I find the same with food, whatever I have seems to achieve the same result from them...even stuff they wouldn't eat if I put it in their food bowl is delicious if it is used in training. I don't do formal "training in drive" so maybe I am missing something & shouldn't even have replied. Edited October 20, 2008 by Vickie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Midol you be careful using fishing rods. Dont let Montu hurt his teeth or rip out one of those puppy ones at his age you shoudlnt be playing tug with that - or at least I hope you're not - until he finishes teething. If he hurts his tooth or rips a couple out getting caught on toys on rods you'll ruin his bite. Get in close and use your hands he's too young for that stuff, you should also start having him used to playing tug in close contact to a person and you build the focus on the toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I am one of the eternal toy chasers Most likely all my fault for feeling more self conscious when out and about than at home, so he'll tug at home and not out. Oh well, at least he likes the squeaky One of these days I will go and get some help with my technique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Best drive toy?The owner on the other end of whatever is being used. So you don't think dogs can have a favorite drive toy? yes, of course they can, but I just feel that what you do with it is much more important than what it is. It seems easy for people to blame the toy when things aren't going right and then there are people who seem to be ETERNALLY searching for EXACTLY the right magical tool that will send their dogs over the top. I often find myself out & about with my dogs & no toy. Grass, leaves, bark...and my all time dependable, an empty smoke packet ..they all work, just as well as any tug or ball. I find the same with food, whatever I have seems to achieve the same result from them...even stuff they wouldn't eat if I put it in their food bowl is delicious if it is used in training. I don't do formal "training in drive" so maybe I am missing something & shouldn't even have replied. Vickie, I found your comments very interesting and wonder if it is perhaps a little dependent on breed and the individual dog. My last dog was a wonderful ACD who would go to the ends of the earth and back again for me - I didn't need a toy or food or anything to get her working - just a look was enough and I didn't start training her until she was 2yo - just wish I knew then what I know now about training a dog Anyway, my current Dally - boy, what a tough nut he has been to crack and a WHOLE different learning curve I feel like we're finally getting there but it's taken a lot of experimentation about what works and what doesn't. Ziggy is equally as wonderful as my dear old Dolly when he gets going, but he's just different.....very different ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) Vickie, I found your comments very interesting and wonder if it is perhaps a little dependent on breed and the individual dog. Definitely, of course you are right, my breed experience is limited so I can't comment on other breeds, but surely the what you do with the toy would be equally important? regardless of breed? There are lots of dogs I know from different breeds who will play/tug/chase VERY enthusiastically on their own terms, ie with another dog, by themselves or with another person. To me it seems like the person is the problem in the equation rather than the choice of toy and these seem to be the people that are usually moaning about their dog's lack of drive for any object. There is one person that one of my dogs plays with better with than me. This person totally send them over the top. I recognise that that person is better at playing the game than I am. It is nothing to do with the dog, it is a failing on my part somewhere. sorry I have hijacked the purpose of this thread, I will bow out now...sometimes my fingers just type & get carried away Edited October 20, 2008 by Vickie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Glad you went OT personally - very interesting - esp. about one of your dogs playing differently with another person - thanks Vickie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I don't think you went OT at all! Very good points to consider when discussing training in drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdude Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Prey drive training is "ALL" about what you do with the toy or item, and how you build the enthusiasm. The same princepals of training in prey drive can be used in food based training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 (edited) Midol you be careful using fishing rods. Dont let Montu hurt his teeth or rip out one of those puppy ones at his age you shoudlnt be playing tug with that - or at least I hope you're not - until he finishes teething.If he hurts his tooth or rips a couple out getting caught on toys on rods you'll ruin his bite. Get in close and use your hands he's too young for that stuff, you should also start having him used to playing tug in close contact to a person and you build the focus on the toy. Yeah, he is teething so we don't do any bite work. He releases his drive by retrieving... except he rarely actually brings it all the way back too me Before he was teething when he'd make the bite he would come in close. I'd pull him in close, let him go out, side to side... Everything. I couldn't move the prey item quickly enough, the guys on the specialist working forum recommended a flirt stick and a fishing rod works just as well. I'm getting lessons with Craig soon though. Vickie, I agree with you. Montu goes into drive for anything that moves but it's clear to me that he prefers certain items but that could simply be because of the way I move the different items? Edited October 21, 2008 by Lord Midol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 KT went nuts the first time he set eyes on this dog puppet we bought from the pet store, and he's gone nuts every time he has laid eyes on it ever since. He loves nothing more than to wrestle with a hand stuffed in a big puppy-shaped glove that squeaks. Most toys he's luke warm about, but that one just gets him going so fast. You can push him with it and he'll push back so hard his front legs come off the ground, then he grabs it with his paws and falls over with it. We have recently stopped using it a as a wrestling toy due to it loosing half its stuffing and not offering much protection anymore, but he chases it with just as much enthusiasm as he ever wrestled it with. And he's a dog that doesn't really get games of fetch. Incidentally, anyone want rabbit fur? Bonnie is shedding something severe and there's plenty to stuff in a rag if anyone wants something that smells delicously prey-like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEPING Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 orbee ball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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