Toys At Obedience

[Kissindra]

So Boo is very fond of tug of war at home, but as soon as we are out at a park or obedience he seems to have zero interest.

I'd presume it was because of all the interesting things going on but I have no problems getting him to focus on me and sustaining that focus, it's just getting him to play with toys.

I'd like to use tug as a reward and as "down time" during training, any ideas on how to encourage this without it becoming something he's doing on command?

[SueM]

Hmm its a hard one, you know how totally obsessed the Hdawg is in toys when he went to training nothing I could do would get him interested in one as a reward, I just used treats with him.

[huski]

Hey Cat, are you coming to training tonight? Will chat to you about this before class if you like

[Evolving]

Sounds like Echo. At home toys are great at obedience could care less for them. Food works but I have to make sure I take her away from other dogs as if one is to close she loses focus.

To bad somepeople don't let you have personal space no matter how far away you move.

[Prydenjoy]

For Berri it was a matter of finding the RIGHT toy, something long and with plenty of grip. I've got a cat toy I've been using at home with him and Mango, just a stuffed floppy long tailed hairy mouse like thing on a rope, they go crazy about it. Looking forwards to trying it at obedience.

I think the trick would be to do a lot of training at home alternating the toy and treats as a reward. Then maybe open the gate and go on the front lawn, then perhaps another familiar place. The idea is increasing the distraction while still being able to use it as a reward, ultimately going to training and it should be innate to chase that toy anywhere by then!

I also keep my training toys for training only, the extra special ones, that way they don't become bored with them.

Just a few ideas, I'm sure there are plenty more!

[corvus]

This seems like such a common problem.

Jeanne's ideas are great. I found for Erik I just put tug games on cue. He gets revved and ready to tug anywhere when I use the cue. The trick is that if he's very distracted he'll only tug for a moment and then take off. So to build him up to playing for longer I use better toys. Things he goes really wild for. And I take the toy away really fast and tell him to go play. The moment he heads back towards me it's game on again for a few seconds, then dismiss. He tends to be back sooner and I can get him to play for longer this way. No cue and no play unless I'm sure he'll be really into it. I also incorporated downs and releases into the tug games really early. Erik knows he's got to do a down or sit before he gets to play with the tug. It does seem to put him in the right zone.

[Kissindra]

Varicool- can't imagine Harvey not being interested in toys!

huski - damn! We were running late tonight so had no time to chat, did see Daisy do some nice stay/recalls though

Evolving - I wonder if, with Boo, it's because I've done lots of training with him in offleash parks and so he's learnt "down time" means "and now you get to go wander about and do your own thing". I noticed tonight that when I let him know he could chill he immediately started to want to check out the other dogs in the distance. If I'm getting him to focus though, food usually wins out over other dogs, little piggy!

Jeanne - Boo loved lurecoursing, perhaps something to chase along the ground then catch/tug would work! Pretty sure I've seen something like that for sale, pretty much like a cat toy but more robust The "favourite" toy for home doesn't seem to be the favourite out and about, will see how we go with a new toy adding distractions/new places

corvus - I'd like to avoid it being on cue if I can, sounds like it works well for Erik though! Will see how we go. There were quite a few in our class who had the same problem bar one person whose dog was more interested in tugging the lead than treats

ETA - was told to try putting a chicken wing in an old sock too

Edited February 22, 2010 by Kissindra

[kiesha09]

Just be careful with the chicken wing in the sock... my dog tried to eat the chicken wing AND the sock!! Pulling both out from his throat while he was trying to swallow it wasn't that much fun!

[JulesP]

I have to teach toy removal in the class I take. Usually only 1 pup in the class of 10+ will actually play in the first place!

The pups that have tugged well have been those that have been 'taught', so although you don't want it to be on command that might be the only way.

My dogs would rather have pats during down time, so that is what they get.

[Staranais]

Why do you want him doing it not on command? I think having a command for playing tug is a great idea. I don't see how you'd use tug in training without one.

We use two specific cues for tug work - one to tell my girl that she has an opportunity to earn the reward by obeying me, and the other to tell her she's now actually allowed to bite the tug. Without those means of communication I'm pretty sure she would just be screaming in frustration and biting me the entire session, waiting for the chance to grab the tug, not focusing on what I was asking her to do!