Games To Play

[megan_]

Hi All,

I'm wanting to add to the games that I play with the dogs, especially ones that help develop control, focus and drive. I'm not talking about trick training, but actual games. Our current list includes:

- It's Yer Choice (SG control game)

- Finding a hidden target in the house (drive ahead to the target and work independently of me)

- Hide and seek (name recognition)

- Wrestling (just for fun)

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[Kavik]

You've done Recallers, yes?

My favourites from Recallers:

PB&J (drive)

Cookie in the Corner (drive, name recognition)

1-2-3 Game (drive, focus and control)

ETA: Smoke Ya (drive)! is great too, I can't always get it to work though

If you haven't done Recallers, 1-2-3 Game is outlined in Ruff Love I think, and maybe Smoke Ya as well? I think the other two were developed for Recallers, can't remember.

PB&J and Cookie in the Corner are staples here!

Edited August 6, 2012 by Kavik

[megan_]

I haven't done recallers. I had to chose between Derret's Ultimate Agility and Recallers and chose the former. I really wish I had done it though. I've got Rough Love so I'll have a look tonight.

[Kavik]

Quite a few of the games from Recallers are in Ruff Love, if you look through there you should get quite a few ideas! I think she will be running the next Recallers sometime soon if you decide you want to do it. The videos of the exercises are invaluable! as sometimes the mechanics were complicated to understand when written down.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Kavik

[Lablover]

It's Yer Choice (SG control game)

I have to ask, please. What is this game??

[megan_]

The way I do it - and this could be wrong! - is to hold my hand out at their eye level with my hand open. As soon as they try to grab the food my hand closes so they can't get to it. I don't reprimand them or say anything at all. When I first did this they sniffed and pawed a bit. Then as soon as they move back, I open up my hand. Repeat. Then once they sit back and wait for a millisecond I mark and they get the treat. It is all about self control.

[Tassie]

A couple of YouTube clips

and

[**Super_Dogs**]

It's Yer Choice (SG control game)

I have to ask, please. What is this game??

As Megan said.

While this game teaches self control I find it most useful to introduce a dog or pup to shaping.

So as with any shaping with Yer Choice you keep increasing the criteria. First your dog just needs to not mouth your hand, then look away, then look at you. You can keep increasing criteria until you get to the treats on the ground in front of their nose.

[Kavik]

I'm pretty sure you don't want them to look at you - you want them to continue to look at the hand with the food.

[megan_]

I'm pretty sure you don't want them to look at you - you want them to continue to look at the hand with the food.

yip. Not quit the same but I read Susan's blog the other day and she had a really good article about being weary of increasing the criteria for any type of game/stay etc so that the dog doesn't become disengaged or distracted. Of course looking at you doesn't mean they're distracted, but it is easy to land up rewarding the dog for relaxing when you push the criteria more and more. You don't want a relaxed dog, you want them to be focusing on that treat, body stiff, ready to go for it but just holding themselves back.

I realised I have pushed to far with my boy's sit/stay. I practice it and push and push and I land up rewarding himfor being relaxed, rather than rearing to go/just teetering on the edge. Greg Derret said something very similar: get into position and go go go, don't paff around adjusting your hair etc.

[**Super_Dogs**]

I'm pretty sure you don't want them to look at you - you want them to continue to look at the hand with the food.

yip. Not quit the same but I read Susan's blog the other day and she had a really good article about being weary of increasing the criteria for any type of game/stay etc so that the dog doesn't become disengaged or distracted. Of course looking at you doesn't mean they're distracted, but it is easy to land up rewarding the dog for relaxing when you push the criteria more and more. You don't want a relaxed dog, you want them to be focusing on that treat, body stiff, ready to go for it but just holding themselves back.

I realised I have pushed to far with my boy's sit/stay. I practice it and push and push and I land up rewarding himfor being relaxed, rather than rearing to go/just teetering on the edge. Greg Derret said something very similar: get into position and go go go, don't paff around adjusting your hair etc.

I have done puppy peaks and in this she changed it from what is in Shaping Success. However I can't remember which way she changed it, from looking at the food to looking at your, or the other way around??

To be honest I do not play this game for long. I use it to introduce shaping - then I stop - as I find my dogs disengage once they have got it.

For control nothing beats crate games.