Kavik Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Kaos is now 4 months old, full of energy and mischief. His drive building is going really well at home, he is really keen, and he is going well when we are at training. But when we are on a walk, I am lucky to get more than a few seconds in drive before he gets distracted. There doesn't have to be anything around, just sniffing and wandering. And it is hard to get his attention back, sometimes it works if I wait a bit and try again. So I am here with this toy trying to make it look exciting and feeling like an idiot! And it is making me so frustrated! What am I doing wrong? I must be doing something wrong! He has plenty of drive, and tries to grab all manner of things at home, and is really keen for the toy there. Even if food doesn't get the same level of excitement, I still find it more reliable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) From what I know of drive - sounds like your pup needs more work on drive at home before exposing him to distractions out and about. The distractions are more rewarding than the toy... Initially I found the food more reliable as well, but thats because I cheated and did very little drive building. I still don't do enough - I'm lucky Darcy lets me get away with it! But she can now do a full agility class in drive. I use the toy for agility and food for obedience - don't know whether thats right or not but it seems to be working well at this stage....... Edited July 19, 2006 by feralpup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 His drive building at home is great! He will come to play tug even from playing with my other dogs. He is also great at the training ground (familiar? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBella Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 I don't do drive building on our walks with Bruno. I was told that was for at home. Leash training is the same as normal. Neither of my dogs are interested in their toys on their walks. With Bruno, my 4mth old pup, I call him and reward him for looking at me. I teach him "slow" which means he can walk anywhere and sniff (without pulling on the lead); "walk" which is my word for the baby version of heeling. He is taking to this very well. On our walks I practice "here", "sit", "wait" and "drop" all using treats as a reward. I'm not sure if this is right for Kaos but it is certainly working for Bruno. Bella, my 2yo, I teach "slow" as well and practice "come", "sit", "stop", "drop", "sit-stay-come" and heeling. I don't take my prey toy out for either of them. I would if I was doing long-lead work somewhere else but at the moment this is all happening at home. Bella is allowed to sniff the ground with the slow command but I can get her attention instantly with any of the commands so she is obviously in a lower drive level than what she was in before. I think K9 Force has a different program for different dogs but this is my interpretation of what my dogs are supposed to be doing I will be going back for my second lesson next week and will find out which bits I've mucked up Have fun :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Im certainly no expert in this and have my fair share of faliures in the department but have you tried doing it just in the front yard with no distractions? I find for my puppy that an empty park is fine, but as soon as there are dogs barking she looses interest - obviously too much distraction for her atm. im lucky to have the golf course next door and I do a bit in the yard than another bit just outside, and already there is a difference. The outside I do less and than she gets to walk around. I dont take Rex with me, nor that are any people there. We can hear a busy road in a distance and she gets distracted by ambulance sirens, each and every time... I was very proud of her when at the info night she did a bit in front of several dogs, several people and under strange lighting. Maybe a minute or so but still thats something. As K9 said to me in another threat - its a baby take small steps. I ahve been very slack over last few days and there hasnt been the 3 x 3 happening here at all, the rain and personal stuff just gets in the way too much. I do a bit of toy chasing inside the house instead as not to loose what Ive got already. Dont know if that is correct or not, but Baby seems to enjoy it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jones Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 will your dog play when hes at the park? if so try different parks in your local area then move into the actual carpark of the park, then try playing with him within site of the park, have you been training him in drive with his lead on whilst he is in the back yard? might be that his lead is on and hes thinking hes just going for a walk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 Good point about the lead Jeff! When I drive build in the house I haven't been using a lead . . . maybe he sees a difference there? Although the interesting thing is I can take him to obedience class and he will drive build fine there - at a park with heaps of other dogs around? But not in a different park with no dogs :D I guess it is off to work in the front yard for a bit, see if that helps - baby steps it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 OK after our morning walk I have discovered: 1) I think Jeff is right! He knows the lead means he is going on a walk, and is more excited about that than anything else. I guess put the lead on when I drive build at home to fix that? I know it is supposed to be on anyway . . . 2) He REALLY likes squeaky toys I bought one the other day and tried it out today. I managed to get his attention with it even when he wasn't interested in the tugs on the walk :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 have you done the 3x3x3x7 with him tied up to the fence? How do you do drive building in the backyard with no lead - how do you get the toy back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 I haven't been doing it tied up - have yet to really get the hang of that. Although a different dog, I'm not sure whether doing it tied with Diesel caused one of the problems I had - that he would wait until it is close and then lunge for it. So I do it close to my body in a circle, the times outside when he is not interested I try to make it hop around like it was alive :D In the hope that it will help build more drive (I may be doing it all wrong ) when he drops the toy or is not holding it well I take it and make more drive with it, and one time don't give it back. It is a tug with a rope on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefe's owners Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 have you done the 3x3x3x7 with him tied up to the fence? Now I'm all confused... I though the tie up was on TOT not on drive building??!!!! :D I see me booking another consult with Steve shortly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Remember it is not a race. We need to gauge every dog as an individual, never more so at such a young age - 16 weeks. Sure there are stand outs who have had solid grounding at a young age, but I bet you the owners are experienced and know the second before focus is lost. Remember TEETHING too. Make "it" as positive experience as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) In this subject there is info about tie out and drive building. All my errors are listed, and all advice about the errors is given. I think/thought that there is an easy way out of this, shortcuts to take, Im told that there arent. So I have changed some stuff after being told in that subject and my girl will lunge for the ball on a tie out, where she didnt before. I didnt have a need for attaching something to the lead, I just did drive work on lead int he yard and than one day tied her up to the fence and she did it. She is a lot worse on a tie out than on lead, I guess we need to work on that bit more. One "crime" I do these days is failing to do 3 x 3 daily, its raining, its cold, its dark when I get home, plus life gets in the way just a bit too much right now. I do some stuff inside but that isnt following the advice correctly..... Divani will play with Rex (shouldnt - I know) and I will pull out a ball and she will be happier to do drive building with me than to hang of Rexs neck, so I guess it isnt THAT bad. when he drops the toy or is not holding it well I take it If I did that my girl would take the toy run away with it and chew it for hours , Id have to curl her lips to get the toy back, or swap it for another item. That isnt what you supposed to be doing, thats why the dog supposed to be on lead to give you control over what it does with the toy and where it goes with the toy. And yes my girl will wait and lounge for the ball on a tie out, she doenst go nuts for it all the time, she is just too smart for it ;) or is ti called that she doesnt have enough drive?..... Talking about being smart and taking this OT a bit. She has learned to open the door (using the handle) so she can do it from both sides of the door. Lets herself out and in as she pleases ;) I was speachless yesterday when she was inside, Rex outside, he wanted to get in, she went to the door opened it for him to let him in ;) I must teach her to close the door as well, its too cold for it to be left wide open atm.... Edited July 20, 2006 by myszka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 It looks like things are going pretty similarly for you and me myszka! Kaos is separate from the others when I am at work but they are together when I am home. Kaos loves to play with Diesel (I know . . . ;) ) but the same as yours will prefer to play tug than hang off Diesel's neck LOL. I guess the difficult part is that I like to get them out for walks etc and see other dogs and people. Kaos is pretty good in that he will meet another dog pretty much properly by now (nose and bum) and then come and sit near me. I also have the problem - what do you do if the dog is causing mayhem? In the evening they are inside after dinner - how else do I stop him from eating the paper and the table ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 crate it? go out drive building? I fail doing both and I do a snuggle on the sofa ;) no wonder I have no results....... Well ok I play with the toy inside a bit (drive building), than play with the toy on the sofa.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Oh yeah and I must go and get taht bungee cord for a tie out, I think that will help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jones Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I also have the problem - what do you do if the dog is causing mayhem? In the evening they are inside after dinner - how else do I stop him from eating the paper and the table ? put the pup away in its crate with a pigs foot to chew on, i currently have 2 adult dogs and a 18(i think) week old german shepherd pup they are crated at all times i let them out about 6 times a day for toilet breaks plus training, but apart from that they are in there crates all the time, where are your other dogs when you are building drive with your pup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Although I understand that putting the dogs away while not training is the way I do have a problem with accepting to have a dog in a crate all day long. That has nothing to do with training it comes from being a pet owner, etc. Large pen, backyard with no dogs - yes, but I cant personally go pass the idea of crating the dog for extended periods of time. Out of itnerest Jeff how long are you training sessions, are you awya from home/dog for extended periods of time (I work full time + travel time = 10 hours a day) Kavik - when my puppy is getting to miscievious in the evening I break her apart from Rex tell him to go to bed, and keep and eye on her only. I play with her a bit and she understands that she had her time with Rex and being a nuisance, its over and she is to do what I say otherwise its the crate. She is happy to just hang around me watching TV - I guess she knows the consequences of too much play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jones Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 around 45 mins training for each dog twice a day, i do 12 hour shifts at work but sneak home half way through to let them out for a run ;), but all can go for 12 hours in the crate, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 When I do drive building with Kaos, the others are away, either out back or crated. At the moment I am doing a bit of training in the house (it is cold at 5 am ;) ). They are all walked and trained separately. While I have crated the dogs for long periods, it is only if there is no other choice, like when fences are being done or workmen are over. Otherwise I feel bad crating them all day while I am at work. Zoe and Diesel run together but Kaos is separate. They do settle nicely in the house if they have had a good walk - all 3 will sleep on the couch Kaos will often sleep on top of Diesel ;) or curl up with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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