Reezy44 Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 I'm new to the board (just this week) and have been enjoying reading and learning SO MUCH! Here is my question for today: My 5-month old BC loves to fetch a stick after being told to sit, stay, then o-kaaaaaaaay as I zing her stick about 40' .... she immediately brings it back. When told to drop it, she does---BUT, it's always under the same low-growing bush which is about 5' from where I am standing! Any suggestions as to how I can re-train her to bring it to ME before dropping it??? Thanks for your help. (BTW, I do recall reading on this board about a similar problem someone was having, but I got interrupted before reading their entire post (and replies), then couldn't find it again when I came back to the computer. Frustrating!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miztiki Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Welcome to the boards! You will get lots of good advice from others but have you tried standing away from the bush when you play fetch? Does she bring the ball to you when you play in the house? If you didn't throw the ball would that inspire her to bring it all the way to you? My two don't really fetch so I'll leave it to others to give the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 What really works for me is to put her on a Long Line and make sure that she brings the toy all the way back, as soon as she does, I do some tug with the toy and/or give treats. Tug is one of her favorite games so she loves bringing it back almost more than chasing it! Like Miztiki said, try playing fetch in a TOTALLY different area (if possible) and then later go back to the usual spot. oh, and Welcome to the Boards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Stevens Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hi Welcome to the board! I agree with Kat "What really works for me is to put her on a Long Line and make sure that she brings the toy all the way back, as soon as she does, I do some tug with the toy and/or give treats." but I try to limit the treats but really give him praise. Thats seems to work just as well since OZ love people. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Welcome What happens if you turn and start walking away from her when she's coming towards you? I THINK that would make my dog come up to me and shove the ball against my legs. I'm not completely sure though, we had exactly the opposite problem: I had to train her not to slam into me without slowing down at all! She learned it very quickly after I started playing a short game of tug with her every time she came back without a collision. Maybe (if your dog is tug crazy too) you can do that every time she brings the toy all the way back? You know these small balls with a rope on them? They are great for throwing and moderate tugging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezy44 Posted November 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Thanks for so many hints...I will definitely try the long line soon. I've tried standing in other places outdoors, but she doesn't want to bring her stick anywhere near me then--haha!! She loves to tease, I guess. Yes, INDOORS she does bring me her tug toy (which she LOVES), and we tug--lots. Also, during a game of catching the tennis ball (also indoors), she does drop it when told--but again, it's where SHE wants to drop it, not where I would like her to. (Sigh) A half hour ago I decided to try something different: take her favorite tug toy OUTDOORS, and maybe she would want to bring it back to me so we could tug. Ahhh..brilliant, I thought. Well....what a performance. We live in the woods and so have LOTS and LOTS of fallen maple leaves in our back yard (we don't let fallen leaves bother us and so do not rake very much!). Anyway, Lileigh romped and twirled in so many circles with that toy in 12"-18" of crispy leaves so enthusiastically that it was like a small tornado--for probably 10 minutes, non-stop. I laughed until my sides hurt. The whole episode didn't accomplish what I wanted it to, but it sure was the highlight of my day so far--and just another way she brings such joy to my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 I would either try the long line... OR do not throw the stick until it is closer. You can also try running away from your dog and when they catch you, play tug with the ball or whatever toy you have... Personally, I would not be throwing sticks because they can be quite dangerous and puncture the dog's mouth, throat, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezy44 Posted November 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 3:30 p.m......SUCCESS!!! I can't believe it! I took Lileigh and her tug toy back outdoors and played tug for a few minutes before saying, "drop it" so I could give it a toss. SHE BROUGHT IT BACK TO ME TO TUG!!!! She did it again and again, but we played lots of tug in between the throws. As you folks indicated--she just enjoys tugging so much she finally realized that if she brings it TO ME, that's what we'll do! Thanks so much to ALL of you for your helpful suggestions. Tomorrow I think we'll work on bringing her tug toy (rather than a stick) back to me near that "infamous" bush. And BTW, we only have 6" to 8" of leaves in our yard...wow, did I miscalculate and exaggerate on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishinBC Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 We taught Briar a "CLOSER" command. If I am going to play ball she needs to bring it to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanna in OR Posted November 5, 2005 Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 When Tenaya was a puppy, I had a ruptured disk in my back and couldn't bend over to pick up her fetch toy (ball, frisbee, whatever...). So unless she brought it back to me and handed it to me, it didn't get thrown. She figured it out pretty quickly, since she can be obsessive about fetch if we let her--unless she did that, the game ended. We extended that to include a "sit in front" with the toy before taking it (not just a stand nearby with the toy). It's great now when Tenaya and my husband are playing or competing Frisbee--she brings it right up to him, with a quick sit, then he takes it, and only then she can run out to catch another. The key thing is to not play the game unless they play by your rules....ever. Deanna in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezy44 Posted November 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 We are really doing so much better just since yesterday. Last night she learned the "closer" command quickly with her ball indoors (thanks Cheri for that one), and her love of tug outdoors worked great again today with her bringing her toy to me very quickly. Deanna--I also appreciated your advice regarding "not play[ing] the game unless they play by your rules--ever." I needed to hear that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelliePup Posted November 5, 2005 Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 Glad you got it worked out Kellie had a problem like that, and turning my back to her brought her in so I could kik the ball again. I would tell her to bring it closer and then just wait until she did. She loved it, it was a bit of a mind game for her to figure out what I wanted her to do. That was about six months ago and she's been doing it ever since. She also likes it when I tell her to leave it, take her back inside, hide her ball, wait about 30 min to an hour (or longer), and then go back outside and tell her "get your ball!" The response and find time are getting quicker all the time Even as the hiding places get increasingly difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Personally, I would not be throwing sticks because they can be quite dangerous and puncture the dog's mouth, throat, etc...Sounds like you've already switched to throwing a toy instead of a stick, but if anyone needs convincing, this is one of several websites devoted to stamping out stick-throwing: Stick to Toys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reezy44 Posted November 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Ohhhhh Alaska....thank you so much for the heads up on stick-throwing. What horror stories. Many, many thanks ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momzilla Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 WOW! This never crossed my mind! Thank you for enlightening me about the stick throwing! I'm sitting here thinking how many times I put my Katie in danger - she LOVED sticks! Thank goodness she was never hurt. This will keep me from making that mistake with any future dogs I have. (I say future because Shy is just too darn prissy to 'fetch' anything! ) Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudthirsty Posted December 30, 2005 Report Share Posted December 30, 2005 I also had no idea about the sticks. You see it in the movies all the time, never thought it could be bad. Funny, because you described my 15 week old bc exactly. She brings the ball back to me, but stays about 5' from me. Almost like she doesnt want me to throw it again, or she's scared ill grab her, or chase her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Glad someone else addressed the stick issue. I have quit throwing them myself for Lucy, who's manic for anything she could consider a toy. The bi*ch is when we're out hiking, she loves everyone so much, she goes racing ahead, finds a stick and throws it at strangers' feet. Of COURSE they'll throw it for her! And in the meantime, she's likely to rip up her feet on rocks, stopping and turning. I've been thinking about either a coat that says "No Sticks" on it - or getting a tatoo on her HEAD! (not that folks would pay attention anyway....) I also taught Lucy "hand" - which means hold it still, at my hand level, or the TOY won't get thrown again. She picked that up pretty quickly1 Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catu Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 Originally posted by mudthirsty:Funny, because you described my 15 week old bc exactly. She brings the ball back to me, but stays about 5' from me. Almost like she doesnt want me to throw it again, or she's scared ill grab her, or chase her. Throwing toys isn't a natural game to dogs, we teach them it could be funny and it's a human developed instinct in retrievers breeds, but I've never seen a wolf throwing a toy and asking another wolf to bring it to him in National Geographic documentals . What is natural is to catch a toy and tempt another dog to chase him and steal the toy, that's the way dogs play each other and what pups expect to be done by theirs owners, but we could teach our way to play showng them how funny could be if they bring the toy and play tug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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