# Competition to Build Drive?



## Jaimie Van Orden (Dec 3, 2008)

I was wondering what you guys thought. My BS dog will chase and retreive a plastic milk jug, but isn't fond of tennis balls. He might look at it if you throw it, but thats about it. I'm thinking about taking him out to a field with two of the retreivers I know who are ball crazy, and seeing if some competetion will help with this. Has anyone tried something similar? Does anyone have any hints for getting him off the milk jug, and onto the ball?

Thanks
Jaimie


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

yes, I've used another dog that is ball crazy and I put my not so crazy ball dog up so he could watch me and the other dog play. It worked. Monkey see monkey do. Go figure.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Jaimie Van Orden said:


> I was wondering what you guys thought. My BS dog will chase and retreive a plastic milk jug, but isn't fond of tennis balls. He might look at it if you throw it, but thats about it. I'm thinking about taking him out to a field with two of the retreivers I know who are ball crazy, and seeing if some competetion will help with this. Has anyone tried something similar? Does anyone have any hints for getting him off the milk jug, and onto the ball?
> 
> Thanks
> Jaimie


It does work. Just set it up so there isn't direct contact. (Be smart, avoid a fight)

Why do you need the dog off the jug?

I know a dog that plays with a balloon as its higher reinforcer.


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## Jaimie Van Orden (Dec 3, 2008)

He knows the other two dogs, and they've played before, but yes I'll be really careful. I just can't throw the jug as far as I can a tennis ball, and I would like for him to have a longer retreive. Plus when he's done playing fetch, he tries to eat the toy. Trainer error there, I know. I have some time before work. I'm going to give it a shot, I'll take pictures/ video and post.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Doug's son has a pretty nice female lab that just would not hunt for him. Not sure what he was doing or how he was training....

Took her out with Marley and she now hunts fairly well. Once she watched him for a while, we turned her loose and she got right after it. 

She is a slower hunter, but she will do it and it is fun to take the grandkids with her....Marley works too fast for the grandkids.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Frustration builds drive. SO, put monkey 1 up so that he can watch you play with monkey 2. Do this for a few days without monkey 1 getting to play. This will frustrate monkey 1 to the point to where he will want to play this game that YOU control. When you play with monkey 1 let monkey 2 watch. Monkey 1 will know that monkey 2 is watching. Now go play with your monkey.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Just don't slap your monkey Had to do it!:smile:


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## Dwyras Brown (Nov 21, 2008)

Yeah definitely don't slap or spank it. But you can shock the monkey. I could never figure out that song.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Howard Knauf said:


> Just don't slap your monkey Had to do it!:smile:





Dwyras Brown said:


> Yeah definitely don't slap or spank it. But you can shock the monkey. I could never figure out that song.



Wait.....wasn't this thread about dogs? LOL


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Jaimie Van Orden said:


> He knows the other two dogs, and they've played before, but yes I'll be really careful. I just can't throw the jug as far as I can a tennis ball, and I would like for him to have a longer retreive. Plus when he's done playing fetch, he tries to eat the toy. Trainer error there, I know. I have some time before work. I'm going to give it a shot, I'll take pictures/ video and post.


Tie a piec of rope onto the jug handle and throw some pebbles or something in it for weight. It'll throw better. :lol:


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Anne, sometimes I don't follow you. When it comes to your choice of words like, "higher reinforcer", is that part of clicker training jargon, or something else? I have Karen Pryor's book, "don't shoot the dog", but didn't delve too deeply, after I was persuaded to forget it.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Anne likes the big words to cover her lack of ability. LOL

Kind if like that Cover person. Just create your own weird terminology, so you can sound good.

Meanwhile she is introducing distractions, and screwing up her down stay.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> ... Kind if like that Cover person. Just create your own weird terminology, so you can sound good.




:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, right.


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Howard Knauf said:


> Just don't slap your monkey Had to do it!:smile:


 
But can you esquieve a monkey???:razz:


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Does a spanked monkey have a fast entry ???


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Does a spanked monkey have a fast entry ???


I think so  And faster "outs" too!!


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

OMG you guys!  :lol:


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## Jaimie Van Orden (Dec 3, 2008)

Thanks for all the advice, and well, the lovely comments too [-X 

I took some video of him and one of the retreivers, Kelsey,My goal was just getting him intrested in the ball a little bit. At one point he acutally got to the ball first, got it in his mouth, turned around started towards me, dropped it and came barreling in to a sit in front of me. I think he sorta gets it. 

I am going to spend the next few days taking Jerry's advice, and making him be tied out while I play this "great game" with another dog. I'll use one that listens better than Kelsey! 

Ill post a link to the videos tonight as soon as I can
Thanks again


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

I can't believe someone is actully taking my advise. I was only kidding. No not really, keep us posted. Like to see video. Go get'um Jaimie. Now I have a personnel interest in this. ;o)


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## Jaimie Van Orden (Dec 3, 2008)

Update!

For the last two days he has been in a run while i play fetch with two other dogs. This for some reason doesn't intrest him. I think possibly because he knows he cannot get out of the run to play too? 

Tomorrow I'll try the tie him out theory. I thought maybe it would be the same thing, but I guess not. On the upside when I brought him in today he found a tennis ball in the house (probably like three dogs old, and who knows where he found it LOL) but he carried it in his mouth a little bit before getting bored!\\/ 

Tomorrow we will stake out.

Oh my camera found the snow, and a golden retreiver puppy happily chew it while i wasn't looking, it'll be a while before i can tape anything:-({|=


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