# Fetch? No, thanks.



## Christen Adkins (Nov 27, 2006)

I recently added a new dog to the bunch (Mork), he is a 1yr old and has "gone to seed" a bit--he has had minimal training but a ton of energy. The dog is ball crazy and will gogogo, but getting him to involve me in the game has proven to be a little difficult. He will bring it back some of the time and drop it rather reluctantly on his own, the rest of the time he carries it around and death shakes it. Basically, he doesn't understand that "Toys are fun when the handler plays with it." Rather it's, "Toys are fun, toys are fun, toys are fun." 

I gave the two-ball game a try, but he is two steps ahead of me there. :-? I'd like to, in the future, use his ball as a training reward but I don't see that happening until this conflict is smoothed out.

Any suggestions, folks?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Get a ball-on-a-string toy and the DVD "Building Drive, Focus and Grip" from Leerburg. The drive and tug games there should solve it. Also be sure to train the out 100% motivationally. If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the dog has conflict on the out.


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## Alyssa Myracle (Aug 4, 2008)

Loooooooooong line the ball. Very light weight (read slightly heavier than kite string) line, so you can real him back in and pop it out of his mouth.

He'll get the picture... eventually.


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## Christen Adkins (Nov 27, 2006)

> If I'm reading between the lines correctly, the dog has conflict on the out.


Yep, you are.  

I'll have to go hunting for that tape. I used to own it but lent it to another club member a looooong time ago...


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

While the other poster's instructions are generally correct, you will have a better long term result if you re-train the foundation rather than manipulate the situation.

The Bernard Flinks method for out may not be as helpful as the Mike Ellis method. But the Bernard Flinks video is good for establishing the drive and tug game on your terms.


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