Bringing the ball back!

Missyelliot2

How do I encourage our springer to bring the ball back? He's fab at chasing them, but is very territorial and refuses to drop them within 5 meters of me!
There's often a standoff-his willpower far outweighs mine:rolleyes:

jimf

bend down low and turn your back on him and try different items not a ball all the time

Missyelliot2

jimf wrote: »

bend down low and turn your back on him and try different items not a ball all the time

Thanks a million jimf! Threw out an old, small teddy- which he chewed (apart), and ignored. Sat by ball, completely territorial....think penny has not dropped with this dog. (so loveable, but hasn't yet joined up the dots - aged 3!)

jimf

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

Thanks a million jimf! Threw out an old, small teddy- which he chewed (apart), and ignored. Sat by ball, completely territorial....think penny has not dropped with this dog. (so loveable, but hasn't yet joined up the dots - aged 3!)

ah their a fab dog I have 5 each has their own personality its probably a game of I can piss you off more than you can me :P

don't let it get into a battle maybe a small treat if they bring it to you might help nothing like a bit of bribery

boomerang

Use two balls, so that when he returns with the first ball, he'll drop it for a chance to chase after the one you have in your hand

Missyelliot2

boomerang wrote: »

Use two balls, so that when he returns with the first ball, he'll drop it for a chance to chase after the one you have in your hand

Yes! Does that all the time! But we are minus a ball every time we go out with a ball - want this guy to bring back the ONE ball - I always cave in ....they are so cute! I am weak!

Missyelliot2

jimf wrote: »

ah their a fab dog I have 5 each has their own personality its probably a game of I can piss you off more than you can me :P

don't let it get into a battle maybe a small treat if they bring it to you might help nothing like a bit of bribery

Aw jimf.......you have 5! Best dogs ever! Feck it- the 'bring the ball back' is a game- you are so right. He's winning! (probably buy him a six-pack (of tennis balls, not Heineken, for Christmas!)

jimf

boomerang wrote: »

Use two balls, so that when he returns with the first ball, he'll drop it for a chance to chase after the one you have in your hand

good thinking but I know if it was my dog hes such a tool he would try and get the 2 in his mouth together

jimf

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

Aw jimf.......you have 5! Best dogs ever! Feck it- the 'bring the ball back' is a game- you are so right. He's winning! (probably buy him a six-pack (of tennis balls, not Heineken, for Christmas!)

feck him just get the heinekin for yourself as if :D

Missyelliot2

jimf wrote: »

good thinking but I know if it was my dog hes such a tool he would try and get the 2 in his mouth together

My tool can manage 3!
But the best friend ever!:D

Missyelliot2

just bringing one tennis ball within my general area would be a result.........we are bate jimf, bate!

meoklmrk91

I was never able to play fetch with my lad, through the tennis ball once won't bring it back to you and by the time he does its in bits. Got two balls from dealz, big ones with rope, try as he might he couldn't crush them. Taught him to play that way and now I don't even need a second ball!

jimf

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

just bringing one tennis ball within my general area would be a result.........we are bate jimf, bate!

will he go in water if yes you could try him there and cut him off on exiting

not the best time of year for it unless hes used to it

Missyelliot2

jimf wrote: »

will he go in water if yes you could try him there and cut him off on exiting

not the best time of year for it unless hes used to it

he will go anywhere for a ball - he has a 5 meter 'trust zone' - and will drop the ball only that distance from me.
I throw the ball to him...it goes over a fence - he just understand that he needs to bring the ball back, so I can throw it again:rolleyes:

jimf

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

he will go anywhere for a ball - he has a 5 meter 'trust zone' - and will drop the ball only that distance from me.
I throw the ball to him...it goes over a fence - he just understand that he needs to bring the ball back, so I can throw it again:rolleyes:

the next time don't pick it up just turn and walk away from him make him follow you with it you are going to him so he knows whats going to happen

shift the balance of power they are cute feckers you have to keep this up and don't give in even if you have to feel guilty he will get the message

Brian728

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

How do I encourage our springer to bring the ball back? He's fab at chasing them, but is very territorial and refuses to drop them within 5 meters of me!
There's often a standoff-his willpower far outweighs mine:rolleyes:

You could try put him on a long lead and throw the ball in a laneway or alley so he can't run off. Bend down and encourage him back to you. If he won't come give the lead a gently tug to bring him back to you - all the time praising him. Once he's alongside you don't take the ball off him straight away rub him and praise him - then take the ball and give him a treat. Repeat a few times once he's keen. That's my two pence worth anyway.

maggiepip

Just be really really careful if you do use a long lead. A dog running after a ball at full speed is fast, so if the lead catches in something, tangles or you accidently bring him to a sudden stop you could have a badly injured dog.

Trevor Cortez Zambrano

Treats?

Outkast_IRE

I use treats to train fetch. Usually a slice of ham torn up into small pieces.

Make sure the dog knows you have the ham before you throw the ball, and you need to work from there, almost all dogs will take the treat over the ball.

I have my dog trained to bring the ball back, drop it and then sit. And only then does she get the treat.

But baby steps, dogs learn fast when food is in the equation I find.

meoklmrk91

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I use treats to train fetch. Usually a slice of ham torn up into small pieces.

Make sure the dog knows you have the ham before you throw the ball, and you need to work from there, almost all dogs will take the treat over the ball.

I have my dog trained to bring the ball back, drop it and then sit. And only then does she get the treat.

But baby steps, dogs learn fast when food is in the equation I find.

Great advice, but it does depend on the dog. My fella loves his food but put a toy in the equation and he is going to pick it every time. Even when we went to obedience classes I was the only one there with a dog who wouldn't work for treats, there were other dogs in the room and he had far more interest in them. The following week I brought a squeaky toy and it worked like a charm, the two ball trick worked for me. I even had to use a squeaky toy to train him for recall, treats worked until there was someone or something else more interesting.

Missyelliot2

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Great advice, but it does depend on the dog. My fella loves his food but put a toy in the equation and he is going to pick it every time. Even when we went to obedience classes I was the only one there with a dog who wouldn't work for treats, there were other dogs in the room and he had far more interest in them. The following week I brought a squeaky toy and it worked like a charm, the two ball trick worked for me. I even had to use a squeaky toy to train him for recall, treats worked until there was someone or something else more interesting.

Exactly what happened with me!
Am now working on the two ball trick too!! Seems to be working so far, but still just dropping the ball far,far away. Treats aren't working when there's a tennis ball around!

sive1281

This 'out' command needs to be thought in lower drive, at a different location first. With all my dogs, I teach this in the house first. Using two balls, in my opinion, is sort of like blackmail or briber, what happens when you lose one of the balls!!!!.

At a lower drive with my dogs in the house, i roll the ball for them while i'm sitting on the floor. The dog has a light long line on him too so I can use this to ensure that he does come back to me when he's called. I don't give him an option to not come back when he's called. I then place my fingers on the ball which is in the dogs mouth, and wait............... when the ball is released, it may be immediately or take some time, I mark the behaviour, use the word 'out', then roll the ball again.
The dog learns that the game with the ball comes from me, He must come back and he must let go of the ball and then the game can start again. Repetition is the key in all types of training and with a springer they are usually very quick to learn what benefits their position.

Only when I know the dog knows the command to 'come' and 'out' do i start the game outside. And still i make sure he's on a long line or a flexi lead. This ensures that you have control of the dog, and he must come when he's called. So they then don't learn to take off around the park because they know you'll try and chase them or lie down and hope to god they'll come back to you.

ShaShaBear

Or you could end up like me, with a nine year old dog that decided almost-fetch was better. Why bring it back when you can convince your owner to chase you for it like a plank?
He knows right well to drop it, and if we ignore him, he will literally place it on my lap and tap me with the paw to say please. But the second you move he snatches it back up and legs it :P

Shadow is special

Missyelliot2

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Or you could end up like me, with a nine year old dog that decided almost-fetch was better. Why bring it back when you can convince your owner to chase you for it like a plank?
He knows right well to drop it, and if we ignore him, he will literally place it on my lap and tap me with the paw to say please. But the second you move he snatches it back up and legs it :P

Shadow is special

Am loving Shadow's method!

Tried the indoor method at home....all going swimmingly well- until we hit the great outdoors.
Then we were back to square 1- me at one end of the field, him at the other with a ball- a standoff! I waited for 10 minutes before I cracked and produced ball no. 2. Then ball no. 1 was dropped from gob!

I give up....it's the only glitch we have - otherwise he's a perfect pudding!:D:D

jimf

Missyelliot2 wrote: »

Am loving Shadow's method!

Tried the indoor method at home....all going swimmingly well- until we hit the great outdoors.
Then we were back to square 1- me at one end of the field, him at the other with a ball- a standoff! I waited for 10 minutes before I cracked and produced ball no. 2. Then ball no. 1 was dropped from gob!

I give up....it's the only glitch we have - otherwise he's a perfect pudding!:D:D

any chance of a photo

Missyelliot2

jimf wrote: »

any chance of a photo

Not sure if this will work.....
Dog and ball.jpg

DeVore

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Or you could end up like me, with a nine year old dog that decided almost-fetch was better. Why bring it back when you can convince your owner to chase you for it like a plank?
He knows right well to drop it, and if we ignore him, he will literally place it on my lap and tap me with the paw to say please. But the second you move he snatches it back up and legs it :P

Shadow is special

Meet his brother...


Josh used to do the same thing with the ball... at first when I threw the ball, he'd go and find it, leave it where it was and come back to me and bark like "that ball you threw, its totally over there dude!". Then he would find it and sit near it (for about 5 seconds before something interesting would happen near him and he'd get distracted). Then I managed to get him to bring it back (for treats!) but if there wasnt a treat I didnt get the ball. Josh is a born trader, he doesnt trade until he sees the goods. No goods, no trade. I tried putting my hands behind my back to hide the fact that there was/wasnt a treat but he (no word of a lie) would put the ball down about 3 metres from me, come over to check and only if there was a treat he'd get the ball and trade. It became like a hostage swap on a bridge at one point.

After a while I tried the second ball approach and that works great with him. If he doesnt see the second ball then its no dice but considering I can retrieve the ball when he drops it and repeat, its a lot cheaper and healthier than treats!

Ball is a VERY high value reward for Josh, not all treats would even do for an exchange and they would stop working as he got full up on them but now ball throwing is a great exercise for him and I can throw a ball (with a thrower) half a football field and he'll bring it back... which is GREAT because Josh has a crazy amount of energy and I couldnt possibly walk it all out of him... we'd still be out walking!!

ShaShaBear

Yeah, only for the blatantly obvious breed difference, it's definite Josh and Shadow are related

http://youtu.be/CGOmM5jtgkc