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Leveraging prey drive for conditioning

Discussion in 'Training & Behavior' started by GK1, Jul 20, 2015.

  1. GK1

    GK1 Big Dog

    Working with two family dogs as of late.

    1st is a WL GS. Nice girl - impressive frisbee/ball player, tugger and will go for virtually any object attached to a flirt pole or the tree branch spring pole I made.

    2nd project is the new girl (avatar). Confident and playful, but virtually zero interest in the ball and commercial toys. Perhaps not imprinted as a pup, maybe genetic. However, her hunt drive toward animals is high - to say the least.

    In order to get the little hound to go for the flirt pole and spring pole eventually, I'm thinking I should try using animal hides instead of rubber toys as the prize at the end of the pole.

    Logical course of action?
     
  2. bluedoglover

    bluedoglover Top Dog

    sounds like a good idea to me. are you in a rural area? perhaps she can chase rabbits as long as she does not catch them.
     
  3. ELIAS'PISTOLA

    ELIAS'PISTOLA CH Dog

    Try letting her chew on a ball/ hide a bit to get a taste and lure her slow until she catches it and let her chew a bit more as a reward...
    If you havnt let her watch the other dog flirt, restarin her and play with the other dog periodically switching dogs to give her a chance, it might take some time...
    The weight of some dogs also effects thier play and or prey drive and some dogs are plain lazy...
     
  4. GK1

    GK1 Big Dog

    Yes. Chases rabbits with real vigor, and cats too. Her recalls are not solid like the GS, so I am leery of letting her off the lead.

    Another good idea. I'll bring the crate outside and work them separately in the yard.

    This new is one smart and clever; just need to figure out her wiring.
     
  5. ELIAS'PISTOLA

    ELIAS'PISTOLA CH Dog

    You seem to be a good owner understanding not to let he off her lead, as all it takes is one animal and you might not see your dog again...
    Whether nieghbors pets, farm animals,a rabbit or any other wild animal, you better have a garmin if your in the country, and youl get in worse trouble in town...

    As far as exersizing with a flirt and or spring, remember not all dogs like the same material to chew on...
    My first bulldog was a tennis ball fanatic, playing with herself if she couldnt get any takers...
    Shed learned young chewing up the ball stopped the play and learned to chew on the ball, back and forth corner to other corner of her jaw and sometimes shifting it to the front...Just steady chewing but not puncturing it and we learned to spring for a better bell thet could take all the chewing, she d get it itn the front of her mouth and shoot it out just to chase it down and do it again...
    If in the house and she couldnt get anyone to kick her ball, she would lay on top of the stairs and chew on the ball, eventually shooting down the stair case quickly presuing chase down after and the stairs came to a T ,giving her one direction to chase and another completing a lap and back up the stairs, non stop...
    many time she fell asleep at the top of that staircase, just to wake of a sound of the ball bouncing off the first step...
    She kept herself in great shape, even as an old dog she was fit, could really bite and had great balance from flirt catch spring and riding around in a car...
    I told you that to tell you this, she wouldnt chew anyother ball, toy, rope or hide, JUST A PENN7 TENNIS BALL...
    She tought many a young and old dogs new tricks, as she was the house dog and the kennel dogs obsevered her every day activities, in and out with that ball...
    Neadless to say gennerations of penn7 junkies... I drill a hole through both sides of the ball threading nylon through it and tying a knot at the bottem...
    I start them playing with a loose ball and trick them into a lure with a flirt and reward them with the loose ball...
    I had another dog that would only play with a rope from a spring pole, i learned to be carefull and not let her swollow it, she had no prey drive and wouldnt chase anything...
    Another thing is dogs chase rabbits because of how they move, simulate it with the flirt...
    Some of those dogs might sleep with cats but chase bunnies, I am sure stranger things have happened...
     

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