Hi I'm sure this is going to sound a bit daft but never mind. My 8 month old is obsessed with a ball. Whenever we go out he would chase a ball for the full day if he got the chance. We usually try and walk him to a park, let him chase the ball for a bit, say "finished now" put it away and walk him back. He will not walk either to the park or back without us tripping over him. He is so obsessed with the ball in our pocket. He won't sniff around or run ahead of us and has never poo'd at all while out a walk. Is this normal and how do we stop him being so completely driven by a tennis ball. Thanks
I would say you don't necessarily want to stop him being motivated by the ball - if he loves it, great, but try to use it as a reward for other behaviours. If they love something so much, use it. You can then transfer that pleasure on to other activities, so let's take a simple one and teach him a hand target. When he does it, he gets a throw of the ball as a reward. Then make it more difficult, he has to come from a distance to target your hand before he gets the ball etc etc. I used a ball to train my stop whistle and it's a pretty strong cue now (albeit I've not done much with it in a long time), because they know that stopping and sitting means they get to play. It's very easy to end up with a dog that is OTT around balls, generally when you rely on it too much, so go out without it sometimes, and also with it sometimes without throwing it. I (almost) never throw a ball when it's not been worked for. My sister's cocker is completely ball obsessed and it's really not fun. The walks just consist of throwing the ball over and over for him. It's mindless and not good for the joints when repeated over and over.
I have a ball obsessed monster too! If I had a ball with me she would just jump and pester or if she saw someone in the distance with a ball chucker she would make a beeline for them! It became a real problem and I let it go on for too long before taking action! The first thing I did was to go on a walks with no ball, or ball chucker, at all and if there was anyone near me throwing balls for their dog I put her on the lead and walked past at a distance, over time reducing the distance so that eventually we were able to pass by off lead with no excitement! The first few walks she was most confused as to where her ball was!! I played games at home with tennis balls with her only. We can now walk in areas where dogs are retrieving balls and she will not react. I'm also training the stop whistle with a tennis ball and using her desire for the ball to my advantage!!
You've done really well, Debs! Shadow loves tennis balls and as a pup would be completely over threshold if he saw a ball when we were on a walk. I can now throw balls around while he's sat down and not have him run for them until I tell him. It's all great stuff for self control, which comes in useful in everyday life, too. Not that I have perfect dogs, by any stretch of the imagination!
@snowbunny, thank you! I did leave it too long before realising that I needed to take action!! I love the fact that she can now sit while beloved items (balls and dummies!) are thrown around and she won't move. Now, all I need to do is crack the desire to chase four legged fury things......
Oh, I'm with you there. I have plans to get some bunnies in a pen for training with The Boy. I think it's the only way I can desensitise him to them. I need a bigger pen for the deer, though
That sounds fab, I'll look forward to the "bunny training adventures"!! Maisie has a serious chase drive, but my trainer says we can deal with it....we'll see!!
Have you see Philippa Williams' display at Crufts where she has the radio-controlled car driving past with a toy bunny attached? It's fab! I even bought a car to try it with, but my two weren't interested in the slightest. It just doesn't compare to the real thing, obviously
No I haven't, I'll go and have a look at that! Radio controlled cars are a nightmare if we see them at the park! The other week at cricket we were quietly miding our own busines playing ball on the pitch while the guys were organising themselves and out of nowhere came a remote controlled jeep at high speed - off Maisie took at breakneck speed with me yelling stop the car! I must have looked a right wally! Oh she also likes the attack the rubber tyres on the cars too........
My boys would be up for that! Actually, now there's a thought for a new steadiness exercise! I wonder if I could make one look like a cat?
My nephew brought his round and he rigged up a teddy on the top...Dexter fled! ...seriously! tail tucked,bum down,eyes wide.....little monkey .We have done NO work to rectify this why oh why oh why oh why can he not be scared of bunnies and deer !!!!
