Quinn is quite a handful the last little while, mainly around water. She has started this annoying habit where if there is any human within eyesight, she will take off and get them to throw her ball in the water. I can't pinpoint when/why she started doing this...mid summer I would say. She's coming up on 2, so you would think she's past the challenging teenager stage. She tosses the ball in the air for people to catch, it's a cool trick and people immediately start playing with her, so she is always getting rewarded for running off. If I go anywhere near her, she takes off to someone else the opposite direction. It's like she knows I am the only one who will take her ball away/decide when it's time to leave. She goes quite far, which has never been an issue before. It's not only embarrassing that she is doing as she pleases, but stressful. She used to have eyes only for myself/OH...now any other person is her preference. Even if I yell out not to throw her ball, people usually do and now this has impacted her recall. The other thing she has started doing again, which she has not done for over a year, is grabbing the ball out of our hands. I'm not sure if I should quit with the ball entirely, avoid water...which seems like ignoring the problem...go back to basics on recall, get the long put away long line...
No advice as I've never had a ball or water obsessed dog, but I just wanted to say that - wow - she is very smart to have figured this game out!
I've not got ball obsessed dogs either but I would leave the ball at home and maybe try something else like tug games, different toys, hide and seek, touch etc. I would go back to basics with her recall proof it in different areas then you can tackle the water issue. Have you got Pippa's Total Recall? I can highly recommend it. I think sometimes you just have to be firm with people doing things with Quinn that you don't want because this is your dog, your training. I know it's tough but you have to say. You could also get a collar that says TRAINING on it which might deter people. xx
If you have a ball obsessed dog leave the ball at home. In fact remove it from the toy box at the moment. If there is a fail in recall you need to go back to the basics and start all over again. It seems hard but you will get through the early stages quite quickly but don't skip on training in different environments and distractions and use a long line if necessary to prevent a self reward situation of your recall being ignored.
We did go through Total Recall, and then a specific recall training class. I think I have to go through it all again, and build up around water for sure. She was doing so well for so long! It's disappointing.
Getting rid of the ball is good but watch that she doesn't decide to find her own. Stealing them is one option she may try but she could decide to hunt for them. She is a very clever girl. Moo says Hi
I know it's disappointing but you will get there especially if strangers don't interfere. Quinn sounds like a clever girl so I bet you will be back on track before you know it Good luck and keep your chin up Ashley xx
Oh she is so bad for this...my car is full of rancid tennis balls. We did stop with the ball completely during her teenage months, but then we had a lot of sad doggies whose game of fetch were overtaken by a fast black athlete...who could somehow sense their game from miles away
Something you need to work on for recall . Have you got some willing helpers to help in the garden to begin with. You play yo yo recall while a couple of friends or family are throwing a ball backwards and forwards. If you can't get a good recall in the garden with a ball distraction you stand no chance elsewhere in the big wideworld You can also practice 'Leave' if your 'helpers' drop the ball
I remember you gave me some good advice and the benefit of your experience when I was struggling with ball issues with Plum (still a definite work in progress). Just wanted to say how dispiriting it must feel having got so far and then taking a metaphorical tumble, not helped by outside influences. However, Quinn is bright (and beautiful) and I'm sure will get back to brilliant with your efforts.
Have you considered almost always throwing the ball for Quinn, so she does not have to go to other people and does not expect you to take the ball away? Cooper is a consummate ball dog, especially in the water, but she will bring it back to me because she knows I will probably throw it again for her. I normally don't stop until she is tired. Tilly used to be the same way, but she is too old to run really hard any more. She still wants us to throw the ball for her though.
