So Charlie has always picked stuff up on walks - but it's getting ridiculous now. His big thing is sticks - and I worry about this for 2 reasons. First, they are often big sticks and he trots/runs along with them and so I have the stick jam in the ground and mouth/throat damage risk. And second he will stop and chomp the ends up, and I think he is eating the wood (he has sicked up wood before). It seems both to be a need to carry something (which I understand lots of labs want to do), and a need to chew wood. He has plenty of carry games, and I do my best on the safe chew front (as previous thread, that's kongs and other things - not wood). This morning's walk drove me nuts - pick up stick, carry it along, I try to distract him, or tell him to drop it, to get the stick and he starts to chew and eat it or run off with it (never far). I wonder if he knows that I'm going to take the stick off him, and he is trying to keep it by eating it! I know that sounds mad....but it really looks like that. I've tried giving him his safestix to carry, but that doesn't work on walks - he prefers to find his own stick (he carries his toys inside, instead of my iphone/remote control/books now, so I suppose I should be grateful...). My "leave it" isn't advanced enough to always stop him picking up the sticks (and anyway, even though I manage his walks, I do sometimes need to take my eye off him to look where I'm going etc.). He doesn't do this if we are engaged in fetch or find it or something like that. Just while we are walking along. Any suggestions? I am seriously considering a muzzle to get him out of the habit, but I find that a horrible idea.
Re: Picking up sticks Julie , I was on the verge of getting a soft muzzle for Sam, for the same reason and also hated the idea . I just decided to work really hard on the Leave command , offering a swap of a treat or ball , little effect for a while but eventually, the penny dropped that if he gave up his stick, he would get a retrieve with a ball as a treat , he prefers that to an edible treat by far . I dont mean to sound trite but it is a matter of repetition , Sam will still pick up the odd stick from time to time and I`ve found with him that I do have to speak in a very firm voice indeed . A gundog trainer friend of mine said that I had to think of Sam as the Private and myself as the Commanding officer , you have my sympathy though, its very frustrating x
Re: Picking up sticks [quote author=kateincornwall link=topic=2303.msg21692#msg21692 date=1376902948] Julie , I was on the verge of getting a soft muzzle for Sam, for the same reason and also hated the idea . [/quote] I can't tell you how comforting it is that you said that! I felt terrible even thinking about it... Maybe I should do dedicated "let's not pick up sticks" walk - mulling it over, I think I'm not working hard enough on "leave it" outside the house. Gosh, I need Total Leave it, Total Stop Whistle, Total Don't Jump Up...(jumping up made a return today, I thought it had gone...) Right, I'll have to put this all on a spreadsheet to make sure I'm doing enough of everything.
Re: Picking up sticks I don't throw sticks any more, but I don't stop Poppy carrying them. I just refuse to play with them, so they have swiftly become pretty boring for her. Throwing sticks for retrieving iis now a no-no for us (that was quite a battle in our household, luckily other half has now embraced the pink safestix and is proving himself to be a Real Man by carrying it with pride ), but personally I don't freak too much about her picking up and carrying the odd stick.
Re: Picking up sticks I don't play with the sticks. I used to throw them for fetch though, before seeing the pink safestix light thanks to the advice on the forum - wonder if that's part of the problem? Thinking about it, he was much worse today once I'd put his ball away when he still wanted more fetch. He doesn't pick up the odd stick - he picks up every stick. He can have another one in his mouth while I'm getting rid of the first - I can't throw it away, because he'd fetch it : so I have to find a way to dispose of it once I've got it off him... (made the mistake once of throwing it over a low wall with a steep bank behind it, I had to ruby tackle him as he went over the top :) We have done a good leave it clicker session today, in a new place, so hoping that helps. I hope I don't just end up walking through a wood saying "leave it" "leave it" "leave it"...... I could walk home throwing his ball for him, I suppose.
Re: Picking up sticks [quote author=JulieT link=topic=2303.msg21749#msg21749 date=1376918978] I can't throw it away, because he'd fetch it : so I have to find a way to dispose of it once I've got it off him... (made the mistake once of throwing it over a low wall with a steep bank behind it, I had to ruby tackle him as he went over the top :) [/quote] Duh - it's time to stop letting him fetch until I say he can isn't it? Sorry, bit slow...
