Sometimes a dog defies all the tutorial videos, advice forums and expert-authored books. I sometimes wonder if Ted (now 13 weeks three days), has somehow taken note of all the advice and thought up cunning and sadistic ways to subvert it in order to test, or worse still, taunt me. His latest challenge started today, and it occurs when he discovers an interesting stone or snail, or plant in the garden. All the advice tells me not to panic, to stay calm, and make him a better offer, like a treat, or a favourite toy or chew. That'll work. Not with Ted. He sees me either approach him or run away from him, using my best silly voice, carrying his beloved Kong Wubba, or Kong Hemp Toy, and up goes his backside, tail wagging, and with one bound he's off to a safe distance where he can carry on chomping on his prize. I literally have to walk away defeated, and feign indifference and pray he hasn't swallowed something lethal. Have others noticed this kind of behaviour challenge, or is Ted unique? Is he going to be my tormentor for ever, or is there a simple way of nipping this one in the bud? I have tried taking him into the garden on the lead, but he now lies as flat as possible on the lawn and looks defiantly at me. Cue manic running away using my Jerry Lewis voice, as he looks disdainfully on. Round two starts tomorrow and I need a new strategy.
Ohhh, Ted! He sounds so funny and adorable! (Obviously not much help to you right now). Stanley isn't quite as cunning in this situation but my advice is to give him a better treat. If I want Stanley to do something and pulled out a toy, or a basic treat he'd give me a withering look that say, "righteo, mam.". A bit of chicken or some cheese though and that puppy will drop whatever he has in his mouth and give me his full attention until the unwanted objected can safely be discarded. Hope this helps! You'll defs get some brill advice on here!
Giving things up takes time to train - or at least it took me time! I would suggest the way to train it is to increase the value of toys by playing lots of exciting games with them. Then when you notice Ted pick a toy up call him to you, get him to give it to you and then start an exciting game. If he picks up something that's not a toy but is harmless (a plastic plant pot say), call him to you, sound really pleased, swap it for some high value treat and then give him the object back . With Molly it was fairly easy to train give up garden and household objects but it took a long time to train give up dead seagulls (don't ask!) I did it by sounding pleased she'd found one and handing it back after she'd given it up. Now she'll give up anything because I never sound cross and she's always going to either get the object back, get a game or a food treat.
I have also found that if I fabricate situations like this with items that are harmless but at the same time high value to him he is a lot happier to give things up. Try and set up situations where you can give the item back to him after a treat so that he sees you're not a giant black hole for fun items
Ted is definitely unique. His technique is well-recognised though. Many a day have I had to walk away from Lilly with the TV control or a mobile phone or a pen in the garden.......you recognise the signs, bum up, tail wag...... Just sometimes got to accept you might sacrifice whatever item you have left lying around and keep your fingers crossed. Mostly, pouring some dry food into Lilly's food bowl, or dropping a treat in one by one (loudly) got her attention diverted. They pretty much DO grow out of it. Or at least the stolen item gradually becomes less likely to be chewed up by the time you get it back. I think in technical terms, ignoring the behaviour results in "extinction". I found with Lilly, once I had tempted her away from said item and she got her treat, I could then send her out to retrieve it and return it to me for another treat. Eventually.......
Charlie likes nothing more than someone trying to get something off him that he has - it is the best game in the world. And no, no food and no amount of food, is worth giving up the thing he has that I want. Unfortunately, this also transferred to his retrieving and it was a long old slog to get him to bring back dummies, achieved by building up the value of elaborate balls and toys which eventually outweighed him having a prize. And constantly working on a 'give' cue. These days he'll give me most things, but if it's something he has nicked (eg a football in the park) and lots of people obviously want it, only being bribed with his blue football will work (but at least I do have something that will work in an emergency). With Betsie, I was ready for this, and she has never discovered that I want anything she has. She has never seen me pick up something that she has had in her possession. I have been super strict about this, and her default is to bring anything she has towards me, while she is still playing with it around my feet, I drop treats (which I try to not let her see me drop), and while she is scoffing the treats, the thing she has just disappears (I don't let her see me with it). It's been hard work but the results are so worth it, lots of time is now saved by not having a puppy that runs off with things.
I do the same thing as @JulieT and I act as if I don't care/want what Duncan has and it is usually something he really doesn't want either (just knows he shouldn't have it in his mouth) & he gets bored and ends up pretty quickly bringing it over to play with it at my feet to try and taunt me into running after him (which I don't) and then I will drop a treat or two away from him and when he runs over to get those I pick up whatever he has dropped at my feet (the remote control or a kitchen towel usually) on a couple occasions the dropping a treat or two didn't work right away because he must have really wanted to play keep away/chase me so I then got a piece of chicken or turkey or something he really couldn't pass up out of the fridge and that did the trick!
