I now have Charlie really interested in the rabbit skin ball in our garden, he loves to hunt it out in long grass, brambles with great enthusiasm bringing it straight back to me although he does drop it on the ground, but I am not going to be picky about that He is even smiling, tail wagging the works. However, take him to the park etc. the enthusiasm is far less and sometimes zero. Am I doing something wrong, he just cannot seem to transfer new skills beyond our garden - I think he could be the first ever Autistic dog : Helen x
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! Well, dogs are very bad at generalization Helen. Perhaps he just doesnt get it that retrieving the ball is not just for at home, but also at the park. Or perhaps there is more going on at the park, and he is distracted.
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! I think that's probably all it is. Lady is sort of the reverse. Out in the fields she retrieves and delivers. In the garden she wants to play chase with the same ball! ;D
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! My Charlie was the same at first - mad for fetch in the garden, not interested on the beach or park. I thought "o well, not a dog that will chase a ball if there is anything else to do" but it just changed over time, so now he'll fetch anything anywhere. I reckon you should just keep trying now and then, he might just get it.
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! Oh Helen , I really do feel for you, I`m sure that everyone else, like me, was so pleased when he showed such interest in the rabbit skin ball . I wish I had a wand, but all I can say it to stick at it in the garden . I do think that some dogs can have learning difficulties where thought transfers are lacking , I had one just the same, so maybe your comment about autism isnt too far off the mark , please dont lose heart
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! hey helen brodick was like that too. always loved the rabbit skin dummy in the house and in the park, but blanked it up the hills. just too much to engage that nose up the hills! however over time he has really got into it, not as much as cuillin, but in the past few months he has become Retrieve Man.i find i have to make the first few retrieves more exciting for brods to get engaged in a session. ive found an area with lots of long grass and a good slope and i launch the dummy down the slope making sure it bounces a bit before disappearing. that gets him excited straight away and off he will fly, after a few of these he has remembered what fun it is and will do the same retrieves as cuillin...
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! i haven't got a rabbit skin ball or dummy but did go to pets at home on tuesday with jasper,.....his little nose was up against the rabbit pen where one of the rabbits was eating straw, his nose was touching he had a sniff then just turned around and walked nicely away from it,.......so what hope would i have of him running after a rabbit skin ball,....????
Re: Am I doing something WRONG again! Have you tried a pheasant pelt on a dummy? Look at Sporting Saint if you think of buying one. It certainly kept my Lab VERY focused on me when out.
