It's not important at all. Take off the cord, and tape the flaps down if necessary - all fine. You can deal with cords and flaps later.
Thanks for the replies, @MaccieD sadly it seems like the seller that you linked doesn't deliver to Italy! @JulieT I'm just trying to teach him the retrieve object, he chase after the ball quite enthusiastically but after he gets it he wander off and does his business!
Oh, ok, so he chases after the ball, and he enjoys that, but doesn't get the 'bring it back' bit? In that case, I'd first try just 'swapping' the retrieve. At first, this is a very unstructured game, but you do have to move on to something more structured later. You start by having two identical but exciting things. Say two rabbit skin dummies (or balls, or whatever - something that is going to really interest your dog but not drive them crazy - that depends on your individual dog). Toss the first item a very short distance. As soon as the dog picks it up, call out and encourage him to come back to you, bang the second item....hopefully the dog will head back to you a little bit before dropping the first item. Reward by throwing the second item. And quickly pick up the first. Rinse and repeat. Have a word like "good" or "yes" that marks the turn back to you with the first item - the idea is to tell the dog that the throw of the second item is a reward for heading towards you with the first item. Then you build on this, build on it by delaying the "good" or "yes" by tiny, tiny, amounts until the dog gets it - he gets that the next throw is a reward for bringing the first thing back to you. After that, you can build in swapping the reward for food, then delaying the reward some more, then asking for steadiness....but the very beginning is to get the dog heading back to you carrying something.
@Newbie Lab Owner Ah, but we through the dummy into the long grass on the walk back to the car for Juno to go fetch as well. She loves bounding through the long grass and rooting around for the dummy
I see well i might try that, i always struggled with him when it came to play games sometime i think i'm not that interesting to him! I wanted really to teach him how to retrieve so that he would enjoy something together with me! When i throw the ball he chase after it but either he keeps it for himself or he drops it and pick somethingelse (if we're outside)
Ah, ok. Well, learning to play with your dog might be a key first step. It sounds like this maybe isn't just about fetch, but about your dog being interested in you. Just my view, others who have a different view about the clicker retrieve might differ (it's always worth getting a range of opinions before making up your own mind what to try though). I'd try just playing with toys - but always in the back of your mind remembering that the purpose of the game is that fun happens when the dog heads towards you. And try tug, it's a great game. Just concentrate on you and your dog having fun - but fun together - not your dog heading off away from you.
Hi Peter, The clicker retrieve works well for dogs that are reluctant to pick up or that don't want to hand the dummy over. It sounds as though you have made quite a lot of progress with it already. If you want to keep going with the method you might find this video helpful. Jo has given permission for me to post it here. It illustrates the kind of problem I think you might be having and focuses the dog on the reward, rather than what she is carrying in her mouth .
Thanks for the replies! I tried a lot with tug of war but i can't seem to get a toy in which he can have fun while playing it
I had that problem with my dog - it was my attitude, not the toy (although he clearly prefers rabbit skin tug toys over any other). I went to my trainer, saying "my dog doesn't like tug". She took the tug toy off me, bent down and said in an excited voice, "where's it gonna go?" and flung it around...she had my dog dancing round that tug toy in no time. It was a big lesson for me - it was about me, not my dog....
*nods* true and that's probably the case but i also think that the tug toy that i use is not good for his mouth at least that's what i came up. http://www.bendeitalia.com/catalogo_bendeitalia/b1a_0000.jpg I bought the first one which seems like he can't get a hold to, he blocks it with his front teeth and it seems (at least to me) that he can't maintain it in his mouth
By all means try a new tug toy. My dog hates the fake sheepskin ones - he prefers the thin rabbit skin ones. Fiona's @snowbunny dogs don't get on well with those at all...so, sure, try a few thing to see what suits him.
Does your dog pick up anything? Things around the house? Slippers etc? When you throw a ball does he pick it up at least at first? In which case, try a ball on a rope as a tug toy....whatever works...
Yes ofcourse he picks up the ball first but then he wander off, the ball that i used so far for the clicker retrieve is or at least used to be one of those balls with the rope. If i used that as a tug toy he went for the cord instead, if i threw it he first proceed to pick it up by the cord and then plays with it himself and chews on it afterwards, it's been awhile now to find a good toy and ofcourse also a good method to play with him which i lack
