Thank you @JulieT, my brains a fuzz from a chest infection and head cold, well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it I might well be putting in some early mornings/late evenings
One more question @JulieT As Dexter has got rather ball obsessed especially with chuckers , would it be an idea to leave a chucker and a ball laying around indoors, when I'm about, so that it's just there for him to pick up and chew on (if he so wishes, more the ball to chew than the chucker)? As I thought it might make him less interested in them. Or keep them still as special items for the two of us to play with in a controlled way. I will take some video and try my best to write out my training plan and post either here of start a new thread.
If it's really true that Dexter is showing signs of obsession, rather than just Labrador over keeness, then it's quite a long road....not necessarily a different one, though. I wouldn't leave balls and chuckers around to be chewed, no (you can end up playing with them in a casual way, but I wouldn't start by just handing them over). But I would start 'working' around them. So put a chucker and a ball in view but out of reach (on a table or shelf, say) and get Dexter to be able to follow his cues, then move it a bit closer, and a bit closer, until you can have it on the floor and Dexter can follow his cues. Then you need to build up from there until the thing can be moving, then a ball can be in it, then it can move, and so on. How fast or how slow you can move depends on how bad the problem is. If it's very mild, you can move on quite quickly, and it won't be such a big deal. If it's quite serious, you'll find progress is at a snail's pace.
Thank you @JulieT, I think at this stage it is definitely Labrador over keenness, phew, the same as his now over keenness to run and greet other dogs. I want to nip both of these in the bud I have started to get him to leave the ball and chucker when I have it but will take this further back and work as you suggest. I've been working in my dining room (my first place with anything new) and no distractions. I'll write my training programme out with baby steps (as many as I can think of), I'm using very quiet calm cues that he knows to help lower the excitement to start with. Thank you again for your advice, I do appreciate it
Try and keep it light hearted, and like a game. I created a sort of mini "temptation alley" for Charlie (this might look like not big deal, but it was at that time for Charlie) from balls and dummies. dummy alley by Julie T, on Flickr
Oh, and try and get it to be uncued behaviour. A default behaviour, not a cued 'leave it'. So you can just put a ball and chucker on the ground and Dexter just ignores it, not that he will only ignore it if you tell him 'leave it'. Let us know if you need help with how to do that.
That's the same as I've been working on, we are at the food/treat stage at the moment and have just started introducing the ball. I'm keeping it basic and working on him being calm at an easier level before I move forward. With the low value treats, he gives me eye contact easily now, by watching his reactions to the value of them, I can see how much effort Dexter is having to put into controlling himself and how difficult he finds it to look away. I can really understand where I mistook his over enthusiasm for self-control, if you get my drift . It was the ball and chucker that had the control, not me
I'll do another thread @JulieT, it might take me a while so I'll get my laptop out, so that hopefully I can copy and paste it when I finish juggling it about and putting it in a logical progression. Hopefully then you and others can add to it for me. I know I'll get him on track again with hard work, perseverance and lots of fun too. At least I don't feel like the ragging bull from yesterday
I am so glad to read all of these posts - I thought we were going great guns at pup classes then last week was a disaster. Henry is the biggest pup there ( and the only lab) and by the time the class was over and he had hauled me over to the bag of chicken brought by the lady next to me and had been a love machine with as many of the others that he could get near no-one was wanting to speak to us. I felt like the mother at the school gates who has the naughtiest child in the class. So back to square one - it was so bad I thought about not going anymore - but one of my daughters has said she will come with me so at least one person there will be speaking to us. Heigh ho.
I totally know how you feel - and was so grateful to you for admitting that you wanted to cry as I've felt the same way myself. I've already posted about the horrendous last puppy class Henry and I went to - I swear he has a button in his brain that he presses when he thinks I might be getting a bit confident that all is going well.............
@lynnew I've noticed you live in Norfolk which is a long way from me otherwise I would have happily come to classes with you. Chin up and keep going, remember ignore other people in the class and keep going, you'll get there in the end.
Hiya, back to class tomorrow , dear Lord let it be better than last time, thanks for thinking of us !
Hard luck if you are the only one at your puppy classes with a Lab. I had two others in my class. The first time the trainer tried to handle Molly she jumped all over him, I was mortified. Then the other two Labs did just the same. The other dogs in the class (2rotties, a spaniel and a large hairy thing) made no attempt to do so. The trainer made no attempt to curb her jumping up which was something I was really struggling with at the time and wanted help with. I still see the spaniel as it lives locally. It is still a cute little ball of fluff and it still seems to have little training as it goes everywhere with its lead taut. A few weeks ago in the pub a guy remembered my husband at the puppy training classes. He was also a Lab owner and said he had never been able to stop the dog pulling on the lead. I have worked long and hard to stop Molly pulling. She is so easily distracted by smells. She can now walk nicely and calmly by my side. Doesn't mean she always does There is no substitue for repetative training. I think some people expect that puppy training classes train the dog, but in reality it trains the owner to train the dog, but if they don't keep on with it they classes are just a waste of time and money. Think I'll sign myself as Tina, smug g*t today
Must be a 'Dexter' thing...mine was the same.He'd leapt at someone in the park as they pulled back to throw for their own dog......shaming! I pretty much started working on it how JulieT has suggested ......our start point was the ball chucker on top of the freezer.....it travelled all round the house and garden ,including on my person ( shoved down the back of my trousers ! ) We haven't had one out for ages or been around them for a while I must test him out....it's something he has to REMAIN trained on! X
One of my daughters drove 50 miles to come with us for moral support today and thankfully Henry decided to use his powers for good and not evil at class and was brilliant thank goodness. The last thing we do is 'come when called' Henry is always selected last and the trainer said as she was walking towards us -' well I haven't been jumped on today but cant put it off any longer'. Helen (my daughter) had been able to watch all the other interactions and she said that several of the other small dogs had jumped up the trainer but as they are small she didn't remark on it. I am working really hard to stop H doing this and we are gradually winning so I found this comment unhelpful. Anyway I am pleased we went , I was dreading it, but we do practice every day and this weekend I took three labs to the beach, my own two and Emmy, my daughters lovely yellow girl. They walked together quite well, although George is a bit reluctant to give up his position right next to me on my left side and keeps trying to swap places with Henry. When Will was alive I always held them both with my left hand, Will on the outside and George in between us. I 'm not sure if I need the pup to be in the middle or if George should remain in the position he's always occupied. Would welcome anyone's thoughts on this.
Well done henry! Can't help on the positions though, afraid my experience of walking 2 is pretty limited and not a total success
My two have a way around they prefer to be. Shadow is closest to my leg and Willow is on the outside. They came up with this themselves and don't like to walk the other way. It doesn't bother me one way or the other, so I'd say if you're OK with the pup on the outside, let it be I don't know where they worked this out from. It's similar when waiting for meals or treats - Willow has to be on the left and Shadow on the right. They really seem uncomfortable if I try to put them the other way around, and will readjust themselves. It's like they have OCD or something
@lynnew so glad it went well for you today. Well done you and Henry. What a star your daughter is for driving 50 miles. Must admit I felt incredibly irritated on your behalf to have the comment "well I haven't been jumped on today". It reminds me of a guy that lives in the next street to me. He says the same thing. He thinks I'm completely incompetent. I've told him he shouldn't wave a biscuit at Mabel. Labradors think with their stomachs. Well mine does.
