A few months ago I posted about Plum's craziness around balls and how dispirited I was after a particularly difficult walk in the local rec. I had some great advice (and support) on here and have put the suggestions into practice. Over the last few days I've noticed changes in her behaviour which I honestly never thought I'd see. We walked into the local rec and a kid with a football was near (normally an incendiary combination). She was on the lead, the boy was kicking the ball along which would have sent her in to a frenzy a while back, but she ignored them both! Then there was a group of kids playing a game so we got near and circled around quite close and she barely paid any attention. Then we passed another group of kids playing football and she was focused on me, off lead, ignoring them, then she made to run after the ball, her front paws were off the ground ready, but I called her, she stopped in her tracks and RETURNED to me! Woohoo! Same with tennis courts. People knocking balls back and forth would usually have her running madly up and down, jumping up at the fence. But she seems almost disinterested now (at least at the moment). Same with ball slingers at the beach today; just keeping focused on me, not interested in what others were doing with their dogs. I've been doing LAT and practising keeping her focus on me with hand touch, 'find it' and ball games (firstly starting in the garden, then over the park) where I throw the ball and expect her to wait before I give her the permission to go and get it. Also getting her to sit in front of me while I play with the ball throwing it from hand to hand, tossing it up and down while she watches, before I reward her with letting her go fetch it. Thank you so much @edzbird , @QuinnM15 , @snowbunny and @selina27, for your support and advice. Priceless. I'm not daft enough to think she'll never go crazy for a ball again, it'll probably happen tomorrow! But I know I can keep working on it. Now to try and stop her running off after a scent
Brilliant news, very well done to you , sounds like you've turned the corner with this behaviour. All the focus on me games really do make such a difference, quite subtle to start with but it builds and builds. BUT for me and Cassie recall from and behaviour around other dogs remains a big issue -- onwards and upwards. Ha ha! Now this we can do in fact her recall off a scent is vastly superior to a recall when she's just pottering. Well up until now anyway.
What a fantastic post to read. Well done to you both . There will always days where she may slip up, but it sounds like you have really reinforced that you are more exciting.
