Stuck with balls return training!

[J&J]

I've been slowly working with Ellie concerning her ball theft problem and when I mean slowly, I do mean slowwwwly

I'm at a point now I'm not sure what about my next move...

It's been a hard slog getting her to the point we are now, which is using two balls, she gets the first one and will bring it back and drop it about 10ft away, if nothing is said she will wait with the ball, ready to pick up and off with it if anybody approaches.. So I tell her to sit before I throw the second one.. She has started to come back dropping and leaving the ball about 10ft away then coming and sitting in front of me waiting for the next one!

But if she see's another dogs ball she gotta to have that one If I throw her ball, to get her to play swap the ball game it doesn't happen.. She will not give up the other dogs ball very easily in fact she will try to get both in her mouth

Which when some owners are using small balls, she's come close to a couple of times getting the ball Jammed in the back of her throat

Has anybody got any ideas to how to extend what I'm doing to see if I can cracked the 'must have tother dogs ball'?

[GobbySchäferhund]

Hi

I would say invest in a long lead and do all ball /Recall training on that untill she realises that she has to come back to yourself.

[J&J]

We do recall practice as standard, she's about 98% success the 2% is mainly made up of ball failures

We started off with the long lead but did get to the stage that all Ellie would do was get the ball, skirt around until you give her the recall tug, come back so far park her bum look at you then lie down with that smirk on her face that said 'and what are you going to do now!' hehhe..

It might be worth giving it a try with another dog to see what happens, but I do have this snicky feeling that history might repeat it's self...

One thing she does respond to but I'm reluctant to use it too often, is if I get her lead out and tell her that we are going she will very reluctantly plod my way... I don't like doing this has it seems that I'm punishing her..

As at the end of the day, it's not malice based to her this is all a big game she loves playing so for me it's walking the tight rope and looking for the way that enables me to control the game and not Ellie...

[super D]

Maybe try working on her leave with er ball, then try on other dogs once she is pukka hun xxx

[J&J]

Ellie can be quite a stubborn little mare when she wants to be…

It’s the first time I’ve used the two ball method, as the single ball method failed if you try with one ball all she does is go off with that ball and hold onto it until it’s time to go home, hence the long lead method then two ball method…

We did try to see if we could find something with a higher value the dog’s ball, but as yet we haven’t found a treat or object that out shines a ball…

Going back to a single ball is my objective, but she's not quite ready yet as she will go back to her I'm going to ignore you mode, we ignore her calling game over... But she won't let up until it's time to go home

[J&J]

You've got no chance of recalling her with a ball in her gob

But saying that she did suprise me tonight at agility... she nabbed Jets ball, Tony know our Ellie very well... Looked at me has to say have fun getting it back..

But managed to get it back in a couple of minutes, she didn't bring it back but did drop it and came back on recall, well after a couple of calls then a very stern I'm not mucking about Call..

I know that a lot of it is just to keep going and I'll get there..

[LucyA]

When Blitz picks something up that he shouldn't have we have to pretend that we don't want it lol. If he clicks that we think he shouldn't have it and we want it we would never see him again, we just ignore him call him as normal as if nothing is different then snatch quickly hahaha!!! He is a very possessive boy!! x

[kelpiemad]

I would teach her to hold and give on a clicker just while sitting down on the sofa as an exercise so when you say give she will put the ball in your hand then introduce the fun bit
lv M xxxx

[GV9297]

I am going to try this as Diesel will sometimes not give up his ball - anything else I am welcome to!

[Nash]

J&J, you have a good dog, use it as a strength. Right now there seems to be too much stress on obedience that she does not understand. This confusion has made the 10 foot circle around you "hot" therefore she stays out of this area, she does not want you to get the ball away from her as she thinks she will lose.

With the 2 ball game I would suggest to throw one ball away from you, she runs and gets it. Now as she is running towards you, show her the other ball and throw the other ball in the opposite direction so that she has to come towards you then run by you to get to the other ball. As she focuses on the other ball rolling away she will drop the first ball and chase the second one. Now you quickly pick up the first ball and as she turns around towards you, show her the ball by moving you arm and throw it in the opposite direction again. Repeat.

This exercise will relieve stress in the 10 foot area around you. In the beginning (about 200 repetitions in 1 month time) do not give any obedience commands (just minimal as needed). Let her have fun and discover that getting close to you with the ball in her mouth is not a bad thing. Once she is clear about this, then introduce obedience. You would need to teach the "drop it" or "out" command in a way that she gets a reward the minute she drops the ball or hands it to you. In this way her fear of losing her prized ball will go away. Just commanding her to drop it and then taking the ball away will make matters worse. In the beginning you make it a game, drop it means she drops it but you give it back immediately as reward. Hope I made sense.