Not Ball Mad

[Jon]

Jackson is slowly learning to play with other dogs and even followed his "little friend" Ella a goldern retriever into the water last night.

However, he's still not that crazy about chasing a ball. He will play with a ball every now and again but if it goes too far he's kinda like "whatever"...

Any ideas to increase the ball madness that I want in him to help with future training?

He has a "Ropey" which was his favourite until he lost one of his puppy canine teeth to it, he now eyes at it very suspiciously with his remaining canine tooth....

[super D]

Try making the ball more intersting, like this ball is the best thing ever in the world, you play with the ball, but dont let him have it, then put it away, then play with the ball again a little while later, then put it away, keep doing it until you can tell he really wants this ball more than anything else in the world.
Let him have the ball then, and after a few minutes take it away, do this some more at different occassions, after a while of this technique, his ball will be his prize possesssion, and will be the best training aid ever.
Hope this helps
xx

[super D]

Also, can I say, he might not be ball crazy, it could be that another toy is his prize posession, and then that toy could be the training tool instead xxx

Yep having a ball crazy dog does have its advantages in training. But not when walking past the local footie pitch

[Jon]

Originally Posted by super D

Try making the ball more intersting, like this ball is the best thing ever in the world, you play with the ball, but dont let him have it, then put it away, then play with the ball again a little while later, then put it away, keep doing it until you can tell he really wants this ball more than anything else in the world.
Let him have the ball then, and after a few minutes take it away, do this some more at different occassions, after a while of this technique, his ball will be his prize possesssion, and will be the best training aid ever.
Hope this helps
xx

Thanks Sarah, I'd already done some of this to some extent, but not taken the ball away as I was still working on the retrieve at the time. He will generally bring things back when asked.

At the moment, he knows Ball, Bowl (food), and ropey. The food bowel he can make crashing noises with by throwing it so retraining that one.. haha

I think another visit to pets at home for a kong squeaky ball might be in order...

[LOVEGSD]

Diesel isn't ball mad, he'll play with one when he feels like it so for training he's much more food motivated. Oscar on the other hand is ball obsessed and will ignore a bomb going off next to him if he has a ball

[Jon]

yeah, i think the food route would work...

[zetstaff]

Originally Posted by LOVEGSD

Diesel isn't ball mad, he'll play with one when he feels like it so for training he's much more food motivated. Oscar on the other hand is ball obsessed and will ignore a bomb going off next to him if he has a ball

Boris is the same as Diesel, unless it's his egg ball

[LOVEGSD]

Originally Posted by zetstaff

Boris is the same as Diesel, unless it's his egg ball

I've seen how much he loves his egg, love that vid!

[Jon]

Originally Posted by LOVEGSD

I've seen how much he loves his egg, love that vid!

erm.... egg ball??



Rugby ball???