Running Off With Stuff!!

[leema]

Clover brings toys back to me to throw most of the time at home. She knows the word "give", but I need to be touching the toy before she does give it.

When we go out, the game becomes "RUN AWAY FROM MUM". I'm not chasing her, but she'll still run and run and run! I've NEVER played games chasing her for toys, but Mac (the other dog) does. When we go to the park or something, if she has a toy, she'll run off. If she finds a wrapper on the ground and decides she wants to carry it, she runs off. If she picks up a stick, she runs off with it.

If she has anything in her mouth (when she is at the park), the game is chasey NOT fetch. I've considered tying a toy to me so she can't run off. If I manage to grab her, and say "give" while holding the object, she will give it. But it's the grabbing her that's the issue, and the fact that when she's running in such bliss she's out of my control.

So I think my solution might be to teach her give at a distance, but I also don't want to teach her to spit stuff on the ground (I want a formal obedience retrieve eventually). Perhaps using treats to teach a new cue for spitting on the floor... :/ But then there's always the case that she won't listen to me because it's SO FUN running around with it. :dogrolleyes:

Any suggestions?

 

[hivin]

We like the idea of tying something to the toy so she can't take off with it ... if you look at our post for Ideas for Apartment Dwellers there's a couple of ideas there that might work ... also ... we have a 50 ft training leash so when she feels like playing the chase game ( non-working time, she's on a reg. 4 or 6 ft leash for when she's working ) she can only run so far and we don't have to try and chase her. We did that because of our physical disability, if she did get distracted by something and took off we wouldn't have a prayer at catching her so our solution for her non-working/play time outside was the 50 ft leash ... it was that or an E Collar ( no way ... tried it once ... didn't bother her but we felt like such a beast for zapping her ... we got it because as a pup she would chase after the feral cats on the property and we were just mortified at the possibility she could end up on the road and get hit ... used it once and then felt so bad we got the 50 foot leash and eliminated the possibility of her getting on the road that way ).

Our brother has a big yellow lab ... now Peaches just loves the catch me if you can game ... and they all play right into her ... paws, they chase after her and Peaches just loves it. Good thing they've got a fenced in yard.

Take care: Hivin

 

[hivin]

he he ... just noticed where you're from leema, we should have finished our post off with:

I know, like you've never heard that before :doglaugh:​

Take care: Hivin​

 

[sarhaspups]

Leema, you could try running away and calling her back to you? Make it a game of chasing YOU and catching you! You could take an extra squeeky toy or ball that she really likes and you could throw it once she caught you... throw it behind you and then run so that she comes back to you, using the other toy to throw again when she catches you. That way she is always coming towards you? Hope that helps?
Good luck! Let us know what works.

 

[tanis60617]

Paisley used to do that but I found a jerky treat that he cant resist. I put them in my pocket,and when he retrieved I would show him one. He would immediatley open his mouth and drop the toy. After a while I started reaching in my pocket but not pulling out a treat. But he still dropped the toy. Now sometimes I give treats but most the time he just drops the toy and waits.

 

[leema]

I like the idea of trying to have toys of a higher value on me to exchange, but the problem is that when she has something and is doing laps with it, she doesn't care what I do. EVEN FOOD!!! (Which is a big thing for Clover.) Running around and around is self rewarding.
But I will try with our Hog toy which has a very loud squeak.

 

[traxxie]

My own youngster LOVES keep away. His favorite thing at the dog park is to get a toy and get other dogs to chase him. And he loves for me to chase him the same way.

I taught Traxx to chase me as a way of getting him to come to me. And it works. When he doesn't respond to his name, or wants to play keep away with a toy, or wants to stay out in the yard and not come in, I call him and then turn and run away from him. His response is to come towards me. If I turn and run into the house, he'll come inside and find me. Then I can tell him to drop the toy, or offer him a treat.

 

[goldencheddar]

My dog Canon does this too. Totally embarrassed me in a field trial lesson when she fetched the dummy we threw and ran around us in circles with her head held high! I got scolded by the trainer. I worked with her on a long line and gently pulled her to me when she went out to retrieve. We started with short throws and now have gone to longer ones. She is doing better, but still likes to circle me. I have found that if I ignore her and begin to prepare some treats on the ground or do something, she is too curious to stay away. She will come investigate what I am doing. Then I calmly ask for the toy and we start our work over. I also found that with the long line on her collar, she comes right back like a perfect angel! Without the long line is when she will take her lap around me! Dogs are so smart.