I just had a really interesting play session with the food pocket toy. I used the food pocket toy because I felt engagement was a bit easier to achieve with this toy. He really was into personal play, but also interested and cooperative with the food toy. (Yes he actually likes lying on his back on me, he can also relax great that way). He initially didn’t want the food, but he did at the end. And no bringing the toy to the snuffle mat to have for himself!
This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Stefanie.
This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Stefanie.
Thank you! I see the point with the strong pressure, but I actually feel that if I did less, he didn’t even bite it properly. So he seemed to put in most effort when the pressure came from me… If they toy is passive or slow he does not really bite it. I think I managed a bit at the end of the first video (from 3.50) with holding it very briefly and then letting go.
Also, when I try letting the toy slide through my hands as he is pulling, I don’t feel it is what he really wants.
This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Stefanie.
Today it felt like really hard work to engage Yari in tug play. This shorter toy worked great at my parent’s house with more space where I could run away with one and he would chase (and leave the other). But today it seemed harder to engage him with it for tugging itself/ to get him to bite properly.
This session really felt worse than it looks on the video to me now, so I then tried with the long tugs, and also had the feeling that it was hard to engage him. To be fair, it was almost 20 min of playing, in retrospect certainly too long.
Probably better to keep sessions short, such as 5 min at a time max.? At least afterwards, he was very motivated to do tricks for food. And one positive point I think, he didn’t run off with the toy very often.
Somewhere (I couldn’t find it now when looking through the videos quickly) he also seemed to get a bit angry that I wanted to steal his toy. He has a slight tendency for ressource guarding (which very rarely manifests), and sometimes with his growling I have the feeling that there is a bit of a serious intent mixed in.
I tried some more in tugging, it didn’t always go so well, but overall he was nicely engaged.
I did the ball game with some other balls (not the “special” ones I bought). Obviously, the room is too small to actually run away, so I am sure this game would work better in a bigger space.
A question about balls. As I mentioned in the introduction, balls would be Yari’s favourite reward. They acquire their value through the fast movement through the air, so he is not so keen to give them up, although he will with my special “swap” signal. But his preferencec would be to take his prey to a safe spot and chew. Whereas, if I train it like a retrieval game, he will retrieve objects (also balls) if they have not yet acquired that incentive salience from being thrown.
I bought 5 brand new totally different balls for the games. Should I train giving them out first, before throwing them? To increase my chances that this becomes normal for him with these balls?
Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Tried the new tug toy for the first time today after watching the lessons (I ordered two, but only 1 was delivered, so waiting for the second one now). I am pretty happy how it went given that Yari tends to want to keep toys that he has won for himself.
Thank you! Your comment made my day 😀
Thanks for explaining the slipping of the toy again, I tried it today (may need some more practise). Also – petting was a hot tip! I imagine most dogs might not be so pleased by petting in this context, but it seemed to be a great way to get myself in the game again without the risk of competition for the toy 🙂 He seemed to appreciate it, as also demonstrated by his immediate willingness to bring me the toy afterwards.
This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Stefanie.
Had the first indoor dog dance class of the year today with 5 dogs (one unfamiliar)(before, classes were taking place outdoors irregularly). Except at the beginning with some sniffing, Yari worked really well andn basically stayed focused the whole time even amidst the other dogs. I had some relatively high value treats inter-mixed, but not the best value such as chicken or sausage. This is good, as in the past, even high value rewards that I can use in a forest full of deer were not good enough.
So, Yari was happy to work with me (at a close distance) or to poke me. Only throwing treats and engagement (seeking me out without calling) did not work so well. I am not sure if this was because the higher overall distraction or because the throwable treats were of lower value than the non-throwable ones.
But his working attitude was nice, and not too much air-snapping either 😀
Hi Polona
Many thanks for your tips! I was quite busy the past few days so while I was playing with Yari, I didn’t post.
We are enjoying the poke me, engagement and jumping. When I am standing upright, poking and engagement is a bit harder (especially the poking part).
Engagement & jumping up outside
However, since playing poke me he has developed a habit of air snapping when he thinks it is time for his reward… You see a particularly bad example at the end of the video (from the 8th). I have since remedied a bit by holding a hand (with or without treat) up high when he is heeling left or right from me. I think it has already improved again, but he may also do it a little bit with other tricks. https://youtu.be/0mRz1hsx9Kc
Food pocket: on 9th November went quite well I think, even though initially he had refused to eat the food I was using (baked dry food which I only use as treats, or for these food games now). In the video the last session on that day: https://youtu.be/KCyu8wc625I
Today, food pocket seemed to go less well because it would not occur to him to bring me the toy on his own (maybe I was also making too clear I wanted it). It did work when I asked him with the proper “bring” signal. One reason might be that just the chewing of the stuffed toy, regardless of the food, is rewarding to him. Again today he initially refused to eat the food (currently bad at eating, despite hunger, again except for treats, which he is still excited about). So in retrospect, perhaps chewing the toy on his own was about as good as eating from it, so there was no reason for him to ask for my help. https://youtu.be/oGvQ534F38E
About other dogs: when passing other dogs on lead in the street you would notice hardly anything thanks to training. In theory, he also has good social skills with other dogs, except for the greeting where he may rush too much and then fiddle. He is not assertive but rather approaches other dogs with backward body language. When off leash and I am too late recalling him, he may run up to other dogs and bark – he is much better at calmer greetings when on lead. When entering training hall, he is initially highly aroused so may whine (almost scream), but after he was able to lie down/ go into his crate he calms down quickly. He is not reactive to dogs in class, but he is just aroused by their presence. Actually there are many nice dogs in dogdance which he can greet very nicely, and 2 slightly angry chihuahuas whose barking he ignores. Unfortunately, where I live he does not have that many positive interactions on walks and there are quite a few reactive/aggressive dogs (which of course he does not get to meet and handles well).
While he is easy to arouse, he is also good at derousing again quickly. But even if it is not immediately obvious (i.e. he is not observing other dogs etc.), it can still happen that they occupy part of his brain. I feel the engagement games will be really helpful though, already they worked well in town. In everyday life, I mostly capture good behaviour rather than asking for it (and then he is happy to offer it) – in comparison in dogdance he has to carry out one signal after the other. So now trying to turn this around 🙂
(I have started with the other games too, but I think I need most input for this one 🙂 )
Wow! I didn’t expect that the combination of food and tug would increase the value of BOTH the food and the tug so much 😀
Video of first time playing with food/tug toy (In the beginning, he alreaydy got excited about the toy, even without food; the tugging with food is trial 2 and 3, or 3 and 4)
How do you recommend to proceed? (I realised I need to leave the toy on the floor after opening it next time).
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