Toys for Recall/Rewards

[SaddlePsych'D]

I'm looking for ways to improve Ivy's recall and one thing I am wondering about is whether it's possible to use toys as a reward as well as food.

She absolutely loves a squeaker and somewhere we have a rabbit skin chaser toy (or what's left of it post de-squeaking ) which she loves. .

However, she doesn't like playing tug so that's not a rewarding game for her. The thing she really loves with a toy is either scuttling off to chew it or running laps around us with it at the secure field in a way it's like she's showing off. Either way if we let go of the toy she'll be gone with even more incentive to not come back. I had fashioned the chaser toy into a flirt pole at one point and she did like that, although I worry about injury if we do too much just given how blooming fast she can move!

I'm just wondering if there's another way we can wield her prey drive for good and try to make being with us more exciting than bogging off to sniff stuff (our recent recall fail, though we are pretty much exclusively on-lead when not in the secure field). Maybe it just won't work for her but thought I would ask on here in case of other ideas. It's lovely having bimbly sniffy long-line walks with her, it's just I think that probably doesn't help our case for recall/generally engaging with us when we're out.

 

[CorvusCorax]

There are lots of soft/furry/microfibre toys you can get on a line or a bungee. A lot of flirt poles come with a long cord to attach the toy that comes with it or a toy of choice.

I have a soft squeaky pink bite roll on a rubberised line and a short handle and one of those microfibre cloth things on both a long line and a bungee, means she can run, play but there is still connection to me and I can put pressure on/whisk it away/make it prey.

I don't allow carrying things off to kill them. The fun/engagement must involve me and the game comes through me.
That's why I don't throw things far, the action is all in and around my person.
Lots of teasing and misses but lots of wins too. The bungee is good as it makes the dog feel powerful/like it is winning/has a chance, whereas just pressure on a line can be off-putting.

Hold the object out to your side to let the dog fly through or between your legs, the idea of crashing into a static object (you) can also slow down recalls.

You can also build drive for a toy by back-tying/restrained recalls etc and only ever using the good toys in training. If they just lie around the house with easy access then they won't hold as much value.

 

[Morwenna]

The value has to be with you and the toy, not just the toy so as CC said I never throw things far (mine also prefers parading round with something furry in her mouth but as we have issues with keep away when retrieving I don’t allow this). Tug-e-nuff sell squeaky rabbit skinned bungee toys which mine loves and as she’s only allowed them when playing with me as a reward they have stayed relatively intact. I bought two identical ones and initially would make a big song and dance with the one I had so she started to want mine more than hers. Lots of dancing round, moving it, squeaking it and generally looking like a loony. I taught her a strong “out” command as a puppy and don’t actually play tug with her for long, for her the fun part is catching it and winning it and not playing endless tug with it.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Are you only using the food in a 'training session' or is it all the time? On walks etc? As it's pretty easy to get rid of the dog's daily allowance of food from your pockets over a walk or two and build in engagement/checking in/recalls, especially if on a flexi or long line.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

There are lots of soft/furry/microfibre toys you can get on a line or a bungee. A lot of flirt poles come with a long cord to attach the toy that comes with it or a toy of choice.

I have a soft squeaky pink bite roll on a rubberised line and a short handle and one of those microfibre cloth things on both a long line and a bungee, means she can run, play but there is still connection to me and I can put pressure on/whisk it away/make it prey.

I don't allow carrying things off to kill them. The fun/engagement must involve me and the game comes through me.
That's why I don't throw things far, the action is all in and around my person.
Lots of teasing and misses but lots of wins too. The bungee is good as it makes the dog feel powerful/like it is winning/has a chance, whereas just pressure on a line can be off-putting.

Hold the object out to your side to let the dog fly through or between your legs, the idea of crashing into a static object (you) can also slow down recalls.

You can also build drive for a toy by back-tying/restrained recalls etc and only ever using the good toys in training. If they just lie around the house with easy access then they won't hold as much value.

The bungee sounds like a fab idea. I can see where I went wrong with the chaser toy (no bungee so just tension, and letting her win by bogging off to go chew it) when I first got it. Also chucking the toy out for her at successful recall just to watch her zoom victory laps around me then run away again. Thankfully in secure field for that learning experience!

It's taken time to work out toys as she was either totally not interested, or guarded them and destroyed them. I've found some non-squeaky, tough but soft eco toys which she can't destroy which are a happy medium for more gently play at home. We've also been working on a bit of a retrieve game with the carcass of what was a stuffed duck toy - we've gone from totally disinterested to pick it up and bring to me in exchange for treat surprise (sometimes the toy ends up in my hands too!) though this wouldn't be a strong recall reinforcement.

The value has to be with you and the toy, not just the toy so as CC said I never throw things far (mine also prefers parading round with something furry in her mouth but as we have issues with keep away when retrieving I don’t allow this). Tug-e-nuff sell squeaky rabbit skinned bungee toys which mine loves and as she’s only allowed them when playing with me as a reward they have stayed relatively intact. I bought two identical ones and initially would make a big song and dance with the one I had so she started to want mine more than hers. Lots of dancing round, moving it, squeaking it and generally looking like a loony. I taught her a strong “out” command as a puppy and don’t actually play tug with her for long, for her the fun part is catching it and winning it and not playing endless tug with it.

I will look into the bungee version of the rabbit chaser. I think it was a mistake when we got ours to let her wander off with it to chew. We'd need to go back to basics on 'drop' with some really decent food rewards. Having not had her since a pup it took me a while to realised when I first tried to do this with her that we weren't really playing tug and she was just fighting for the toy in quite a non-fun way. She would also guard that particular toy so will be thoughtful how to make the trade a positive experience all round!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Are you only using the food in a 'training session' or is it all the time? On walks etc? As it's pretty easy to get rid of the dog's daily allowance of food from your pockets over a walk or two and build in engagement/checking in/recalls, especially if on a flexi or long line.

There's usually some sort of treat on us for walks and I use them at home if we're learning a new thing/game or for when I'm doing her claws or teeth (that's more bribery for her to tolerate those I think). If I'm looking to do more recall I'll bring something much higher value.

I think because I've been so keen for our long-line sniffy walks to be decompressing for her, especially after the house move when she was struggling, it's perhaps taught her to do her own thing. That's still important she has that but I can see it's a disadvantage to our recall and general engagement on walks.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It doesn't have to be regimented, even on a pootle if she looks at you/checks in/comes in your direction, GOOD, food.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

It doesn't have to be regimented, even on a pootle if she looks at you/checks in/comes in your direction, GOOD, food.

We did quite a bit of this at the secure field today. Once she's had her run around and sniff she tends to gravitate towards pootling along near us, so when she was doing that and then looking at us lots of praise and food rewards. She also loves jumping/running to catch her treat so we made it more of an 'event' instead of just wedging treats into her face.

Bungee toy will be on order today. We took the rabbit skin chaser we already have just to see how that worked and I think we're on to something. It's lost the squeaker and I think getting a new one with a squeaker in will be even better. I was particularly pleased with how the toy had a bit more 'umph' to interrupt zoomies and prevent her getting distracted when recalling. Zoomies are fine in the secure field but I do think we need to be able to get her attention and recall her from doing this (this is where I hope the squeaker will probably help).

We had no problems with 'drop' either - brought the good treats with us and again made it into an 'event' for her when trading for the toy.

Overall a great visit to the field today with a good mix of her own sniffing/decompressing time, zooms, and being/engaging/recalling to us.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I once took the squeak from a toy (Zak liked to remove the squeaker from toys) and that was very successful, I didn’t let him see it, kept it hidden so he was fascinated. He loved his rabbit ball too, favourite thing to retrieve from up a height in a hedge!