Training/Game - where am I going with this?

[SaddlePsych'D]

Ivy has started refusing her walks again, I have assumed due to the cold although I did insist we go in the car when she went to bring me home before the end of the street again yesterday. We had a nice walk although she was incredibly keen getting back in the car at the end.

She's doing okay at home, unsettled yesterday hence a bit more insistence on my part that we go out and some mid-night carpet scratching although that started pre walk refusal and has now stopped. I've been upping the indoor activities to keep her mind occupied and still be doing things together other than snoozing/lounging.

She's learned 'paw' and 'other one' after my revelation that she's possibly cleverer than we give her credit for, she just has a higher price to make things worthwhile! Our new game is using one of her decapitated duck toys and some treats. We started with look at the toy, then put the snoot on the toy, then mouthing the toy, and now we're just getting onto move to pick up the toy. We've been doing this just a little bit each day this week to avoid her getting frustrated and each day she seems to get it and we can do a bit more. I like seeing her watch to work out what the game is then she gets excited/enthusiastic once she's got it.

My question is - how can I develop this? I haven't added a word to it yet as I'm not sure what 'it' is or will end up. I thought maybe eventually so I could throw the duck and she could bring it back, or I could hide it and she can search it out. We do 'go find it' already with food things but she's not motivated enough for this with toys alone (unless they are new and she wants to destuff them which isn't a sustainable way for us to use them - we have a fair collection of destuffed and decapitated toys already). I also wondered if I could get her to bring other things to me (i.e., things she has stolen!) like a pointy retriever hound.

 

[Kat_Bath]

I don't think it matters what you play or how you play it - it matters that you're having fun! And it sounds like you are!

It sounds like you could start teaching toy identification for sure! And touch, spin, middle, bow, etc. Harvey picked up spin very quickly!

I recently did a scent work course with Harvey, with a local trainer affiliated with UK Sniffer Dogs, and it was brilliant (I was surprised how well Harvey did to be honest!). They have some free games on their website: https://www.uksnifferdogs.com/for-dog-owners/

 

[tiggipop]

with my lot i started the "do more with your dog" thingy that is all about teaching "tricks" (american website but good lists of tricks to try). basic stuff for the novice trick dog title such as sit down stand, touch, jump, spin left, spin right etc.

at the time i was struggling with keeping vera interested / engaged in proper training and throwing a few of these in helped lighten both our moods!

 

[some show]

I can't remember whether you do clicker'ing or not but my greyhound loves the 'things to do with a box' Karen Pryor game - it's such good fun watching them come up with different behaviours to get the treat, and once they've got the hang of it you can use anything and they'll interact in the same way with it - it's a great confidence builder for new objects. https://www.clickertraining.com/101... the dog for stepping,not after the dog stops.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Fabulous, thank you for those recommendations I will check them out.

We haven't done clicker training but I keep thinking we should give it a try!

Ivy made me laugh yesterday. I was eating my dinner which she obviously wanted and went and started picking up the duck toy, looking at me, and snorting like 'come on, gimme some food!'