Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

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Doone
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Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by Doone » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:31 pm

Our kid needs some advice.
Her Labrador, Lily, is 16 months old. She's working strain, very intelligent and exercised fully every day. She's been trained in all the usual things. She's as good as gold when she wants to be. :|

Here's why we need advice.
When they walked her last weekend, a crowd of kids were messing around, and one threw a handbag. A bottle of spray deodorant flew out of it and landed in front of Lily. Lily immediately grabbed it and ran off. She stayed just out of reach and wouldn't drop it, even when she bit it and the deodorant spayed out! She wouldn't come back for 15 minutes!
Hence hysterical bunch of kids and 2 embarrassed dog owners. :oops:
The day before, she'd stolen a straw hat from 2 tourists who were having a picnic. The hat was on the ground beside them. Luckily they saw the funny side and video'd her as she ran around with the hat in her mouth, sometimes covering her eyes so she couldn't see where she was going. She destroyed the hat.
I expect that one day the video will be on YouTube, Lily running with joy and them shouting "Lily, Lily, drop! Lily, come here! Lily!" :lol:

At other times when she's on a walk, she'll find something she shouldn't eat - mushrooms etc- that could be poisonous.

She won't respond to voice and hand commands, no matter how dominant they are.
Even if they tempt her with a treat of her favourite snack, she can smell it, but is not interested because what she's got in her mouth is much better than the best snack.

She stays just out of reach. She knows what you want her to do, but won't do it.
She's an intelligent dog with a strong stubborn streak.
When you call her, she pauses and looks at you, assessing if what you want her to do is better than what she's doing.
She knows the rules, she just chooses not to obey them.

Any suggestions? Or is she a lost cause? :wink:
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
roosmith
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and retrun?

Post by roosmith » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:06 pm

I'm sure you'll get lots of differing advice on this one with a lot of passion behind each one so I'll prefix this with this is just my opinion, we all have different methods.

In the scenarios you describe, you rightly point out that from her point of view the greater reward is what she already has stolen. Instead of being dominant you need to make it a game so that she is dying to come back with whatever she has half inched, take her treat and get a massive fuss made of her.

We have a lurcher (meaning thief) and she can't resist eating things on her walks, even when she's fed and has a constant supply of treats trying to keep her distracted and her nose off the floor. It's in her nature to scavenge and take what she can (including cat s**t unfortunately!). Consequently she will drop stuff some of the time but not all of the time. Upshot is we keep her on a lead (we have a 20 metre one for "lunging" her in big open spaces) but she is never completely free and never out of our sight (and/or has a muzzle on).

We had another lurcher before this one and he almost finished himself off by eating a poisoned rat. We did our best to get him to drop it and in the end it was forceably taken from him (about 1 minute after he picked it up) but it was slightly too late: he was very ill and spent several nights in hospital. Hence our stance now with our current dog, as we can't guarantee she will drop it, she's on a lead whenever we are out.

The way we look at it, it might be something innocuous this time but it could be a dead rat next time. Just not worth the risk.
Vivaro named Stewart however ex '96 4wd 2.5TD owner.
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and retrun?

Post by Marbleous » Thu Jul 31, 2014 2:12 pm

Hi

I can suggest a method to fix this problem - I have used it on my dog. when I get home later I will type it out for you and send it as a message. I should say that it does seem rather cruel to some people BUT it's not. It is not painful in anyway other than turning their world on its head for a few minutes. It works and it means that you can enjoy your dog more and allow her more freedom - plus the dangers that lurk (mushrooms as you say - plus others) are irradicated meaning less suffering in the long run - but for the few minutes they think that you don't love them anymore!

Like I say I'll message you tonight.

Regards

Vicky
Marbleous
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and retrun?

Post by Marbleous » Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:51 pm

Hi I've sent you a Pm - but it says it is in my outbox - not in sent.

I don't know whether that means it has sent or not! Let me know if you don't get it.

HOpe it helps!

Vicky
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Doone
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by Doone » Fri Aug 01, 2014 7:45 am

Thanks roosmith and Vicky. :-) I have your message Vicky. (It sits in your 'out' folder until the recipient reads it, then it pops into the 'sent' folder.)
She's a lovely girl, always running, nose to the ground catching 'ribbons' of scent. Or nose up sniffing and eyes scanning for the next distraction.
We'll definitely try your suggestions. :-)
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and retrun?

Post by Bob » Fri Aug 01, 2014 7:59 am

Marbleous wrote:Hi I've sent you a Pm - but it says it is in my outbox - not in sent.

I don't know whether that means it has sent or not! Let me know if you don't get it.

HOpe it helps!

Vicky
Don't worry, Vicky.

It shows in your Outbox until the recipient opens it, that's when you know they have read it. :wink:
roosmith
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by roosmith » Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:58 am

Doone, I spoke to a dog behaviourist friend last night regarding your situation. Biggest bit of advice she could give (and always gives) is positive reinforcement. No one (or dog) will work for negative reinforcement without consequences elsewhere.
Vivaro named Stewart however ex '96 4wd 2.5TD owner.
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Doone
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by Doone » Fri Aug 01, 2014 2:09 pm

Thanks! =D> We've been praising her like crazy today, every time she drops something, or ignores the thing she really, REALLY wants to eat. 8)
Allan's closed. We recommend PGS (Plymouth Garage Services) or Mayflower Auto Services in Plymouth.
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by daveblueozzie » Fri Aug 01, 2014 4:19 pm

My dog always ran away without dropping after retrieving.
I asked my dad did he have a way of stopping him doing this, he said a bit of lead behind the ear stops them dead :shock: .
Took me a while to realise what he meant. :oops: #-o
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Re: Any tips to train an intelligent dog to drop and return?

Post by roosmith » Fri Aug 01, 2014 4:26 pm

Doone wrote:Thanks! =D> We've been praising her like crazy today, every time she drops something, or ignores the thing she really, REALLY wants to eat. 8)
That's exactly the method we employ (based on our friends advice). We seem to be moving in the right direction. We can walk over all sorts of dead things and pooey things without them being eaten!
Vivaro named Stewart however ex '96 4wd 2.5TD owner.
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