Grab and chase me game

[Linda]

Looking for some training on what to do when my pup grabs something he shouldn't and runs away wanting me to chase to retrieve it. I've tried standing still, ignoring him, giving a treat when he drops, etc. But sometimes he's grabbed something that will either hurt him or I don't want him to tear it up.

[Cynthia and Magic]

This works for me...but not for hubby who 'loves' the chase me game!

This is how they did it at training:

-put a treat on the floor, and make a 'cage' over it with your hand.

-every time the pup comes near it, say 'leave it' in a firm voice

-after a few times, remove your hand, leave the treat where it is, and when pup comes...say 'leave it'

-when he leaves it, give him the treat and lots of praise....and keep repeating about 10 times. Worked great with Magic who simply adores stinky socks!!

One time...he wouldn't 'leave it' with a sock, so I took hold of one end, blew just a little on his nose and he dropped it! Whenever I tell him to 'leave it' now, he drops whatever he has....but with hubby - the chase begins !!

[Roni Wise]

My Max steals stuff ALL the time - off of the counters and kitchen table are his favorite two hots spots to hit.  He does know basic commands like sit, stay, down, leave it, and drop it.  We have already been through one level of obedience and none of this works when he steals something.  He took all of the ornaments off of the lower half of our Christmas tree.  I have just started keeping him on a leash in the house - he is six months old and he HATES it but at least I can correct him when he jumps on the table or tries to steal something but now it has created other issues with him - now he is bitting both the leash and me because he doesn't want to be on the leash in the house.  He has also taken things that can hurt him - it has been quite the site to see both him and me running through the house me after him while he has sicissors in his mouth. He has eaten pencils that my daughter has left on the table and recently Tums that I left on the table and he has unplugged the lamp on the coffee table thinking he could take the cord and run with it - if you find a method that works I'd sure like to know what it is - I've tried just about everything I can think of!

[Adina P]

Ron I encourage you to continue on through to advanced obedience or a class that helps you train Max to respond to commands ALWAYS.  Remember doodles are smart so they will pick up on commands very quickly, but that doesn't mean they are done being trained.  Training isn't done till a dog will obey regardless of what he'd LIKE to be doing.

[Linda]

Actually, Fitz has improved since I wrote that request a week ago. He still grabs things but is much more likely to drop them now. We are constantly working on the commands DROP and LEAVE IT. He's a long ways from getting LEAVE IT, but he will drop something MOST of the time. As soon as I show him a treat and one time I even dropped it on the floor in front of him, he drops whatever he has in his mouth.

 

Fitz is not a young puppy. We have only had him since Oct. 21st. He's a rescue. We think he's around a year old. I believe a lot of his actions are due to him loving attention. We're working on 'positive' attention seeking rather than 'negative' attention seeking. Same as with kids - I'm a retired teacher. When I can calmly remind myself of that, everything gets a little easier.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm so happy that things are "looking up" already!

[Heather & Brinkley]

Our trainer told us to strip the item from the mouth while simultaneously giving a correction tug on the collar while saying "DROP IT" in a firm voice... do this until your pup will drop on command by just hearing "DROPT IT."  Don't give him a treat when he drops it b/c then she thinks all she has to do is grab something and run in order to get a treat.  Drop it and walk away or drop it and replace it with one of his chew toys. 

 

:)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I am working on "leave it" and "drop it" here too and I have been giving her treats for leave it when she goes for it and doesn't really put it into her mouth. DH said she knows all she has to do is go near something and she knows she is going to get a treat. SO you got me thinking about how I will do the "drop it" now.  Murphy learned drop very easily because he would retrieve a ball, bring it back and we'd say drop it and he would and be rewarded with another throw, or treat,  He learned "OUT" more by your method you described above because it he had something that would hurt him or he'd destroy I would firmly say "OUT" take it out of his mouth and walk away. He does both very well, but I have to say I can get him to do an "OUT" probably 99% of the time regardless of how much he wants it.