Take Command, He takes, but drops immediatley Options

[Hanna]

He quickly caught on to take, but he drops the object immediately OR runs off with it....now what? The idea here is to teach him to retrieve or fetch or whatever you call it. He will run after and pick up a toy, then he will bring it back toward me in order to tease me with it then run around all over the place wanting to play catch me if you can. I have not chased him. I figured that would be a bad idea so I just let him take his toy and run off. Then I got the bright idea to give him a treat in trade for the toy, then I thought I would teach him to TAKE a toy just right out of my hand, then I would grab it back real fast, but he doesn't give me the chance to grab it, he just drops it...DUH, I click he knows that means a treat so he drops the toy to get the treat. How do I win this game??)

[k9pack]

Hanna:


Your dog is holding onto power. It is a dominance issue. I attempt to help trainers and owners understand this issue. It is very difficult because it involves understanding context. It is not about what you are holding in your hands but rather what you are holding in your mind. As you interact and approach within an authoriative state your dog is challeging via resistance. This power issue is exposed when an owner interacts and uses the leash to direct the dog's mind. Dogs will repond for treats, petting etc and still hold onto power. Once the dog moves away from the owner, and within certain situations the dog's mind begins to get pulled and influenced via nature.

This situation exposes the issues relating to "positive love" approach and how it influences behavior. Dogs will move around and respond and "appear" well behaved. This often is just what is seen from the surface. Take your dogs and begin directing him / her around on the leash and then see what happens. Unresolved dominance / power will become exposed. This unresolved issue creates lack of consistency and focus on the owner. As you approach within an authoritative psychological state of mind the dog will resist and move away. I don't care if you have a whole pound of meat in your hands the dog will take off. You need to go and read about the three paths to parenting and google what happens to permissive parents and the issues it causes. How owners think in the human world transfers into the dog world. Authority is real and exists in nature. How dogs respond within the context of conditioning blinds many trainers and owners to this issue. I break this all apart for those objective enough to hear.

Dale


Dale

[Hanna]

I'm sorry but this answer simply doesn't apply. Gimzmo sits and waits for his food, he waits to be invited to go outside, if he is on leash he follows along...like a little puppy dog even though I have not taught him to heel he never puts any tension on the leash.

[JMM]

Hanna, he is playing such a fun game of keep away! Very normal dog play.

You have a couple of different criteria you need to break down.

First is a take, hold, out. Have the dog sit in front of you (I sit on the couch or floor and get comfy). Teach the dog to take the object with your hand on it, maintain that hold for a period of time, and release on cue. If you aren't planning on a formal retrieve for obedience you can start this with a tug toy. Invite the dog to tug on cue, have fun, ask for the out and reward that. The reward can be a re-invite to tug. Here is an example of the tug method...this dog is releasing to a hand cue which you can't see. Note that he must follow the rules and anticipates the rules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xvCMAnziAo

If you need more detail on training the individual parts, just ask.

One way to help end that run and chase game is by starting with 3 or 4 balls. Throw one. When the dog starts coming back toss another. Another thing to do is turn and run the other way as the dog starts back. It throws the game off from chase me to I better chase mom! And the last thing for a stubborn dog is, as soon as they take off, turn and go in the house - game over. Most dogs once they learn a ready, hold (tug), out will transfer it to fetch quickly.