erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
 |
| 02/04/2010 12:07 PM |
|
Koda is great at fetching and will drop the ball wherever I ask her to, but if I try to take it from her mouth, she will not let go without a fight. Sometimes her jaws are locked so tight it's almost impossible to pry them open. Any suggestions for training her to have a softer mouth? |
|
|
|
|
pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
|
| 02/04/2010 1:30 PM |
|
Nothing a little training won't solve.
|
|
"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
|
|
|
erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
|
| 02/04/2010 1:39 PM |
|
| Professional training or is it something I can start teaching her myself? We are currently in a training class, and the trainer went around to each dog to show how to take away a toy, but she wouldn't let go. They suggested to offer an alternative toy to make her drop the toy, but this still doesn't help my problem. |
|
|
|
|
Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:6748
|
| 02/04/2010 2:43 PM |
|
| Use your finger and press the cheek skin into her teeth (also will keep her from biting back down on your finger). She will drop the object and when she does, praise her and give her a treat. Use your drop command too. She will eventually learn the drop command. You can also wait for her to drop the object on her own and say drop, praise and treat, but that may take allot longer and you will probably need more patience. The concept of exchanging another toy to get her to drop the one she has is good if it works. You can also exchange a high value treat for the object she is holding too, or a bird wing, or something she wants allot. |
|
Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
     
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
|
|
erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
|
| 02/04/2010 3:25 PM |
|
| I use that method to open her mouth, but I guess the more I do it the less muscle she'll put into holding on to it? She drops the ball, but I'm worried that when my boyfriend takes her hunting she will tear up the bird. |
|
|
|
|
zimbass
MH
Posts:236
|
| 02/04/2010 4:22 PM |
|
| When Buddy was a pup fetching was all he wanted to do, I would sit on the back steps and when he brought whatever we were throwing back to me, I lowered my hand to his height and told him hand. If he missed I just said hand again never moving my hand, finally he would hit my hand everytime because he new I would throw it again if he did it correctly. In the beginning if I remember correctly I never fought him for an object if he decided to play keep away, I just ignored him, then he would give in. |
|
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2095
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2532
|
|
|
erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
|
| 02/04/2010 4:27 PM |
|
| She'll bring it back and try to force it into my hand, but wants me to try to wrestle it away from her. When I ignore it, and eventually she drops it. I try the hand method and then attempt to take it from her gently, if not we'll continue to ignore until she drops it. |
|
|
|
|
zimbass
MH
Posts:236
|
| 02/04/2010 4:37 PM |
|
| I guess Buddy was motivated by the chase, I would just sit there with my hand open and eventually he started dropping it in my hand everytime, If he missed he picked it up again and put it in my hand, I would make a big deal out of it, then throw again. Even when I had guest over and they wanted to throw, I showed them how to get Buddy to give them the object. With the children though, they would try to grab the object, then sometimes keep away would get started. I would keep that in check, I didn't wanted Buddy to see how fun keep away could be. How old is she? |
|
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2095
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=2532
|
|
|
pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
|
| 02/05/2010 6:08 AM |
|
This is a learned behavior,for the most part.
To unlearn it I would use a 3" PVC pipe or 3" knobby rubber bumper. I would teach Koda to hold and then release. Do this with him next to you,preferably sitting for more control. Open his mouth by pinching his cheeksprying itopen or howevr you can open his mouth and place the obeject inside. He will naturally want to spit it out.When he does,just say 'out','drop',give',
or whatever command you like. But, at some point you are going to require him to hold it until you command 'give'.
Francine |
|
"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
|
|
|
erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
|
| 02/05/2010 9:46 AM |
|
| She is almost 9 months old. I will try that method Francine. Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
|
| 02/05/2010 1:07 PM |
|
Oh, I was buying kale and it occurred to me I left one thing out -
stop ALL retrieving games. When he is holding AND heeling,walking toward you AND releasing on command you can go to very short retrieves where he is going out,have him on a leash so if you need to you can reel him in, If he doesn't give at this proof go back a step to being next to you.
It's a process but veru doable.
Good luck. |
|
"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
|
|
|
pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
|
| 02/05/2010 7:05 PM |
|
If you find this process harder then you thought, use a paint roller and advance from there.
If you research FF techniques - they begin with teaching the hold.
|
|
"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
|
|
|
SerenityJo
Kansas
MH
Posts:82
|
| 02/08/2010 1:48 PM |
|
| I have been told that if you take what ever it is you are training them with, and put nails in it, they have to have a softer mouth with it, and will eventually learn to do keep their mouth soft with everything. |
|
|
|
|
pixie bee
MH
Posts:3916
|
| 02/08/2010 2:32 PM |
|
Please do not try this method.
I have known people,thru the years, that would rap a bird in barbed wire. If we raise and teach our dogs properly there is no need for barbaric methods,that don't work anyway.
Francine |
|
"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
|
|
|
erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
|
| 02/08/2010 2:46 PM |
|
| I tried the take and give method using "Gentle." She has already improved. I will continue to work on it so she doesn't revert back. Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:6748
|
| 02/08/2010 3:46 PM |
|
| Serenity Jo - what you described is a very old school way to train and frankly is much harsher than necessary. You can accomplish the same thing with more gentle methods, patience and consistency. GSPs are very smart dogs and want to please. If you have a softer GSP and use the nails or barbed wire method you could turn your dog off of birds all together. Much better to use some of the other methods discussed in this thread. Since I know you are getting your first GSP, just wanted to make sure you understood why many would consider what you said barbaric. Since you have some time before you get your dog, get some training books and read. If you tell me the types of things you are interested in doing with your dog, I will suggest some reading for you. Or, you can check out www.dogwise.com and just browse. There are also some good DVDs out there too. |
|
Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
|
|
Rugergundog
Saginaw Michigan USA
MH
Posts:395
|
| 02/09/2010 8:39 AM |
|
Ive used two methods to get the mouth open. Press lips against teeth and pinch right in front of the rear leg toward the belly. Always command "drop" or "give' or whatever you use while you do this. A a good number of reps and praise after doing so your dog will learn to do it.
My GSP gets excited with bumpers and wants to chomp on them and squeezer them in his mouth, a little bop on the shin and "hold" corrects him. Bit later followed by "drop" in my hand and praise. |
|
Saginaw Michigan
Brittany- Ruger
GSP- Kilian |
|
|
snips
n.ga.
MH
Posts:412
|
| 02/09/2010 12:35 PM |
|
For easy release just slide your hand back and gently raise up on flank skin. She will release. |
|
brenda |
|
|
jfree
central Texas
Posts:10
|
| 03/26/2010 7:31 PM |
|
Just a light puff of air in my dogs ear works everytime to make mine drop it and I use the give command, I have heard the same will work with a puff in thier nose. |
|
|
|
|
List_House
Midland, Pa (western, Pa)
MH
Posts:142
|
| 03/29/2010 8:27 AM |
|
| I was told that when a mother dog wants her pup to drop something she will tug on his ear. I did this with Wyatt. Slow steady pull not popping motion. He caught on fast we used the command "leave it" as for soft mouth. So far I have been blessed that he has a naturally soft mouth. At 5months we intro'd him to quail and he caught a few and brought them back alive so much so that I was able to put them in the coop and use them later! |
|
|
|
|