"Special" Toy

[TrishB]

Hi all,

While I'm training Parker in SAR (Search And Rescue) we are using a special toy for him to work for. This special toy is ONLY for SAR training and must be interactive (i.e. something to tug, throw, etc.). Otherwise, he never sees it, never gets to play with it.

So 2 questions:

1) Do you have any specific sport / task that you train for where you have a "special toy" for it?

2) What is the toy?

Parker and I tried the Kong On A Rope - but it didn't make it through our first training session. The rope popped out. So now we've got this: the 'Invincible Chain', 2 Ring, Size LD 100% Natural Rubber Dog Toy by JW Pet Company http://www.petcarecentral.com/jw-43131.html

Parker can tug on it with all of his strength and weight - it hasn't given up yet. Of course, he doesn't get to take it to chew. But it's holding up so far! For extra enticement - I store it in a bag with a pigs ear.

[Brooke&Ryan]

We have a regular rope tug that we've used in the past for obedience work. It's yellow & Julius knows that rope is just for when he's "working".

[spidey]

We have a toy we're using only for agility. It's a rope attached to a ball of rope (good for fetch and tug), and it's Rakki's favourite toy. I also occasionally charge it up (i.e. remind him of how much he likes it) by taking it out and playing with it myself (this gets him even more interested in it), then I throw it for him once or twice, play a very short tug session, play with it myself again, then put it away. This tends to keep the toy's "magic power" strong, since he always wants to play with it more than he gets to play with it. I wouldn't do things to this extent with a dog inclined to be toy-obsessive, but mine isn't.

[Judi W]

When I was doing tracking and we got to the more difficult training, I had a rabbit skin that I used at the end of the track. It was naturally tanned (no chemicals) and was incentive beyond belief. We didn't play tug with it, but the dog would really drive for it and then we'd toss it a bit and it would disappear until the next time. It lasted quite a while.

[LynnS]

Hi Trish

I use toys in ob training and they vary based on what we are working on.

Basically I have found it fairly easy to build drive around any toy by initially keeping it put away and taking it out periodically to fawn over it (in dog's presence of course).

Both balls and tugs work well but Bella is especially fond of squeeky toys...

[BostonRott]

I have a whole bag of special toys for obed/agility training. They live in my training bag (which lives in my truck) and thus are never used for anything but training.

[laurlitt]

All toys are special. Maddie does NOT get to play with anything unless it revolves around training. In particular she's crazy about the ball on the rope (or tennis balls). The tennis balls are hard to play tug w/ unless they are also on a rope.

[LynnS]

Originally Posted by laurlitt

All toys are special. Maddie does NOT get to play with anything unless it revolves around training. In particular she's crazy about the ball on the rope (or tennis balls). The tennis balls are hard to play tug w/ unless they are also on a rope.

See! If I was really smart that is what I would have done!

[groupieindenial]

I've recently introduced Vegas with a fleece braided rope for training. I want to ween him away from the treat thing. I thought I could hold his attention better. I still have a bit of a problem once he's started sniffing the floor at the training center, to get his attention back. I've used chunks of dehydrated organ meats, soft liver bars, rollover soft food/treat. He IS very food motivated, and tug, and ball.

Any advice on how to keep his head up?

[TrishB]

You might not want to go 'cold turkey' from the treats to the toy. Still give him treats intermitantly. Right now - he doesn't 'get' that you don't have any treats and thinks maybe he's missed it somehow (hence the looking for it). So you need to wean him off so that he doesn't think that he just has to find them.

Tie the treats to the toy (I keep the toy with a stinky pigs ear so it smells good to Parker). Give treats at the end of the training session. You get the idea.

Also - I switched to string cheese and I keep it in my cheek and spit them to him. Creates great focus and he only needs a few to 'remind' him of where his focus should be.

[spidey]

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

I've recently introduced Vegas with a fleece braided rope for training. I want to ween him away from the treat thing. I thought I could hold his attention better. I still have a bit of a problem once he's started sniffing the floor at the training center, to get his attention back. I've used chunks of dehydrated organ meats, soft liver bars, rollover soft food/treat. He IS very food motivated, and tug, and ball.

Any advice on how to keep his head up?

Why wean away from treats if they work? By all means employ a toy reward as well, but if treats work well, perhaps reduce how many/how often you use them, but if something isn't broken, why fix it?

I'd work on a "watch me" command, which is ALWAYS reinforced with an extremely delicious treat at first.

[groupieindenial]

I haven't gone cold turkey with this. I just introduced this instead for the healing excercises. I'm still using treats where it works, as a reward, not a lure. My problem, (even though he got the highest score in class) during healing is that I lose his attention cuz he wants to sniff the floor. THe teacher advised to lower the treat to get his attention, and quickly raise it back up towards your chest so he is looking at you. He is VERY food motivated, but when I do this, sometimes it doesn't phase him. I think working the "watch me" thing may bring us back to the basics. The treats I use are only ever for training. He's either lunging for the treat, or sniffing the floor, so I know he's not uninterested in the food, I just don't know how to hold his attention when he wants to sniff.

He's young, and I'm probably just expecting too much too soon.

[laurlitt]

Originally Posted by groupieindenial

He's young, and I'm probably just expecting too much too soon.

That could be... I think a good rule for focus is to not move forward until they can handle the focus in a stationary position. And when you finally move forward only go 1-3 steps at first with focus and reward. I don't think it has anything to do w/ the reward, but just that the dog is distracted or maybe doesn't know his job perfectly yet... I'd go back a few steps and then move forward. If the dog is crazy in drive for a toy, I prefer to use food in the learning stages.