How to use Frisbie as reward.

[Grizzley2011]

First of all nice to meet everyone. I have a black GSD name Grizzley, he 7 1/2 months and goes insane over his frisbie. I want to try to use his infactuation with his frisbie as a reward. Only problem is when I bring it out he doesn't listen or even acknowledge I exist unless I approach him and he puts his paw on the frisbie and dare me to play tug a war with me. ( I can't get him to let go I have to pry his mouth open and treats aren't even working...) Once I took him to the dog park to play with other dogs he wasn't interested at all he.. care about was his frisbie. I threw his frisbie and while retreiving he got attacked by another dog he didn't even aknowledge the other dog biting him on his back he just dragged him. I threw it in a tree once and he sat for thirty minutes just staring at so I am figuring I could take advantage of his love for his toy but how.. So I guess I am asking what is the best method to train him to calm down when I have the Frisbie.

[Jax08]

You must have my dog's brother. Start by throwing the frisbee and yelling Yes so he associates Yes to getting a reward. Then give him a simple command he knows. Sit is probably one of the first commands you taught him. If he doesn't sit. Oops! Wait at LEAST 3 seconds and repeat the command. As soon as his but hits the ground it's YES! and throw the frisbee.

The point is to make him work for the frisbee. Jax is so crazy about hers that if I want to teach something new or if I want to bring down her drive, I need to use treats. If I want to create speed in a command or if I want her to participate a bit more then I can use the frisbee. New places? Frisbee. A place she is familiar with? Treats. It all depends on how hard it is to keep her attention at the place we're at and what level of drive I want her to work in.

[Grizzley2011]

Originally Posted by Jax08

You must have my dog's brother. Start by throwing the frisbee and yelling Yes so he associates Yes to getting a reward. Then give him a simple command he knows. Sit is probably one of the first commands you taught him. If he doesn't sit. Oops! Wait at LEAST 3 seconds and repeat the command. As soon as his but hits the ground it's YES! and throw the frisbee.

The point is to make him work for the frisbee. Jax is so crazy about hers that if I want to teach something new or if I want to bring down her drive, I need to use treats. If I want to create speed in a command or if I want her to participate a bit more then I can use the frisbee. New places? Frisbee. A place she is familiar with? Treats. It all depends on how hard it is to keep her attention at the place we're at and what level of drive I want her to work in.

Thank you that makes perfectly good sense. How do I get him to let go.... He will let go of toys when I say drop.... When i tell him with the Frisbie he Might drop but he guards by stepping on and placing it back in mouth. I tried to ignore him untils he leaves but just sits by it like he just killed its his dinner. When we are at the park he puts the frisbie in the water bucket while drinks.

[Jax08]

You need to teach him that he doesn't get the frisbee until you give it. I"m trying to remember exactly what my trainer had me do.

Put him in a sit. Put the frisbee down several feet from you. Now, if he is like my girl, he will immediately get up and go get the frisbee. It's Oops, take the frisbee, put him back in a sit and put the frisbee back. We did several iterations of this before she figured out she was not getting the frisbee. Now I can drop it anywhere and she comes to me instead of taking it on her own.

He need to figure out the reward comes FROM YOU. Once he gets that figured out it becomes easier. If he has a good tug drive, don't shut that down! Just teach him Drop, Mine, whatever and work on reinforcing that.

And Jax dunks her frisbee too. Sometimes I just watch her try to get it out.

[Grizzley2011]

Originally Posted by Jax08

You need to teach him that he doesn't get the frisbee until you give it. I"m trying to remember exactly what my trainer had me do.

Put him in a sit. Put the frisbee down several feet from you. Now, if he is like my girl, he will immediately get up and go get the frisbee. It's Oops, take the frisbee, put him back in a sit and put the frisbee back. We did several iterations of this before she figured out she was not getting the frisbee. Now I can drop it anywhere and she comes to me instead of taking it on her own.

He need to figure out the reward comes FROM YOU. Once he gets that figured out it becomes easier. If he has a good tug drive, don't shut that down! Just teach him Drop, Mine, whatever and work on reinforcing that.

And Jax dunks her frisbee too. Sometimes I just watch her try to get it out.

thank you have been very helpful

[Jax08]

have you tried using two frisbees? When he drops the one, you throw the other? Instant reward for him!

[Grizzley2011]

Originally Posted by Jax08

have you tried using two frisbees? When he drops the one, you throw the other? Instant reward for him!

No I haven't tried that but I imagine he is just going to take off with both but will give it a shot

[JakodaCD OA]

I have a frisbee obsessed girl as well, (I'm rather paranoid about it, so I always try to keep those throws low and straight, no skidding and no high jumping just me being paranoid).

Anyhow, he's young so he's probably just amped up and not learning any impulse control when it comes to the frisbee.

Two frisbees work well,throw one, pick up the other. I've worked long and hard to get masi, to learn "patience and control" when it comes to a frisbee,,If she doesn't 'drop it', it doesn't get thrown, if she doesn't "out' it, it doesn't get thrown,,

For instance, I also will have her sit/down STAY and not move even when i throw the frisbee until I say so, or put the frisbee in front of her, and "no touch" until I release her...You can see the eyes bulging out of her head, cause she is ALL about that frisbee, but she does it..

Keep in mind Masi is 3 years old, at 7 mths she was most likely fighting me the whole way about giving up that darn frisbee) Also I do not let her drag her frisbee around all day,,frisbee time is just that frisbee time..

[lylol]

my guys are very similar. I use a small soft frisbey so I can stick it in my pocket, or my waistband in the middle of my back so they learn to watch me and not my hand, then surprise the frisby reward comes flying out from no where. We do alot of puppy push ups: command sit, he sits, I say Ok then reward with a quick reward toss to his mouth; command down, he lays down, I say OK and throw the reward to him as he lays on the ground; repeat ... my guys love it. In agility I was taught to have the dog bring the toy all the way back to me to tug... so he will bring it to me and let me take hold, we have a short bit of tug, and then I have trained them that if I touch his collar he must let go. Took a lot of patient waiting for that one... but they do get it. Just hold the collar, hold the frisby, and do NOTHING until the dog spits it out then CELEBRATE and immediately throw or hand back to the dog for a tug, so he knows that "fun doesnt stop just cause I let go". The two toy game is great too... throw to your right, when he gets it call him back to you, before he gets to you throw the second one in the opposite direction, often he will drop the one he has as he passes you to go get the other one, you snatch up the dropped one and repeat