Obedience with a ball

**jocoyn** · 01-26-2012, 02:47 PM

Ok - I have only done obedience training with food and my training for motivational heeling has alwasy been - ah - loosely defined. Loose lead walking ......

Between having new requirements for certification and having a strong strapping 6.5 month old puppy it is time to start Beau with solid obedience training. I was told that, with his ball drive, that is what I should use.

The only problem I am having with the ball on the string is he wants to grab the string not the ball. So, that is my first hurdle. Any advice on that one? He still has good food drive - should I use that instead? I know I need to get to using the ball down the road.

**Samba** · 01-26-2012, 02:55 PM

I worked with my youngster on learning "ball". He would grab the string and I would not engage with play when he did that. I kinda worked and finagled to get him to grab the ball. I would then tug and praise with him when he got it right. After I got it to happen more often than not that he grabbed the ball, I labelled that "ball". It took a little bit of working with him, but soon, if he grabbed the string, I stopped...said "ball" and he would regrip ball. When he did that we played tuggies.

Teaching obed behaviors or working on correctness, I used food. I ususlly got too much drive and sloppy with using the ball for much teaching reward. Some sessions I worked precision with food and the balanced with sessions of drive building with toy once behaviors learned.

**jocoyn** · 01-26-2012, 07:00 PM

I think I will try that. I can hold the ball by the string right up next to it. A few nicks are not going to be a biggy. The other dogs like the elite k9 balls with the knobbies on them and his mouth is big now with grown up teeth....but I will continue with food for right now until I have him tugging the ball. He tugs tugs like nobodies business. hmmmmm. I could to a tug on a string too, no?

onyx'girl · 01-26-2012, 07:07 PM

I used a tug for that time....pup always wanted to grab the string, and the ball was harder for him to grip.
I still prefer tug, so does Karlo....his drive is huge with the tug. But I change during sessions from ball to tug and food too! The gappay ball string is so small it burns my hands so I use an orbee ball, string is taken out, replaced with a spongier one.
I also use the Roni ball with a loop from Leerburg, Frabo or the elite with a toggle(the least favorite)
I use a two handle french linen(synthetic) tugs, they hold up really well.

Liesje · 01-26-2012, 07:14 PM

I use the balls on strings (Gappay) and so far all three puppies I've started with have had trouble targeting at first. I just hold it real close to the ball, don't give them the option of biting the string. At first I feed the ball to them and really praise them up and tug as much as they want on the ball. If they miss and get the string I go dead, no interaction or tugging. Depending on your puppy you may want to wear leather gloves!

**Samba** · 01-26-2012, 07:37 PM

I think people like to get the dog using several toys. It is best not to get them "stuck" on one toy type as a reward. If mine start showing a preference, I go to another so that it stays balanced.

onyx'girl · 01-26-2012, 08:07 PM

I was just playing tug with Karlo w/a fleece braided rope....he grabbed my hand instead. Bone swelling numb, at least he didn't break skin. Ouch!

01-26-2012, 02:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,052	Obedience with a ball Ok - I have only done obedience training with food and my training for motivational heeling has alwasy been - ah - loosely defined. Loose lead walking ...... Between having new requirements for certification and having a strong strapping 6.5 month old puppy it is time to start Beau with solid obedience training. I was told that, with his ball drive, that is what I should use. The only problem I am having with the ball on the string is he wants to grab the string not the ball. So, that is my first hurdle. Any advice on that one? He still has good food drive - should I use that instead? I know I need to get to using the ball down the road. __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

01-26-2012, 07:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
jocoyn Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,052	I think I will try that. I can hold the ball by the string right up next to it. A few nicks are not going to be a biggy. The other dogs like the elite k9 balls with the knobbies on them and his mouth is big now with grown up teeth....but I will continue with food for right now until I have him tugging the ball. He tugs tugs like nobodies business. hmmmmm. I could to a tug on a string too, no? __________________ Nancy www.scsarda.org Grim (Grimmy Bear) & Beau (Bo-dee man) Waiting at the Bridge: Cyra, Toby, Rainbow, Linus, Oscar, Arlo & Waggles

01-26-2012, 07:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,611	I used a tug for that time....pup always wanted to grab the string, and the ball was harder for him to grip. I still prefer tug, so does Karlo....his drive is huge with the tug. But I change during sessions from ball to tug and food too! The gappay ball string is so small it burns my hands so I use an orbee ball, string is taken out, replaced with a spongier one. I also use the Roni ball with a loop from Leerburg, Frabo or the elite with a toggle(the least favorite) I use a two handle french linen(synthetic) tugs, they hold up really well. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo Last edited by onyx'girl; 01-26-2012 at 07:10 PM.

01-26-2012, 07:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
Liesje Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 12,971	I use the balls on strings (Gappay) and so far all three puppies I've started with have had trouble targeting at first. I just hold it real close to the ball, don't give them the option of biting the string. At first I feed the ball to them and really praise them up and tug as much as they want on the ball. If they miss and get the string I go dead, no interaction or tugging. Depending on your puppy you may want to wear leather gloves! __________________ UCH Alta-Tollhaus-Krieger Lamb Chop FO OB1 CL1R CL1F RA TT HIT TDI CGC VPC's Coca-Cola HIT CGC SG UCH Alta-Tollhaus Bono SchH1 AD T1 FO PA CL1R UNJ UCA HIT TT CGC OFA SG Pantalaimon vom Geistwasser BH AD HIT CGC

01-26-2012, 08:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,611	I was just playing tug with Karlo w/a fleece braided rope....he grabbed my hand instead. Bone swelling numb, at least he didn't break skin. Ouch! __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

01-26-2012, 02:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Samba Administrator Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,449	I worked with my youngster on learning "ball". He would grab the string and I would not engage with play when he did that. I kinda worked and finagled to get him to grab the ball. I would then tug and praise with him when he got it right. After I got it to happen more often than not that he grabbed the ball, I labelled that "ball". It took a little bit of working with him, but soon, if he grabbed the string, I stopped...said "ball" and he would regrip ball. When he did that we played tuggies. Teaching obed behaviors or working on correctness, I used food. I ususlly got too much drive and sloppy with using the ball for much teaching reward. Some sessions I worked precision with food and the balanced with sessions of drive building with toy once behaviors learned.

01-26-2012, 07:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
Samba Administrator Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,449	I think people like to get the dog using several toys. It is best not to get them "stuck" on one toy type as a reward. If mine start showing a preference, I go to another so that it stays balanced.

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
German Shepherd Advertisement