Snatching/grabbing

I seem to have finally cracked the problem I was having with Zak not wanting to "out" his ball. I followed advice and also the technique of Michael Ellis in his brilliant DVD - The Power of Playing Tug with your Dog. It has taken patience by the truckload, but we seem to have finally reached an understanding.

Now the problem I have is that he is so keen to have his toy (whatever it happens to be - ball on rope, log, tug toy etc) that even though he leaves it, he is immediately on "high alert" to have it back again and as soon as I move it, he tries to snatch it back. This has resulted in more than a few nicks, bangs and bruises on my hands and fingers ... OUCH!

So, how do I stop this? I am currently telling him to wait in a low, firm voice and if he tries to grab it, then the toy goes away into my pocket. The wait command does work some of the time - so do I just continue and wait for the penny to finally drop, or is there a better way forward?

Have him do an incompatable behaviour to get the ball, e.g. Sit. Start off the instant he sits, chuck the ball, then incremantally increase the length of time he sits before you throw. Only throw the ball when he sits, never any other time and he will learn that "sit" is the "button" to push that makes the ball go

Thanks for the suggestion J&C. I already do this at times - sometimes I will get him to out his ball when stood, sometimes when he is sitting straight in front of me (in an obedience type sit), sometimes sitting to the side of me etc, but he can still snatch at the ball from these positions. He is large and lightening fast.

This afternoon, I have had him sitting in front of me in the living room without any other distractions or competition, and have been asking him to out, then wait, then giving the ball back (but no tug game), then out again and just leaving it a few seconds longer each time. If he has tried to snatch then I have put the ball away for ten minutes, and then tried again.

Sounds good to me

Sounds like you are doing well
Teach him to walk bacwards and if he looks like he will be grabby tell him to walk back - cant lunge forwards and grab - AND walk backwards
Thats what I have beendoing with Ben and his pouncing on the ball chucker

I don't know what your tug game involved, but have a look at this....


http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1355

I had this problem with zephyr and 'tug' was what fixed it for us too!

Do you let him take it or give it to him without a specific cue?

If so that may be your problem.

You should have an "out" cue and a "get it" cue.

So for example I can dangle the ball on my dog's head, between his ears, on his muzzle etc and he does not move to take it until he hears the cue.

The same is true if he is in a sit or down or stand and I throw the ball at him, over him, next to him or even put the ball between his front paws.

He only gets it if I give the cue.

I do not give any extra commands or ask for any other behaviours.

I like my dogs to be crystal clear, that just because it is there does not mean they can take it.

HTH

Thanks Ben - will give it a try.

Thanks for the article. I have just read the first half, but am not sure it will work for us as Zak is not AT ALL interested in treats (of any value) if his toy is in view. I will read the rest later - trying to do two things at once at the moment - and give it a go to see whether he responds.

Thanks SB. Outside I wasn't using a cue for him to take the toy again, but this afternoon in the house I had started to say "take it". I will continue with this low key training indoors and then transfer it to the more "exciting" outdoors and see how we get on.

You have certainly set me a challenge there with the self-restraint Arrow shows. Not sure I will ever get Zak as steady as that, but I will try