Don't know if you heard the pistol shot

[lizblackdog]

We had something of a milestone today. Spike has always been very reluctant to surrender a ball - usually I just leash him up while he still has it, and count on him dropping it while we walk home from the park, which nearly always happens because it's not really THAT interesting for him to walk around carrying it once he knows I won't throw it any more.

For reasons I don't feel like going into, today's walk ended with Spike in the house on the dog couch still holding his ball like grim death, and me needing to get it away from him before he destroyed it (he's destroyed one this week already that I can't afford to replace, and we lost one of the rubber rings the week before. I'm starting to be very grateful there are always plastic bottles lying around outside. I'm not actually kidding.)

So I stood there offering treats and asking him nicely to let me pick the ball up, and eventually he actually did. He put it down and he let me pick it up, knowing full well that I was picking it up with the intention of taking it away.

There were a couple of false starts, and I took a collie headbutt to the nose during the discussion but HE DID IT. He got so much cheese for that.

I love my shark boy. Also, my nose hurts.

Comments

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Well done Spike!!!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

He's a good boy, he really is. He so didn't want to give up that ball.

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Does he not do trades by the way? That's how we get The Vicar to give up his bones.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

He will, but the ONLY thing he wants badly enough to trade a ball for easily is a bigger ball. He'll choose ball over ANY treat no matter how good. Trading works fine for bones, or things he's picked up on the street that i don't want him to eat.

[gwenhyffar.livejournal.com]

Bowling ball! No way he's going to destroy that! Just make sure to fill the finger holes in with some filler so that he can't get his teeth in there, and you have the mother of all trades for him! :D

[welshred.livejournal.com]

That's brill, I love doggy breakthroughs.

Now, teach me how to get fingers out of puppy mouthes ;-)

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

What I've been taught (and what someone never did with Spike when he was a tiny mouthy puppy, which is why he's Shark Boy now and I can't let anyone else touch his ball or play tug with him in case they lose a finger) is YELP loudly when you're nipped, the way another puppy would do if they were bitten too hard in play.

I do this with Spike anyway (it's harder NOT to yelp when he gets me) but he was ten months old when i got him and I don't think it sinks in so well with an older dog.

How's the puppyness going? WANT MORE PICS.

[welshred.livejournal.com]

He is really good to be honest, he gives his toys and balls and even food if we say 'leave'. He just gets mega puppy excited in the morning and when I get home and jumps up and bites, but he's teething. He is really good overall and we start puppy classes in January aswell. I did the helping thing and he jumped on me and barked and started eating my hair, not a success!!!

Will try and put up some pics for you tonight. Xxx

[ghost07.livejournal.com]

I was told to bite them back...preferably on the ear. Of course, that wouldn't work for me now because all I have for teeth is an upper plate...:D My teeth would be left in a dog's ear LOL


hooray for Spike!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

LOL, I used to do that with Spike - he took it as a gleeful invitation to PLAY HARDER.

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

way to go spike! puppy agrees its very difficult to give up your ball, AND leave it so i can pick it up. he much prefers to play keep away.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

BALL ARE SRS BSNS. ALL YR BALL ARE BELONG TO SPIKE AND PUPPY.

[slave2tehtink.livejournal.com]

ZILLEMONSTER TAKES EXCEPTION TO THIS. ALL YR BALL ARE BELONG TO HER TOO.

Except she will give them back but ONLY once we get into the house. I have to let her carry the ball in, and then she hands it over after I close the door unless it's her House Ball in which case she puts it in her crate.

She is Gud Dog.

Also, WAY TO GO SPIKE!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

This is the first time Spike has EVER given one back without the clear understanding that it was only so I could rethrow it - and he's not even all that cooperative about that. Usually the best I can hope for is for him to drop it after he's leashed and not stop me picking it up.

He's still a good dog though. REALLY HE IS.

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

*grins* at out ball loving doggies.

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

very srs bsns!

i keep meaning to make an icon of puppy with his balls saying all yr ball are belong to puppy.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

yay!!