Issue with Tennis Balls !

[RonOwens]

Hi, My Golden Doodle is 18 months old and has developed an obsession with tennis balls. It started when she was small and loved to fetch and she would drop the ball for me to throw again. This lasted 2 days, then another dog stole her ball. Now she won't bring them back and becomes extremely possessive with them. I can't even get her to drop them, her grip is so tight. I tried bribing her with all sorts of treats but none are "better" than a ball. Indoors, she is "text book" obedient... she will let me have the ball and has no possessive issues.

 

Any ideas ?

 

Thanks

 

Ron

Edited August 6, 2019 by RonOwens

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Ron Owens,

 

It's frustrating when all goes well and then just one incident like that can undo all the training, isn't it? When one single incident leads to a dog learning so fast, it's called "single event learning." It can be challenging to undo because it has had such an impact on the dog. At least though, on a positive note it sounds like your golden doodle hasn't generalized this behavior to indoors.

 

What can be done to undo the damage?

 

-First of all, keep on practicing indoors a lot so that your dog continues to feel safe and you reinforce to him that you are no threat to him.

-When outdoors, you need to protect your dog as much as possible from another incident like that. Next time, if your dog sees another dog coming his way your dog may go from holding tightly to the ball to even resource guard aggressively. So make sure when you play fetch that you are in an area where no other dogs can steal his ball again.

-Once you have found a safe place that is fenced and away from other dogs, you can try offering another new tennis ball (perhaps a larger one) rather than a treat if your dog places the value of the ball over treats. Perhaps try to bounce it around bit, moving back and forth, with your body and making silly sounds to entice your dog to want it. This is what dogs do with each other a lot and the other dog often falls prey to wanting the toy the other dog has. If he drops the ball from his mouth, be ready to quickly praise and toss the new ball. You may need to keep on trading the balls to keep the game alive. Some dog owners keep a bunch of tennis balls in a container with them with dogs who haven't learned yet to drop the ball and play fetch. It may take tossing multiple balls to get the dog to drop.

-If you have a yard, work on gradually transitioning from playing fetch in the home to outside. For instance, you can try playing with her nearby the door, then opening the door and tossing the ball out of the door and having her return and drop the ball to you inside, then with you outside by the door and then finally outside.

-There are treats and treats in dog training. Sometimes, dogs may turn up their noses to many commercial treats, but the highest value ones are overlooked. For instance, have your tried freeze-dried liver? Baked chicken? Several slivers of organic, lo sodium hot dogs? Freeze dried tripe? The stinkier the better. However, there may be a drawback for super tasty treats: the dog may not longer be much interested in fetching because he may want more of the food, so yes, it may get the dog to drop, but the good treats may also work as a distraction. Fortunately, though it's often short lived, once the dog drops the ball to get the food and then realizes he won't get anymore, he may go back to fetching and the process can be repeated over and over. Another drawback is that the dog may come to expect treats all the time when playing fetch which can put a dent in the game but it can be a negotiation if there is no other way to get the dog to drop.

-Some dogs may be willing to drop a ball in exchange for playing with a flirt pole. There are many flirt poles for dogs sold on the market nowadays. Toys with a squeaker toy on the end of the pole are a plus, but care must be taken to avoid the dog from ripping the toy off the pole and ingesting the squeaker. A quite irresistible toy to grasp is a piece of rabbit fur attached to a string or rabbit fur tug toy. Please consider that dogs may resource guard highly valued toys using aggression. Please read all disclaimers at the end.

-Since you mention that her returning the ball lasted only for 2 days, it could be she didn't really get to learn the game very well or some puppies seem to play fetch naturally for a little bit, but then they just get tired of the game (they seem to think it is dumb and pointless to return a ball over and over) and rather play "keep away" (getting a hold of the ball and hoping the owners try and get it- a game that is not recommended) rather than play fetch by the rules. Or it could be just that the other dog thwarted the desire for good.

- It can be difficult to instill desire for a game the dog has little interest in playing. Fetch is a game that the dog should enjoy doing and actively request it. Dogs wanting to play fetch typically will grab a ball, bring it to the owner (or deposit it at the dog's feet or lap) backing up with eager anticipation. Your dog doesn't show these signs from your description. Forcing the game may make the game appear even more tedious and may turn into a command rather than a game. If you are looking for ways to tire your dog, consider brain games. Providing dogs with mental workouts has been proven to tire dogs more than lots of physical exercise.

-Other ways to tire a dog? Putting your dog on a long line allowing her to romp around and sniff to her heart's content can be quite a tiring activity. You can also practice recalls every now and then allowing her to go back and forth (call her, feed her several yummy treats in a row and then send her out to sniff/ explore, then call again, rinse and repeat).You can set up a target area in the open area and practice sending your dog out to the target area and then back to you. You can scatter treats around in the field and send off your dog to search for them in a super treasure hunt game.

-Another way dogs can play a lot and tire out is by using a large ball to push around in a large yard such as a Boomer ball.

-Some dog owners report success using machines that toss balls for playing fetch. The Go Dog Go fetch machines is an example.

-Some dogs rather play tug than fetch. This game requires your dog to abide to rules. You must be able to ask the dog to take and drop on cue. You must always start and end the game (end the game by asking to drop, give a treat and then put the toy away out of reach) which prevents your dog from taking off with it.

-There are tug toys with a ball at the end which can help you train your dog to drop on cue and you can try to play with that. If you can get your dog to love playing tug with a tug toy ending with a ball, perhaps outdoors you can have her fetch a tossed ball and then entice her to drop it by engaging her to play tug with the tug toy a bit, then ask to drop the tug toy ball and then toss another ball. Due to the fact though that you describe her as being excessively possessive when outdoors, I would recommend referring to a dog behavior professional for guidance and to play it safe.

-Worth mentioning indeed is that holding a ball tight in the mouth can be a sign of resource guarding. The dog may no longer be playing but trying to keep a resource safe. Caution is needed, some dogs may try to bite if the ball is forced out of the mouth or if the owner tries to reach out to grab a ball from the ground. Chasing a dog will only exacerbate the behavior leading to the dog to think that the owner wants to truly steal the item and emphasizing his role as a threat. Consulting with a dog behavior professional may be warranted.

-Behavior modification for dogs reluctant to giving up items they are holding in their mouths include management (not putting dogs in situations where they get to rehearse the guarding behavior) practicing lots of drop its to the point that it becomes almost reflexive for the dog to drop any item in the mouth. It often starts by practicing with low value items, gradually increasing the value. Items dropped are always traded with items that are higher in value.The goal is instilling a sense of trust and that the dog has nothing to worry about. Seek a professional for guidance and safety of behavior modification.

 

Disclaimer: dogs reluctant to drop or give up toys or items are often resource guarding. Resource guarding is a serious issue which can lead to bites. In such a case, it is highly recommended to consult with a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. By reading this answer, you accept such disclaimer.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[RonOwens]

Adrienne,

thanks for all those tips. I will try some of them.

 

I tried the multiple ball game, but she will run to fetch the second ball with the first one in her mouth and then swap them at a safe distance (or try to put both in her mouth!).

 

You are spot-on regarding the "resource-guarding" .. she will growl at me outside of I try to prise the ball away from her, but will release willingly indoors.

If I succeed in taking the ball, her lower jaw would quiver, she is guarding it so intently.

 

I also tried the "higher value" treat (pieces of left-over steak, her favorite). She will do anything indoors for a piece of steak, but outdoors, she would come to me with the ball in her mouth and I put the meat up to her nose. She then tried to get me put the steak into her mouth behind the ball.

 

I think a long training lead and no distractions is the best approach.

 

Thanks again

 

Ron