Kong Wobbler fear

[Krysta]

We purchased a Kong Wobbler for our 5 month old puppy and he is terrified of it.  I will admit, we ordered based on what his full grown size will be (he's probably 10lbs shy of that right now) and we had a good laugh when we opened the box and saw it's much-larger-than-expected size.  

During his first exposure we showed him how it worked and knocked out a considerable amount of kibble/treats.  He barked and barked, backing away in fear.  We took it away.  Today we simply set it on the floor while he was not in the room. When he finally noticed, it was another barking rampage until we took it away.

Do you have any suggestions as how to introduce something that he's so fearful of? We were really hoping he'd enjoy this independent activity.  

 

[Adrienne]

Hi Krysta,

I have had the occasional pup bark at it, but often as a reaction to not knowing what it was initially, after a few moments, then the barking subsided. If your pup is terrified, we would need to determine exactly what triggers his fear first and then gradually work on that to gradually learn that it's nothing to fear. From your description, it sounds like its initial movement must have startled him and possibly its associated noise. 

We can take a few steps to make it less intimidating:

-We can try to present it on a rug or carpet to reduce its noise. 

-We can present with no treats inside

-We can present it without moving it 

-We can place it at a distance from the puppy

-We can take steps to create positive associations with it-read below

To create positive associations, you can keep it at a distance, without treats in it, without moving it. Have a helper/ family member sit on the rug and hold the Kong behind his back. Then have him show it at a distance. When your puppy sees it, feed a treat. Then your helper puts it away behind his back again and presents it again, and you feed a treat. This to emphasize that good things happen when the toy makes its appearance. Good things stop when the toy disappears behind the helper's back. Rinse and repeat several times, until you notice signs of your puppy relaxing and perhaps even looking forward to seeing the toy. 

After ward, we can add placing it on the floor. Your helper hides it behind his back, then makes it appear and places it on the rug in front of him. You feed a treat as your puppy watches this. Then, your helper removes it again and hides it behind his back. Rinse and repeat several times, once again looking for signs your puppy seems to relax or even better, starts showing signs of looking forward to seeing the toy. 

Next step is your helper hides it behind his back, then makes it appear and places it on the rug in front of him and tilts it a little. Be ready to use higher-value treats for this as this is the part your pup may struggle a bit with. Do the same, feed a treat when your pup watches it move. Then, your helper removes it again and hides it behind his back. Rinse and repeat several times, once again looking for signs your puppy seems to relax or even better, starts showing signs of looking forward to seeing the toy move.

Next step, your helper hides it behind his back, then makes it appear and places it on the rug in front of him, places a few treats in it and moves it a bit more (making fun sounds as your helper does this can help the pup know it's fun to play with). Be ready to use higher-value treats for this as this is the part your pup may struggle a bit with. Do the same, feed a treat when your pup watches it move. Then, your helper removes it again and hides it behind his back. Rinse and repeat several times, once again looking for signs your puppy seems to relax or even better, starts showing signs of looking forward to seeing the toy move.

Next step, your helper hides it behind his back, then makes it appear and places it on the rug in front of him, places a few treats in it and makes it move enough to get some treats out (making fun sounds as your helper does this can help the pup know it's fun to play with). As your helper does this, scatter several treats on the floor as a jackpot making it sound like fun and let your pup eat them all.  Then, once your pup is done eating the treats, your helper removes it again and hides it behind his back. Rinse and repeat several times, once again looking for signs your puppy seems to relax or even better, starts showing signs of looking forward to seeing the toy move.

Next step, your helper hides it behind his back, then makes it appear and places it on the rug in front of him, places a few treats in it and makes it around as if playing with it to get some treats out (making fun sounds as your helper does this can help the pup know it's fun to play with). Have your helper toss several treats that have fallen out the pup's way. Then, once your pup is done eating the treats, your helper removes it again and hides it behind his back. Rinse and repeat several times, once again looking for signs your puppy seems to relax or even better, starts showing signs of looking forward to seeing the toy move.

Finally, after doing several of these sessions, you can leave the toy on the rug in the room and see whether your pup feels now confident enough to approach it. Keep treats in your hand and toss them your pups' way as he looks at the toy, then a he approaches the toy, and then as he goes sniff it, and then as he moves it. 

If at any time in this process your puppy barks, this may be a sign that you are progressing too fast, and may need to take a few steps back. 

I hope this helps, 

Let me know how it goes, we can try further troubleshooting and split this into smaller steps if needed. If the fear is too much though, we can try to introduce toys that use the same concept but that are smaller or less intimidating and then progress to larger ones.

 

[Krysta]

Appreciate your thorough directions for addressing this issue. 

Over the last several weeks we've followed your instructions and have eliminated the fear of the Wobbler!  He no longer approaches it with excessive barking or fearful hesitancy. He hasn't mastered how it works quite yet but has no reservations eating the food that we knock out of it. He does bark when there's no food left on the ground and he wants more but we're trying to teach him how to play with it by himself. He'll get there eventually. 

Thank you again for your guidance! 

[Adrienne]

Oh, that's so great! Kudos to you for helping him out in overcoming his fear. It can take a lot of patience and baby steps. 

He may need to learn to to paw at it and nudge it. The barking is likely an "extinction burst," his way of wanting more. With an extinction burst, it may happen that, in the midst of the barking, at some point he may get a bit creative and come up with some way of getting more food by pawing at it or nudging it. 

Some pups can learn by imitation, such as watching you gently nudging it and getting treats/kibble out. It helps to fill it a lot which makes the food come out very easily. Careful if it's much bigger than him in not making him startle as it bobs around-it's easy at times to undo progress. Create positive associations with its movements by tossing kibble/treats as it moves. 

  Perhaps doing some targeting exercises using your hand, then a sticky note on the ground, then sticky note nearby the Kong and then on the Kong if necessary may get him there. When he pushes it with his nose or paw, make sure to be quick to reward him with some treats if none come out. Toss them near the Kong in hopes he thinks it's coming from there rather than from you.

In any case, targeting is a great exercise for instilling more confidence in pups who may be wary of certain things. Once the sticky note has reached a sense of familiarity and a history of rewards, I find it easier to acclimate them to novel objects by sticking it to them which creates a sense of familiarity. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

Sometimes adding some really smelly treats in the Kong Wobbler can help some pups overcome their hesitancy and increase their motivation.

 

[Krysta]

He absolutely LOVES target practice and has progressed to pen tips and sticky notes, so we'll give the sticky note approach a try. Thank you!

[Adrienne]

You're very welcome! Another little tip that can help is taking the top on the Wobbler off and showing your dog that it holds goodies, so that may motivate him to paw at it and nudge it around.