Sit, Wait, Run, Fetch, Tug
Is tough choice to fetch or tug
Donna wants do BOTH!
I made the mistake of holding my phone vertically while shooting this video —
You can see her visibly panting (tired and needing to drink) at the end of the video and getting enough of play.
Here is the run through of the choices (which you can see in the video) she and I made as we developed our way of playing fetch through the months we’ve been together.
When it became evident that she would be half way down the corridor even before the rope was thrown, I started to consistently get her to sit and wait for the toy to be thrown. Gives me a good excuse to get her to practice responding to these cues during play.
I started teaching her drop it more to save our fingers from her teeth. She likes to tug if we reach directly to take the toy from her mouth. And sometimes when she adjusts her grip on the toy, she would accidentally hit our knuckles with her teeth. Not ideal since I don’t want to have to play tug and risk my fingers to take back the toy every single time. So drop it.
She learnt drop it very well. Unfortunately, she got it into her head that she could turn the game into tug if she persistently drop it not in our hands, not in front of us, but slightly away where the human has to reach for it. There she would hover, head over the toy, guarding it and ready to snatch it up again to initiate a game of tug.
Oh well she is quite right about that, except that, 90% of the time she responds to drop it very well. :P
Eventually when she tires, she will end the game by flopping in the middle of the hallway, nom, nom, nom on the toy as if the human does not exist any more.
This is her done with the nomming.
I have to add that her style of play with me is very different from with Mr P. She adapts to the human. I play safe. She gets a more rousing time with Mr P but My P gets his fingers nipped more often. Hah!
Another short video of her running after a bone :P
Frances D
My first dog Rocky loved tug o’ war. Husband lost a sweatshirt to that -lol.
Roseylinn
I lost a sock to tug o’ war. I later found it in the yard all muddy. :)
weliveinaflat
:D They leave you surprises for the next day? :P That’s part of the fun, huh? :D
Roseylinn
*laughs* that all depends on what was left as a surprise and where. :)
weliveinaflat
Awwww…. hope its not the husband’s favourite sweatshirt! :P Always a good excuse to go shopping though :P *two thumbs up*
2browndawgs
Good job Donna! We use words to release our dogs so we use different words when we practice the sit stay. It is funny. The tug on the drop is a tough one. Thunder used to play that game at the hunt test with a duck. (not good) We really worked on that all last year.
weliveinaflat
Oooh, hadn’t thought the brown dogs would tug or want to play with the duck!! Donna will never make a hunting dog… she’ll probably get the duck, ran back halfway and drop it and wait for the human to come get it yourself!… omg She is training the human to fetch!!! D:
What release words do you use? I’m awful at release words… never really work on release words actually :P :P guess we’re slackers haha!!
thatjenk
I also make the dogs wait during in-the-house-fetch, but they’re allowed to get a bit more rambunctious outside (and the toys are thrown further, so the headstart doesn’t matter as much). Keeping it a bit calmer and controlled in the house means I can justify it as “training”, and ignore my mom’s nagging voice in the back of my head from childhood (“NO horseplay in the house!”).
And it’s the same in our house, too – the Husband roughhouses with the dogs much more than I do, but it also means he gets covered in more drool :)
weliveinaflat
My mom accuses me of horseplay in the house too!!!! :D I hope drool is good for the skin since your husband gets covered in it… there has got to be a benefit somewhere!!
I hadn’t talk to write about outdoors simply because I have not successfully got her to play fetch outdoors.. she prefers to sniff… or play with other dogs… or to play keep away with the ball = = as she zooms here and there. Haha!
hutchagoodlife
She is so well behaved! My friend tells her dog to drop it and he just doesn’t care!
What a cutie
Nacho, Noah, Buddy & Basil
xxxx
weliveinaflat
When we first started, she was treated for dropping it… although that sometimes is a show stopper because then she becomes more interested in food than playing – – haha~
NW Frame of Mind
Drop it is a great command. :) I don’t like the tug of war either!
weliveinaflat
Yes it is! I don’t mind tug… just not ALL the time. :P
weggieboy
Wow! What a great doggy! Good girl, Donna! You are a canine superstar!!!
weliveinaflat
Haha, don’t let it go to her head! :P
OhMelvin
Her ‘drop it’ is award winning!!! Love the video!
weliveinaflat
:D Hmmm… we didn’t give her any awards beside play though :P I left you a comment but I think WP ate it up. I’m sorry Melvin and you got attacked by a swarm and hope you guys have recovered already!! Sounds thoroughly scary D:
Dawn
What a cutie! She’s really having a good time. My dogs have the same trouble with deciding what to do… fetch, chew, or tug of war. Maya likes tug-of-war best but will let go if I say. Pierson prefers chew.
weliveinaflat
I thought Maya would love to fetch more since she is a lab :P Chewing lets Pierson stay in one spot and monitor his surrounds… watchfully :P maybe?
Sonel
She is such a happy pup! Great videos Mrs. P and it’s great to hear your lovely voice as well. Looks like you and Donna enjoy this game very much. :D *big hugs*
weliveinaflat
Haha I cringe when I hear my own voice!! :D Have a great weekend Sonel!!
Sonel
I know the feeling but I love your voice. It’s beautiful! :D
Have a great weekend too hon. *big hugs*
weliveinaflat
Thank you :) *hugs*
sassmuffinss
I love this video. Donna is such a good girl. I have never properly trained Gracie on basic commands (I know, I know), although she does know words like “excuse me” which means she has to make a spot for us on the sofa. She does take her games very seriously, though, and will fetch for a couple of hours each night! One day I will get a video of her at play.
weliveinaflat
Cool, love videos… I guess it’s really what one expects out of the relationship with their dog? If you’re happy with Gracie, its all that matters :) Training and photography gets me interested in spending time with Donna, so its quality bonding time for us :P