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Prey Drive Control & Focus..


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Hi Slim

Im following k9's instruction on building drive

so basiclly three times a day for three minutes each time i tie connor using a harness or you can use a thick flat collar tying so the lead is at ground level so theres a triagle from dog to tie ground back to dog

then i tease him with the prey toy letting him win fairly often and am slowly making him work harder to get it after a week because his prey drive is already getting very strong i untie him ask for a sit then reward using the prey toy i also use a verbal marker yes when he has done something well connor already knows sit so he will comply then we go to down then heel then build the level of distraction taking from the rear to front yard then to the park etc

think i covered it

anyway thats the basic idea

yb

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should also add thereason im doing this is i compete in obedience want a very animated dog and drive training will get that also connor is a bit of a nervy pup so am wanting to have high drive so he wont be so distracted by the environment

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Hi LL

thast an excellent article

I think so. Links are so much easier, :thumbsup:

We all want the perfect dog and to be the best trainer possible. Poor dogs and poor us. What a mean we want health, drive, and good looks - BTW I have given up on my dogs looks. I do not care if they are purple with pink dots, as long as they are sound and want to do the work.

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um both will do lol

yb

Heavens to Betsy!!!! This would take a lot of typing and frankly I am not qualified to answer.

I have studied and studied videos and books, for goodness sake, in trying to expand my knowledge with training in drive. I think,pray (not prey LOL), hope I am on the right path.

I am waiting for K9s arrival to check my technique, timing, methods and the like.

And more importantly to learn how to apply them further with high level retrieving work.

I am too much of a wuss to add my ramblings.

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the way we do it at training is excite the dog up with the toy so make sure the toy you have is something your dog wants. After abit of play you stop. The word i normally use is enough & the toy goes under the arm. Its very easy and can be effective.

Slim1, yes, this simple method is used to bring out the drive and then to control it by voice command.

Can anyone explain for me in really simple terms as I had never even heard of the concept until recently 

Aaah KC, you'll just have to wait and see....

There are variations in training in drive, remembering that the initial exercises must be taught first. When drive training, we mainly use luring whilst in drive, but there are certainly other methods we use as well. Food can certainly be turned into a prey item, so you don't necessarily need a toy if your don't isn't toy crazy, but to have both is a bonus!

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There are variations in training in drive, remembering that the initial exercises must be taught first. When drive training, we mainly use luring whilst in drive, but there are certainly other methods we use as well. Food can certainly be turned into a prey item, so you don't necessarily need a toy if your don't isn't toy crazy, but to have both is a bonus!

Kelpie-I,

Could you expand on this. When my dogs are in prey drive (or what I call retrieving drive) they have no interest in food rewards.

Also, how do you train a group of dogs at once using prey drive?

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LL, some dogs do not see toys as rewards, this may be due to the fact that a) they have continous access to toys and lose interest b) the owners have never played with them using toys.

In a class situation, you don't have the time nor the resources to tether dogs to build their drive and some owners do not have the time nor the expertise to do this at home on their own.

In the case that the dog is not toy crazy, you would use food, held in the palm of your hand which is turned into a "toy" so to speak. The dog "chases" the hand with the food in it, bringing out the prey drive in him as he wants to get to the food. You can then hold a small toy in the same hand with the food and the dog is rewarded for interest in the toy by getting food the food reward. This method doesn't work for all may I add.

As for teaching drive training to a class situation, it's relatively easy.

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K9: dogs that have had tioo much "control" put on them do this too, they think they are breaking the leash law...

Thanks, I didn't think of that but you're probably right. He knows not to pull - perhaps he even thought he'd get the ball if he just waited patiently without pulling like he'd been taught. :love:

YB, Sidoney and Slim: he actually was in a harness not a collar, but I often walk him on a harness and he knows not to pull on it! Can't remember how I tied him up, since it was a while ago we tried this. Thanks for the other suggestions, I'll have to try them out.

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Hi Guys:)

I havebeen having an issue wih Bodie, he is mad for his motivater, he only see's it at flyball and will do back flips to get it, at home balls are so-so items he will chase sparty when sparty is chasing ball and sometimes grab a thrown ball, but lately returning on a fly ball run he will horde the ball he has over the motivator so the context of the toy changes?

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S:

Would it be worthwhile to put a harness on the dog? And it pulls on the harness if it's been taught to not pull on a collar?

K9: yes its a great idea, especially is the dog has mistakenly been worked on a correction collar, yep it does happen.

Some dogs need some time to get used to the harness also.'

H:

This is the crux of why i want to increase my dog's drive, because drive blocks fear.

K9, why is it so?

K9: it doesnt actually block fear, what happens in basic tersm is.

you have a dog in no real drive at all, it see's something that it fears & goes into avoidance or defence drive.

Its in this drive that you see the undesireable traits.

If before you come accross the item that your dogs fears the dog was put into prey drive, the invetsment (concentration wise) the dog needs to make leaves no free speac in the dogs head to see the triggers for defence & avoidance, when this is done over & over the dog begins to become desensitized.

but lately returning on a fly ball run he will horde the ball he has over the motivator so the context of the toy changes?

K9: this means the dog has a conflict with you & the ball, the dog thinks the ball is the better item & doesnt want to give it to you...

YB:

This morning i took connor out to do him prey building well he was very excited to the point where his teeth started chattering lol i think hes getting suitably obbsessed with this prey toy idea

K9: its now time to get him off the tie out, there are two reasons for this, one is that he is way high in drive, which would be ok, the other more likely is that his nerves are getting turned on as he feels success is starting to elude him (making it harder to capture)

He should be now on a 6ft drag leash & begin ob commands.

Recheck program now..

walk into back yard, if dog is running to tie out area, show him a few times no play.

He shouldnt trigger on just your presence, make sure you turn it on via voice command. This is the only real use it will have later on...

If you can go outside, he can give you focus & you give the command & he runs there, thats fine.

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Ok so he is seeing the tye out as a trigger to prey satisfaction i need to change that to only seeing drive satifaction as something that will happen under my control im have the prey item i will let him no when he can have it the place has nothing to do with it.

Now usually i use the word working to mean we are starting an obedience session should just continue using that If i go out the back and say working he will automatically look to me for something to do usually at this point i will ask for a couple of sits for food then move on to whatever it is i am working on so shll i go out the back tell him we're working then ask for the sit and release to the prey toy

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