Keeping him busy

[mantine]

My aussie Grizzley is almost 5 months, he just finished his puppy class and knows sit, sit-stay, come, roll over, shake, down, choose and I think thats it. I would like to start teaching him more tricks, does anyone know a good website or book that they reccomend that has games you can play to keep his mind occupied as well as tricks to teach?

Also any advice on fetch? He loves to chase after the frisbee or ball but I have a hard time getting him to come back with it. He did when he was younger, is he just at that adolescent age where he doesn't want to do the right thing anymore? He'll grab the frisbee or ball and start coming back with it but then drop it and do something else, or if I say come he comes but with out the object

[squirtsmom]

Lola is almost four months, Great Pyr, and we use treats for fetch and come. With great excitement in our voices, we ask her to fetch and she comes back to us usually with the object in her mouth. some days she does b etter than o thers, but with the treats, she is pretty reliable.

[Jynx]

for one, I would continue on with your obedience classes, basics is fine, but it's really rewarding as well as fun to continue on to the next levels of training and more so, in a class setting where the dog can get alot of socialization.

With that said, I like Peg Tilmans' Clicking with your dog...Yes it involves a clicker, however, the book has a zillion behaviors you can teach with a clicker, it breaks down each 'behavior' so it's an easy read/learn.

My aussies I've found very very clicker responsive vs any negative type training.

Have fun
Diane

[dandandat]

Sammy didn’t want to fetch for the longest time, she'd run after the object but then just leave it there and come back. What we did was not through the object but put it some where and removed all other toys form the area. We’d then kneel a bit away from the object and told her “get it”, at first when she just went to the object she’d get a reward or affection. As she got the idea that it was go to go over to the ball, we would not reward her until she moved it in some way. Little by little we up the anti until she was only reward when she came back and gave us the ball. She relay likes the game of fetch now as its own reward and the affection she gets.

[mantine]

Jynx I will look up that book, you think its better to go on to the next class? I have been going back and forth on spending the $100 on the intermediate class at petsmart or just training him at home. I definitly want to do something because sit, come and stay is getting pretty boring for me and him!

[Jynx]

I definately think you should continue classes, however, I'm not a big fan of petsmart or petco trainings,,look for a training place in your area, this would be a better situation.

Ask your vet's office if they know of any dog classes/training places in the area you live..I feel you can pay 100$ to a "trainer" that would be better than what you get from petsmart/petco type of places.

Aussies DO get bored pretty fast,,especially with repetition,,My female is one busy dog, and when she is bored, look out, she gets barky, she gets snarky, she is a royal pain in the butt...Tho she likes to do physical fun stuff, she tires faster with mental stuff, tricks, fast obedience work outs, and I try to make all the things I teach her a FUN thing,,she's not a real serious dog, and everything seems to be a big laugh to her :))

I have GSD's as well, they are more serious in whatever they do, the aussie likes to jazz things up even higher and get a laugh out of stuff so to speak.

I have found the aussies are GREAT for teaching tricks which can be turned into behaviors and vice versa....I've taught mine to "touch" (which helped in agility, as well) and even if we're hanging out,,I'm always having her do "something',,like go "touch" whatever,,"high five" me,,,even those little things give them something to do..

ok done rambling here! LOL
diane

[DanL]

Lots of good advice already. As far as the fetch goes- try using 2 balls. As the dog returns with one, show the other. When he drops the 1st one, (which he will as he'll be excited to get the 2nd) give him a command you want to use for that action (we use leave it, it's universal for a lot of things), and throw the 2nd ball. Pick up the 1st while he's chasing the 2nd, and repeat.

This is a great way to wear him out too, it won't take long as he'll be sprinting constantly.