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Offline kate.s

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What to do if he won't swap
« on: March 04, 2007, 10:34:53 AM »
On the whole Sam is an angel  :angel: (apart from the barking) but when he gets something that he's not supposed to have he just won't let go of it. After him growling at me a few months ago I try to get him to swap it for something better, problem is he has cottoned on to this and now won't let go of what he's got. If my Oh is in the house he will just drop anything but not for me, he just gives me the evil eye.

Any suggestions  :huh:
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Offline Cob-Web

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2007, 10:40:50 AM »
Find something he finds completely irresistible - so if he is food motivated, a very high value treat, which he only gets when swapping or if he is toy motivated, find a toy/game that he really enjoys and only allow him to play when he has swapped  :D

It can take a while - Molo went through a period like this - I hotdog sausage in every pocket for a few weeks - but it does eventually sink in
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Offline kate.s

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2007, 10:45:08 AM »
Yes maybe I'll keep something just for situations like this, something he doesn't normally have. I never thought he was that big in the brains department but he has totally figured what I'm after.....It's the evil eye that gets me, I just know that he'd bite me if I put my hands near him.
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Offline cindere528

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2007, 10:53:54 AM »
As well as the treat, you have to keep on saying "Good Boy". Also, when you get the treasure off him, give him a treat, say Good Boy and  give the treasure back to him (sounds crazy, but stay with me here, OK ;))  I recently had this with Nelly, my son bought bones for both the dogs when he was home a couple of weeks ago.  Dillon was fine, but Nelly was snarling & growling.  I offered Nelly a treat & kept on saying "Good Girl".  Eventually, she dropped the bone and ate the treat.  I repeated the sequence for about an hour & a half to convince her that she could give her treasure to me without risk.  Some treasures have to be kept by you (socks, knickers, dangerous items etc) but others (toys etc) can be given back to the dog.  While he's learning though, always give back the treasure a few times, so that he knows he can let you have it & you will give it back.  Just practise regularly with things that he's holding, offer a treat, say "Good Boy give" or something, then give the treat when he's given.  They learn very quickly.
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Offline Cob-Web

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2007, 11:14:08 AM »
Quote from: kate.s on March 04, 2007, 10:45:08 AM
It's the evil eye that gets me, I just know that he'd bite me if I put my hands near him.

You might want to consider some one-to-one sessions with a behaviourist/trainer too - it will give you more confidence  ;)
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Offline Jan/Billy

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2007, 12:51:57 PM »
When he has something he shouldn't and you are trying to get him to swap do you show him the treat? This was how I taught Billy, First thing I'd do is  go away get a tasty treat , then go back to Billy show him the treat and when he let go of the item he had stolen I'd give him the treat and say "swap". Eventually after time he will learn what swap means. So for example, Billys treats are in a drawer in the dining room, if he say steals a toilet roll from the bathroom I now just say in a really happy enthusiastic voice " Swap" he drops the toilet roll like lightening & runs downstairs & sits in front of his treat drawer waiting. Don't raise your voice or antagonise him & at the begining it has to be something very very tasty, garlic sausage etc.


Quote from: cindere528 on March 04, 2007, 10:53:54 AM
As well as the treat, you have to keep on saying "Good Boy". Also, when you get the treasure off him, give him a treat, say Good Boy and  give the treasure back to him


Billy's behaviourist has taught me this & it works. Once Billy has dropped the item I pick it up look at it as though I'm inspecting it & then give it back to him. 99.9% of the time he's not interested in it once I have given it back. Also he is more likely to give something up if he knows it's not gonna be taken away & he'll learn that you're a giver not a taker  ;)
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Penel

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2007, 05:09:22 PM »
Quote from: Jan/Billy on March 04, 2007, 12:51:57 PM
he'll learn that you're a giver not a taker  ;)

absolutely - don't take things just for the sake of it - what's the point.  If someone tried to take my Green & Blacks off me I'd probably bite them  :005:
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Offline debbie321

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2007, 08:59:08 PM »
Quote from: Penel on March 04, 2007, 05:09:22 PM
Quote from: Jan/Billy on March 04, 2007, 12:51:57 PM
he'll learn that you're a giver not a taker  ;)

absolutely - don't take things just for the sake of it - what's the point.  If someone tried to take my Green & Blacks off me I'd probably bite them  :005:

Hi - Ben has been fairly good with giving things up (after the flower pot incident that drew blood)  ph34r

If he nicks something then I always take it - even if it's just to look at it and then give it back.  Should I be doing this? 
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Offline Leah

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2007, 04:12:00 PM »
I'm babysitting my friend's 4 year old  Boy for the first time and was amazed when he lunged for a rubber ball.  I had taken it off him with a struggle, put it up high and when I went to move it out of sight, he went for my arm.   :o

He got a good telling off verbally ......... and the ball has gone away.  With his soft toy he seems OK, will bring it and give it up without problems.  Any balls he has found in the garden I"ve done 'swapsies' with food although he is not bothered with food much  ::).

I thought toys had to be given when the owner wanted?  So anything removed is taken away out of sight?  So that the owner remains in control and gives pleasure to the dog at random times?

I suppose some things work for one dog, another method for others ........ never had a cocker with a temper though, he was more like a JR!

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Penel

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2007, 10:38:20 PM »
By the way - you have to train a dog to give things up -not just hope for the best at the moment you need them to give things up.  It should be the same as you training them to walk nicely on the lead, or to stay, sit, down etc - "drop" or "leave" is something to train - so that when it comes to high value objects, it's not such a massive big deal...

I have 5 dogs and literally about 100 toys all around the place - never ever had a problem with anyone getting possessive - even with 3 cocker bitches !!!  if you only give the toys at certain times, they become higher value. .... remember when you were little, the things you weren't allowed to play with all the time - they were very special weren't they !!!  the toys that were out all the time - no big deal  ;)
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Offline Helen

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Re: What to do if he won't swap
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2007, 11:21:55 PM »
Quote from: Penel on March 16, 2007, 10:38:20 PM
By the way - you have to train a dog to give things up -not just hope for the best at the moment you need them to give things up.  It should be the same as you training them to walk nicely on the lead, or to stay, sit, down etc - "drop" or "leave" is something to train - so that when it comes to high value objects, it's not such a massive big deal...

I have 5 dogs and literally about 100 toys all around the place - never ever had a problem with anyone getting possessive - even with 3 cocker bitches !!!  if you only give the toys at certain times, they become higher value. .... remember when you were little, the things you weren't allowed to play with all the time - they were very special weren't they !!!  the toys that were out all the time - no big deal  ;)

i'm the same with jarv and i have to say i think this is why he's never been possessive over toys or food or rawhides etc. 
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helen & jarvis x

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