From a puppy I have worked with Eb to create a motivational toy that she is completely nuts about and will do just about anything for.  It's a Pedigree fun ball - about two inches diameter - on a short piece of rope so that I can either throw it like a ball or play tugger with it depending on whether I want her to drive away from me or focus on me and the reward to be associated with me.  It's worked very well and now all I have to do at obedience or agility is to get the toy out and she is 100% focused, speedy, reactive and alert.  I ran a practice course with her at the weekend at agility with the ball in my hand and she was so fast and accurate it took my breath away, all for a simple tug on her toy with me after each contact and the weaves.

Anyway as soon as I put the ball in my pocket / out of site it all goes away and she begins looking around / becoming more interested in other dogs / general environment stuff, she slows down and generally makes it appear that we have done no training.  What I want to do is to start fading the toy so that she will concentrate without it being visible but knowing she will get the fun stuff like she does now but keeping up her drive and focus.

I'm at a loss how to do this effectively so any suggestions would be welcome.

i would put the toy in the pocket for short bursts and work on building up anticipation. reward the dog for noticing the toy has gone and maybe give a command like sit or heel while the toy is in the pocket, then take it out again and reward for waiting. gradually building up the time.

It's worked very well and now all I have to do at obedience or agility is to get the toy out and she is 100% focused, speedy, reactive and alert.

Congrats on your hard work so far :)

I think, from what info you have given on here, that you have been using the toy as a "lure" rather than as a reward. So, the dog SEES the toy and works for it, but once the visual element of the toy is removed, the dog loses interest.

I'd work on keeping Eb guessing - on walks, surprise her with the toy. Surprise her with it when she does something for you when she's not expecting it. That sort of thing. Also, work on slowly building up behaviour chains - so for instance, if she will say, heel (just an example) for 5 paces, say "yes!" and play tuggie. Then progress to doing that for 6 paces, 9, 11, etc...then at the end or middle pop in a Sit or a Wait - so you are getting her used to doing several things for the one game. Adapt for agility or any other dog sport.

Done well she will think it's all a big party and a great game, which is I think how she feels when the toy is shown to her before she works.
Does that make sense?
I know what I mean but do you? :P

Hth
Lindsay
x

I would put her toy at the end of the course so she wants to fly round to get to the toy, knowing you'll play with it then :) If you're training and say only doing the A frame, fling the toy over the frame so she stops at the end looking at it. I always think it's great to see dogs flying over the last row of jumps and speeding out the ring at competitions to grab their toys. The problem with keeping it in your pocket is that she is maybe more likely to watch you rather than working on ahead. My girl is currently being weaned off her toy and having the same problem, however once she realsied that the toy would always be at the end of the course, or end of the row of jumps she perked up again.

can you clicker train her with the ball being the reward. you can then have it in your pocket but when she does good click and pull the toy out for a play. she will soon be waiting for the click rather than actually seeing the toy