HOW????????????
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I still cant get Ebba to relinquish a tennis ball for me to throw again :( :(
I have tried tasty treats, but she still wont :(
She loves running after them and sits and waits for you to throw them, but she will not give it back. So you either have to prise it out of her mouth (No easy feet with a Rottie) Or have 2 and be forever running around collecting the one she has dropped!!!!! Good for the waist line but not for training.
HELP
Lea :)

I always have two balls as my girls like to carry one in thier mouth .

Why not try training at home to drop using the clicker!

I wouldn't train a dog to drop, preferrably - it's much better to train to give it to your hand :)

Daisy

Just wondering, why wouldn't you train a dog to drop ?. It's been useful to me - if my dog runs towards the woods (after a rabbit !) with a ball in his mouth I always shout "Drop" so that he leaves the ball behind (I used to lose lots !). Also, if he picks up something nasty to eat outside I do the same - he's pretty good.......unless it's very tasty !.

Val

My dogs can drop :) However, if you want to train a dog to hold a toy and 'present' it, it can be very difficult if the dog is also encouraged to drop it :) I found that once the dog was perfect at the hold/present, then the 'drop' was easy to learn :D Personal preference, but having seen the difficulty that a lot of people have training the 'present', I'd have thought that 'drop' would be counter-productive :)

Daisy

I understand - I guess I've done it my way (don't know if it's right or not, but it works !). If we are playing with toys and a tug-of-war begins, I make sure I win by saying "Dead" !. If he looks like he's about to pounce on the cat food he gets a "Leave".....in my special angry voice !.

Val

Practice at home sitting on the sofa :) I would just sit there refusing to pick the ball up for Tara until she held it near to me. Took a while, but now she always does a perfect present when we play with a ball (even a rugby ball :D ) time and time again :)

Daisy

Give up now. I chased breeze to get a ball and she thought that I was playing. When she got bored, she dropped it. We are working on leave at training and she is still a nightmare but slowly getting better. Rotties are stubborn though so bear that in mind.

I did it easily.
My boy loves to chase a ball but wouldn't give it back to throw again.
One afternoon I took two. Threw one and if he dropped it nearby I threw the other one - that became his reward so I didn't use treats. Even now, if he doesn't drop it close by he doesn't get the other one thrown. I just say "Pick it up" and walk away. He always trots off to fetch and bring it closer.
The first day I used a clicker and clicked when he dropped the ball close enough.....and threw the other ball as a reward.
It only took one session, he picked the idea up quickly.

Good Luck

could you have the two balls but do not give her the second ball until she has brought the other one near to you? That is how i have trained my terrier to do it. good luck though.

ooo, great minds - I must have been typing as you posted !

I tried this.  Roxy happily brings the first ball and drops it at your feet waiting for the second ball, then the minute you throw the second ball she lifts the first one and runs after the second one.  Not what I was hoping for!  :rolleyes:

stand on it !

It's a battle of wills to see which of us is quicker, and usually she wins.  :rolleyes:  The minute you move a muscle, she's got her mouth round the first ball.

I have this going on with three dogs and one extra ball (they all have one each) if one of my girls drops the ball at a distance I just say' wheres your ball' and off they trot to get it as they know the ball wont be thrown unless I get one back.

Daisy
I am in the process of teaching drop to my 6m old puppy  as I think it is important for anything they may pick up that can be bad for them ie: puppy likes to pick up stones in the garden I tell her to 'drop' and she promptly spits it out.
But you can also teach hold ....In fact I think you can teach anything if you are prepared to put the time in.

I teach mine the 'leave' command for unwanted things - but not toys :)

Daisy

You said she refuses treats, does this mean that she will come back to you with the toy (but not give it up)?

If that was to me Karen, yes, she will come back most of the time(She is still on a long lead as not sure on her recall yet) and even come near my hand with the ball but will not release,
Thanks everyone will read all your replies again and try them out :d
Lea :)

If she comes near you, I'd give her lots of strokes around her head, but not try to take the ball out of her mouth. get her used to the idea that she gets lots of praise for coming near you with the ball and that you aren't going to grab it (yet :D )

Daisy

Hi Lea

I'll try and send you a PM with a suggestion :-)

i say to my dog "in my hand" and hold my hand out and she growls and puts it in, if she doesnt put it in i dont play ball! haha but she is completely obsessed with fetch though otherwise it wouldnt work