# Wont let go of the ball



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Nicky is very good at listening to what I want him to do-sit, stay, down and come (but if he bolts after something, forget recall. His prey drive has markedly increased in the last year, since Java died). There was a period several years ago when after dinner, I would put the empty plate on the floor right in front of him so he could lick it clean and tell him to sit, stay. He would not move until I said it was ok. I could leave the room for minutes at a time, I could go upstairs, I could go outside, he wouldn’t move until I said it was ok. Once when Java wanted in on it, I had them both sit side by side , I set down 2 plates and told them to stay. I went into the other room for no more than 10 seconds (not testing) and when I came back, Java had licked both plates clean and Nicky was still sitting riveted to the floor with a confused “wait a minute, now I don’t have a plate to lick” look on his face. If I put a just finished yogurt container on the floor for him he takes 2 steps, stops and looks at me. I have to tell him it is ok several times before he goes to it

When throwing the tennis ball, I can tell him to sat and then walk to the opposite end of the field (football, 100 yards) and he will stay put until I give him the hand signal to come (to get the ball). But when he has the tennis ball, I cant get it from him. I guess he hasn’t put it together that I cant throw it unless he lets me have it back, unless he only chases it so he can keep it. I can pick him up off the ground by the ball, he aint letting go. The only way it works now is to have 3 balls in play. I throw one, he keeps it. I throw another one and he keeps that one and most of the time he cant get the third one in his mouth. So he leaves it and I walk over and throw it, he chases it, pounces on it and walks away with two still in his mouth. He will come right to me but when I reach down to take one of them he turns his head. And the strangest thing is the look on his face – he doesn’t look like the dog I know and love anymore, he has this scary lookin robot face, the look in his eye–“The Ball. I must have The Ball. You cannot take The Ball. I keep The Ball.” like he is daring me to take it from him. I feel really stupid because since any undesirable behavior is the owner’s fault, and I try so hard, this means I am a "bad daddy”. But he is so obedient in other situations.

*WANTED by the FBI*







]
Nicky, AKA "Nicky 3 Balls"​
I got a new toy expressly to try to teach him to "drop it" and/or "leave it". We have only just started but its not encouraging. He sits until I release him and I throw it into the next room. But he is already chewing it before he comes back. I try to take the toy from him so I can put it on the floor and say "leave it". He wants to hold on to it almost as bad as the ball. When I firmly say "leave it" right in his face, he opens his jaws but as I withdraw my hand, he tries to get it back immediately. His attention is so concentrated on getting the toy back that even when I give him a treat with the other hand when he releases it, he either ignores the treat or lets it fall from his mouth as he is so fixated on the toy. 

I know I should have tried to make a concerted effort to correct the ball behavior a long time ago, but I always get angry with myself, it is very discouraging. Maybe I _am_ just a "bad daddy”.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

Tucker has the best drop it in the world but if I actually put the hand on the ball he's like "TUG TIME" and holds on for dear life. So I'd teach a drop it, starting with a neutral object, like a foot of rope or something (so long as he doesn't decide it's the best toy ever). Then move onto other toys, then the ball. 

OR what you could do is wait him out. Have him on a long line, throw the ball, then wait. It may take a while but as soon as he drops it pick it up and toss it. If he dives for it when you go to pick it up either give a treat when he drops it and pick it up while he eats his treat, throw a second ball AFTER he drops the first, or ask him to sit after he drops it and then pick it up if he will hold his sit while you do that. Eventually he'll start connecting the dots and try dropping sooner.


Whatever you do, don't pull on the ball while he has it, it just turns into a game of tug.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

Sadie has this SAME PROBLEM, it has gotten remarably better, but its still alot of work.
when Sadie has a tennis ball, she refuses treats, other toys, praise,commands, even other tennis balls, if you walk towards her she jumps up and runs or she will use her head to block your hand from going near the ball.

have you tried to use treats to ask him to 'give"? try using a high value treat as well as a long line (20-30 foot or more)
and keep him on the line, just have him drag it when he gets the ball pick up the end of the line and call him to come happily, if he does not firmly (but not angrily) say "COME!" and tug the lead towards you when he gets there offer a treat and see how he responds, if he is intrested in the treat good! he will learn to give the tennis ball in no time.

i will tell you what i did and have been doing with Sadie, its your choice to use the information or disregard it if you dont like the sounds of it, its your choice, i know not everyone agrees with what i do.

first off i keep Sadie on a long line and i will show her i have the ball before i throw it, ill ask her to sit and make her look at ME, not the ball if she looks at the ball i ignore her untill she looks me right in the eyes once she does i throw the ball.

when i go for the ball, ill say "Sadie! come here!" if she begins to dodge i will say sternly (again no anger or frustration just matter of factly) "Sadie! COME!" then i will go over and take the end of the line, squat down and gently pull her towards me, if at any time i feel her walking towards me i stop pulling and just bring the line in while she walks towards me, if she stops or dodges me i gently pull her in, once she gets to me i will say
"Sadie! GIVE!" and put my hand on the ball, even if its in her mouth, but i DO NOT PULL and i DO NOT GRAB i jsut hold it gently and i say again sternly "SADIE, GIVE!" letting her know i mean bussiness, that THAT is MY toy now.
in the begining she would try to yank it away but i would keep my fingers on the ball and say "NO! GIVE" and just wait her out

NEVER PULL THE BALL AWAY!!!- this will cause the dog to grab for the moving ball and could potentially give you a nasty bite! i made this mistake and ended up playing tug-of-war with my own hand with her and ended up with some nasty bruises on my knuckles because she had my hand wrapped around the ball and as far as she was concerned, all she had was her ball.

once she lets go of the ball she would stare at it in my hand i NEVER MOVED MY HAND!! SHE MOVED HER MOUTH OFF OF IT FIRST! i keep still and say "BACK UP!" firmly while useing my other arm on her chest to gently nudge her body back to give me space, once she steps back i wait untill she is looking at my face before i stand up with the ball, if she doesnt look into my eyes i DONT pick the ball up!
once she looks at my eyes i slowly stand up and walk away, if she jumps at the ball in my hand i say "AHAH!" reach down and give a quick jerk to the lead.

then i again will wait for her to sit then look into my eyes before throwing the ball again and doing the practice all over again
now she is at the point where the second i touch the ball and say "GIVE" she drops it and looks me in the face, she will still try to dodge me while its in her mouth but once i touch it she knows it is mine and happily gives it up.

i dont know about your dog, but Sadie is also obsessive over the ball and ignores anything and everything else around her when she has it, so im also dealing with that, in the begining she had no idea i was even there, like i said whhen she grabbed the ball after i went to pick it up, she grabbed fori t and ended up with it in my hand and had no idea she had my hand and was fighting with me to get her ball away so i wouldnt take it.


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## StdPooDad (Mar 16, 2012)

I only have two comments, nothing really new or constructive. 
1. You are NOT a bad dad! I mean, look at how much you've trained and how much time you put in. Okay, "nuff said there.

2. As others have said, don't try and pull the ball from his mouth. All that will do is turn into a tug of war. You can put your fingers on the ball, but do not pull. Eventually (hopefully) he will think "oh, this is really boring" and let go. 

Joe


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## NZ Raw (Sep 14, 2011)

Lol my dog is a lot like Nicky, you will never get the ball if you try and take it. That does not surprise me since tug is one of Tanks favorite games.
Tank will not drop it on command either, if I hold on to his collar and say drop it, leave it or give it he will, then I still can't pick it up before he tries to get it again so we have taught him to back it up, when he is far enough away I can pick it up and throw it for him. Not ideal but we make it work. Having two of something is another way to make them drop.
I don't see this as something bad, just the way it is.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

When I got my lab, he was already stuck in his ways. He was so obsessed over the ball that he would try to tear it out of your hands with his teeth. At first, my blood was shed (because I was taken off guard..and that crap hurt!).

I don't know about your dog, but my dog has a very strong drive to retrieve. He wants me to throw the ball, he just has issues with impulse control. So this is how I got him to stop lunging at the ball and dropping the ball.

Patience. If he wants to play the game, he needs to learn the rules. If he wants you to throw the ball, he must let go of the ball first. I used to sit there for twenty minutes waiting for Hunter to put the ball down. If I went for the ball and he went to lunge, the game was over. We would repeat this until FINALLY one day, it sunk in for him. He realized if he let me get to the ball, I would THROW IT! Oh...heaven. LOL

He still lunges for the ball sometimes but he is much gentler and if he does, the game is over and we do not play the game he lives and breathes for so he does try to control himself. If he crowds over the ball, I tell him to back up. I do not reach for the ball until he backs up. The actual throwing of the ball is the reward. 

My husband used to use multiple balls as he thought that was the only way to get Hunter to play the game, throwing four or five balls, tricking hunter by throwing a pretend ball and then quickly grabbing the ball before Hunter's teeth got there...I did not like this way. The dog wasn't learning anything. 

It has been 9 years or better since Hunter bit me trying to go for the ball. It only took a few months of training him impulse control and I think it was worth it. But, it takes patience and some time.


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

It took me a while to put all this into context. 

Coming back with the ball isnt a problem. Nicky always comes back with the ball. I often stand hunched over with my legs apart like a linebacker and he runs right through them, (to continue with the football theme), as he does, I give him a friendly whack on the butt and say "good boy". He never puts the ball down until he takes a rest and gloats over _both_ of them he has by this time. He does this far enough away from me so that he has time to pack up and move away if I head in his direction. He almost always keeps eye contact- whether Im getting ready to throw one (he has one already) or he is trying to convince me to throw #2 or #3. He talks and barks _around_ the balls. I have even seen him try to drink around one. At the park he runs around with one in his mouth almost the whole time. He must have one before he jumps out of the car then walks into the park with it in his mouth already. I put one in my sock like a cop's back up gun in an ankle holster. I tell people that he's harmless-he cant bite with a ball in his mouth lol
Strong drive to retrieve? Not Nicky, he has a strong drive to _possess_ the ball. Throwing it is just a formality, not much different than if I just opened a box of em and said "help yourself". Throwing it is not the reward, _owning_ it is the reward. This is a photo of him laughing at me when I am walking over to pick it up because he has put it down. 











I know trying to pull it from him just turns into a game but it becomes so frustrating at times. When he loses it somewhere in the bushes or he does that "oh look, a butterfly" thing and it just drops out of his mouth (this happens only at the dog park - one cant do a proper job of sniffing with one's mouth open) he runs up to me with the 'ok, gimme another one' look. I hold my hands up, palms open so he can see Im not "holding" (like I was a perp on Miami Vice). As an experiment, I took him to the regular park. Got out of the car without a ball. He didnt know what to do. He kept running up to me expecting me to pull a ball out from behind my back or under my hat or out of thin air. I would 'put em up' (my hands) and he would go tearing off sniffing and looking for "the ball" that - must - be - out - there - somewhere. He was frantic. ball ball ball ball BALL!! WHERE THE FRIG IS THE FREAKIN BALL?? He just wouldnt stop looking for "it". I felt bad for him so we left. 


I tried the 'just hold on to it' thing today. At the dog park, he came up to me with it in his mouth, ya know, just to check in. I made him sit so he didnt have much leverage to pull away. Then I firmly grasped the ball still clenched in his jaws. La lahlah la, hmmm hmm, ... Bored? Whats bored? That wasnt an option! His back end would pop up and start to dig in and I kept making him sit, while calmly saying "leave it". Whlie he stayed sitting he would just pull his head away and my hand just went with it, no resistance. This went on for almost 15 minutes. The only change was when he would do one of those almost too fast to see ball adjustments so his grip only got better. My arm was getting tired so I gingerly switched hands, then back again a few minutes later. Dogs to sniff running all around, me like a broken record -"leave it". No Dice. I realized I couldnt let him end up with it now. Luckily he did a ball adjustment that wasnt quite light speed and I got it out. I had some deep pressure marks on fingers - they were between his molars but the ball wouldnt let him close all the way so no blood. 

<sigh> I could just go back to the YouTube video I saw and learn how to teach him how to wave.


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## Tracy (Aug 11, 2012)

Demi was like this when we rescued her at 4 years old. Any toy was hers, and not to be given up. I used a clicker to make the ball or toy less interesting. I never threw anything for her whilst I was retraining her, throwing it excited her too much and she couldn't control herself. I used very very tasty treats and held onto the ball or toy. She was not allowed to take it from me. Whenever she ignored the ball (glanced away or looked at me), I clicked and gave her a tasty treat. I repeated this every day, each session lasting 5 or 10 minutes, after a few days I started putting the ball on the ground, still keeping my hand on the ball. Eventually I could leave the ball uncovered and she would ignore it and I heavily rewarded her for doing so. I built this up to letting her take the ball in her mouth and because she wanted the treats, she happily dropped it for me. I then placed the ball away from her and let her go get it (she had a training line on to start with) and repeated the clicker and treats when she dropped it back to me. I can throw the ball now and she runs back to me quickly because she knows I'll throw it again for her. Sometimes I'll reward her with food, sometimes I wont. I built it up to throwing the ball and putting a 'leave' cue in when she dropped the ball. Once she knew what 'leave' really meant, I said it whilst she had the ball in her mouth. I love clicker training because it takes the urge away to shout or grab the toy from the dog. Don't beat yourself up, it's not the easiest thing to teach. It takes time and lots of patience. Good luck.

Tracy
xx

ps I would start off with something other than a tennis ball. You want the least exciting thing possible until they get the hang of giving things up.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I was glad to see this thread! Dempsey is the same way, but he's slowly getting better (I've only had him a week and he's 5 years old). He's found out that I refuse to grab the toy in his mouth (he'll lunge for control of it and his teeth are sharp and his jaws are made of steel!). He's gotten to the point where he'll lay down at my feet, and if I'll let him chew on the toy for a a few seconds, I can then put my foot on it without him yanking it away. I'll then tell him, "get back" and "sit/stay" so that I can pick it up without losing fingers! He's very gradually learning that he has to obey to keep the game going. I walk away (game over) when he won't cooperate. THAT drives him nuts!

My problem is that Dempsey can't play with tennis balls, no matter how sturdy they are (I had one that felt like a solid ball, attached to a rope - made no difference - it was in about 10 pieces in less than 5 minutes this afternoon). I guess he feels that they are objects to kill - he's shredded 3 tennis ball toys this weekend. I'm only going to let him have rope toys from now on (with no tennis balls on them). Tennis balls are like crack for this crazy boxer - lol!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I've always trained a "drop it" and "get it" with a good game of tug-o-war because the dog naturally gets the toy and drops it in the game...just the way it goes. Say "get it" when the dog gets the toy and then "drop it" immediately after it leaves the dog's mouth. After a while the dog will start to associate the words with the action. "Get it" always is learned first because you can say it prior to the dog actually getting it. The drop it is always learned second but if you're diligent about teaching a good healthy game of tug, then the dog will learn both relatively quickly. 

Once the dog really understand the "get it" and "drop it" in the game of tug you can take those two cues to other contexts and have good generalization.


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Georgiapeach said:


> I was glad to see this thread! Dempsey is the same way, but he's slowly getting better (I've only had him a week and he's 5 years old). He's found out that I refuse to grab the toy in his mouth (he'll lunge for control of it and his teeth are sharp and his jaws are made of steel!). He's gotten to the point where he'll lay down at my feet, and if I'll let him chew on the toy for a a few seconds, I can then put my foot on it without him yanking it away. I'll then tell him, "get back" and "sit/stay" so that I can pick it up without losing fingers! He's very gradually learning that he has to obey to keep the game going. I walk away (game over) when he won't cooperate. THAT drives him nuts!
> 
> My problem is that Dempsey can't play with tennis balls, no matter how sturdy they are (I had one that felt like a solid ball, attached to a rope - made no difference - it was in about 10 pieces in less than 5 minutes this afternoon). I guess he feels that they are objects to kill - he's shredded 3 tennis ball toys this weekend. I'm only going to let him have rope toys from now on (with no tennis balls on them). Tennis balls are like crack for this crazy boxer - lol!


Java was a 95 pound ball _terminator_ and I was going broke buying tennis balls. He only wanted to chew them up. I got a lacrosse ball – they are almost rock hard. For him it was bullet proof. Its still floating around here someplace because, since he couldn’t shred it, he lost interest in it. Nicky has no love for it either.




DaneMama said:


> I've always trained a "drop it" and "get it" with a good game of tug-o-war because the dog naturally gets the toy and drops it in the game...just the way it goes. Say "get it" when the dog gets the toy and then "drop it" immediately after it leaves the dog's mouth. After a while the dog will start to associate the words with the action. "Get it" always is learned first because you can say it prior to the dog actually getting it. The drop it is always learned second but if you're diligent about teaching a good healthy game of tug, then the dog will learn both relatively quickly.
> 
> Once the dog really understand the "get it" and "drop it" in the game of tug you can take those two cues to other contexts and have good generalization.



The problem is the ball does not leave his mouth; the command “leave it” has no effect.


This is how its gone so far:


Day 1
Started with throwing the tennis ball in the living room, and using kibble for treats. Even though he eats it everyday, he still regards it as a treat. Did 20-25 throws. I throw it, he goes and gets it. I say "come" to make sure he comes right back to me instead of getting it and lying down and chewing it. When he brings it back, I say “leave it”. Most of the times, he dropped it and I would give him the treat but he wants to pick the ball up even before he swallows the treat. 

Day 2
In the living room again, much less obedient than day 1. Still using kibble as treats.

Day 3
For treats I used small pieces of frozen raw ground beef. I had to put them in a metal cup, put that in the nylon treat bag on my belt and then put ice in the bag around the cup to keep them from melting. Just a 2 minute ride to the empty neighborhood park. I had taken him to the dog park so he could blow off some steam before training. Using the meat was so effective, I would throw the ball and he would come directly back and drop it immediately without me saying "leave it" because he wanted the beef so bad. Several times, he dropped it while only halfway back, left it there and kept walking towards me. I immediately said "get it". (twice if he didnt move) He would turn around towards the ball and then turn around and face me like I was going to give his treat to someone else. Several times I threw it and said "get" it and he ignored the ball and just stood there looking at the treat bag. Did it 15 times, the number of pieces of beef I had.

Day 4
We did it in the front yard. Since the beef was so mesmerizing, I used small pieces of bacon Beggin Strips. (I rarely give him any of this. I use it for another game I call hide and point). This lasted 10 minutes. It went this way: throw it, (he runs to it), “come”, “leave it”, “sit” then the treat. I introduced “sit” mainly because it was more difficult to grab the ball off the lawn from a sitting position. I gave him the treat with my left hand while at the same time I was leaning over to pick up the ball. He was still keen on picking up the ball so I delayed letting him have the treat - I had my closed hand touching his nose but I didn’t open it until I had my other hand around the ball. This went ok for a few minutes then he would bring the ball back and just stand there holding onto it; I would say “leave it” and he just lay down with it in his mouth. I turned my back to him and he walked around in front of me with the ball still in his mouth, Saying “leave it” still had no effect. A couple times of that and the game was over. I went inside and left him standing there thinking “WTF?”

If it doesn't rain like yesterday, today will be day 5. Without a doubt, patience is key. Sometimes its not my strong suit.


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Day 5 Monday

Tried it on the front lawn. He brought it back and dropped it a few times then wouldnt let go of it. Game over. Tried it again an hour later, same and game over. A few hours later, I tried it in the living room. He dropped it every time like a pro, without me having to say "leave it".  

Then he went back to not letting go of it. What are you supposed to do when he wont let it go other than ending the game?


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

Have you tried ending the game only temporarily? Like going into the bathroom and leaving him by himself for a few minutes then coming back and trying again? He might have an easier time connecting the dots that way. You can also just wait, REALLY wait, however long it takes, and then reward when he drops it. Honestly if he's being so inconsistent I'd hesitate to use any verbal cues right now or you may destroy their meaning. He may simply be confused, a physical cue instead of a verbal might help with this, dogs learn physical cues much faster. 


The other thing is, I don't know how you taught leave it, but he might not really know what you want and is just guessing. For my dog leave it means not to pick something up, it's completely different from drop it which means let go of what you have.

Are you sure he actually wants you to throw it? Does he actually enjoy fetch at all or does he just chase because he needs to get his ball back? No point in playing fetch unless he likes it. You can still teach the drop it for practical purposes, but instead of throwing it after the treat toss it straight to him and let him have it for a while before asking again. Throwing it may be punishing for him so he's constantly trying to decide if the reward is worth the punishment. I also suggest VERY short sessions, maybe have him give up the ball three times total. If you decide to do the toss him the ball and let him keep it you may only have him drop it once then let him keep it until several hours later and ask for it once more.


If I were you I'd try training a retrieve with multiple objects, not using the ball until much later. That was one of the best thing I ever did for Tucker. Fixed his resource guarding, and he can fetch me the remote, what's better than that? You teach it using several objects. Keys, cloths, pieces of rope, stuffed toys he isn't that into, etc. until he generalizes to everything. Then introduce balls. I would use the beef again once you intro the balls. It sounds when that was involved he was really confused on what to do to get the meat. He knew he had to drop it but had no idea he had to drop it in your hand/at your feet. Teaching a proper retrieve would solve that. For Tucker a retrieve was one the easiest things I've ever taught.


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Maxy24 said:


> Are you sure he actually wants you to throw it? Does he actually enjoy fetch at all or does he just chase because he needs to get his ball back? No point in playing fetch unless he likes it.


How do I know he actually wants me to throw it? An excellent question and one that I find to be very sobering. To think that the possibility exists that I could know so_ little _about something that is such a _big_ part of my life is more than a little scary. This kinda overshadows the original problem. 

Imagine, all this time, he may have been wondering why I keep taking his ball and _throwing it away_. 

Living in oblivion.


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## PunkyPug (Apr 4, 2012)

Emma is VERY ball driven. She can get quite ball aggressive as well with other dogs. But I've started using her ball drive to reward her. By combining her need to please me and her need to GET THAT BALL. 

Anywho, when teaching Emma to drop it I used the toy she had the most difficulty with. There were two of them. A ball and a ball with a squeaker inside it. Once she dropped the ball herself I marked the behavior with the clicker and threw the squeaker ball. Soon she realized what I was working towards and I started applying the command. Sometimes it takes a coupla commands. But atleast she drops it. 

You aren't a bad "furdaddy". Some animals just have something that clicks their over drive. And their so obbessed over that 1 product that they ignore everything.


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

Annie used to do this,I got her to drop it eventually by putting my foot over the ball until she sat and waited ,so when he does drop it,don't go to grab it just put your foot over it and wait ,it will take a few times doing it until he gets the idea but once he realises he's getting it back he should respond,karen


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## dogdragoness (Sep 9, 2012)

Maxy24 said:


> Have you tried ending the game only temporarily? Like going into the bathroom and leaving him by himself for a few minutes then coming back and trying again? He might have an easier time connecting the dots that way. You can also just wait, REALLY wait, however long it takes, and then reward when he drops it. Honestly if he's being so inconsistent I'd hesitate to use any verbal cues right now or you may destroy their meaning. He may simply be confused, a physical cue instead of a verbal might help with this, dogs learn physical cues much faster.
> 
> 
> The other thing is, I don't know how you taught leave it, but he might not really know what you want and is just guessing. For my dog leave it means not to pick something up, it's completely different from drop it which means let go of what you have.
> ...



thats the method i did & it worked for every one of my dogs, including a really bad 'keep away-er' in Josefina, she refused to bring the ball back, so i just said 'thats it' & went inside for a few minutes, then came back out & tried again (she had dropped the ball & gone to lay down by then) if she did it again i went inside & she had to wait til the next day, she also learned by watching me play with my other dog, Izze. just keep at it, some dogs learn faster then others


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Dempsey is the same way! I don't dare touch the toy if his mouth is near it, b/c he'll lunge at it; never mind if my hand is in the way (and yes, his teeth hurt). I've now trained him to know that I won't touch the toy while it's in his mouth (at first, I used tiny pieces of hotdog as a reward to get him to drop it). Dempsey's required to drop the toy (I use the command "drop it"), then I say "leave it", then "sit", and he has to move several feet away and sit, before I'll reach down and pick up the toy. If he even moves a step towards the toy while I'm reaching for it, I start over with the "leave it" and "sit" commands. 

Mind you, this didn't happen over night. I've had him for a month and a half now, and he's just starting to reach this point. The key is to be absolutely consistent. Dempsey knows that the game stops for good if he puts his mouth on me while playing - no exceptions. His prey drive is EXTREME, and I value my fingers! I hate that I have to be this strict with him, but that's the way it has to be, for my safety.

The kicker is, that my 12.5 lb. Westie mix will chase after the toy with him (I use a rope toy), and will play tug with him (both of them will be carrying it back to me) and get him to drop the toy with only a couple of growls when she's had enough of it - SOOO funny to watch. Maddie's my back up on a rough day when Dempsey won't listen to me. I tell her to get the toy for me and she does - lol! Pitiful that a small dog is sometimes more effective than all of my hard training...He has never bitten her, but she's lit into him (usually on his ear) if he doesn't listen to her. I think those little terrier teeth must get his attention!


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## Milburn (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't know about your dog, but my dog has a very powerful drive to recover. 
He wants me to toss the basketball, he just has problems with reaction management. So this is how I got him to quit lunging at the basketball and losing the basketball.


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## katies mum (May 8, 2012)

I suggest, Ivan Balabanov,obedience without conflict,The game.This is a series of 4 DVDs and explains his methods of training dogs.I have been to his seminars and would never train a dog another way.He is amazing and has lots of results to prove his system works.


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