# Golden Eccentricity?



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

He learned to play "keep away" from somebody who immediately grabbed the ball and threw it again. Goldens I've had have always loved showing off their prizes and dancing triumphantly around with them. You are right, it's their favorite game and their reward for getting a toy is being chased by you in the end. It's probably how he played wherever he came from. 

You can fix this by rewarding him for good behaviors... 

You can do structured retrieves and pull out a treat when your dog is coming back. And always trade for the toy with a treat.

The other type of reward to do too is praising and partying for a successful retrieve and don't take the toy away until he actually pushes at your hand for you to take the toy. <- My guys learned that they'd only get one retrieve if they didn't insist on me taking the toy and throwing it again. 

If you do the above right and are consistent (no grabbing, no asking for give without rewards first) then you will probably be dealing with the same problem I do every night. Somebody repeatedly dropping a tennis ball in your lap or on top of your computer until you throw it again for him.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben doesn't retrieve either. He'll occasionally chase a toy I throw for him, but then he goes to a corner to chew on it or he'll throw it up in the air and catch it. He doesn't have the idea that if he gives it to me the game will last longer. I'm trying to get him to trade for a treat. Sometimes that works. But his interest in interactive playing never lasts. He was also a rescue, whose main idea of play was keep away. Unfortunately, he can't play with tennis balls. He tears off the cover in about 10 minutes, then starts demolishing the ball itself.


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## doggylove86 (Aug 26, 2010)

Megora had some great advice! Also, I think he would be more inclined to play keep away if he thinks you're interested in the ball. Dogs seem to become more protective and excited about objects that other dogs/people are excited about because it immediately becomes more valuable when someone else shows interest. So maybe if you wait until he *eventually* drops the ball, then he will begin to get the gist.


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## onewarmguy (Sep 15, 2010)

Megora, that is a bulleye! He prances around when he winds up with the ball at the dog park and is obviously so proud of it that he could bust. Heads up, tails flying, trotting all over the park with it in his mouth. Then he carries his prize all the way home. Another is the way he shyly tries to engage me with a ball, I'm pecking away at my puter and I get a gentle nudge from him with a ball in his mouth and a look in his eye that says "play with me, please?"
It's one of the things I love about him. My angel must have been doing overtime the day I adopted him.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I would teach him to retrieve using totally different objects. For now, pick up all the tennis balls. Find another item that he's interested in enough to go get. Teach a retrieve and a drop it with that item. Make sure he's really, really good at it before you re-introduce tennis balls.


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