# How to get Lola to give me the ball



## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Lola LOVES to fetch a ball..... and bring it back.... but she does not want to give me the ball back. I have to pry her jaws open with those sharp little teeth of hers and it is not a pleasant experience. How do you get the dog to drop the ball at your feet?


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Have you tried using two balls?
If she is on a drag line...when she returns step on the drag line...and wait...get excited about the ball you have....when she thinks that your ball is better then her ball...she will drop hers...immediately toss your ball.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

That was my suggestion, have two or more balls so you have one when she gets back and will drop the one she has for the new one.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't want my dog just dropping things on the ground after a retrieve. <- That is a problem in obedience and I would assume hunt as well. 

But I want my dog to understand "give" and not be clamping down on the ball or whatever. So if I put my fingers on the ball and say "give", I expect my guy to let me take the ball out of his mouth without any prying. 

You do this by sticking treats in your back pocket and pulling that out to reward your dog when you get the ball out of her mouth. She will get the idea that giving the ball to you is a rewarding thing vs you just throwing the ball again. 

Other things that help while just throwing toys and reinforcing your dog's willingness to come right to you is don't immediately ask for that give. Reward that come first. You don't want your dog learning to play "keep away" or "watch me dance around with this first". 

And when you get the toy from her mouth, don't always throw it away again. Sometimes just hand it back to her and send her off to play.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Thankyou for all the terrific ideas!! What a great website!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

very, very true!
If you want a dog to return to hand as a default - then teaching a pup to drop at your feet is not something you want to teach 'first'.




Megora said:


> I don't want my dog just dropping things on the ground after a retrieve. <- That is a problem in obedience and I would assume hunt as well.
> 
> But I want my dog to understand "give" and not be clamping down on the ball or whatever. So if I put my fingers on the ball and say "give", I expect my guy to let me take the ball out of his mouth without any prying.
> 
> ...


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## opie (Aug 31, 2011)

For my 4 month old, I am trying to get her used to the word drop. When she brings me the ball, I say drop, but if she does not drop the ball, I give a firm uppercut under the jaw.

I have had her for a few days and have been doing this everytime she gets something that she should not have. She seems to be getting better.

--Keith


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

opie said:


> For my 4 month old, I am trying to get her used to the word drop. When she brings me the ball, I say drop, but if she does not drop the ball, I give a firm uppercut under the jaw.
> 
> I have had her for a few days and have been doing this everytime she gets something that she should not have. She seems to be getting better.
> 
> --Keith


Uh... :uhoh:


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

opie said:


> For my 4 month old, I am trying to get her used to the word drop. When she brings me the ball, I say drop, but if she does not drop the ball, I give a firm uppercut under the jaw.
> 
> I have had her for a few days and have been doing this everytime she gets something that she should not have. She seems to be getting better.
> 
> --Keith


I really hope this isn't a serious post, and from the amount of posts you have so far, more reading here will be apparent to you that we do not condone punishment, physical or otherwise of that nature here.


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## opie (Aug 31, 2011)

It is not meant to be harmful to the dog, if there is a better way I am open to suggestions. I don't hurt her, she does not wine or wimper. She is a part of my family now, and hurting the dog is not my intention. 

I was just following instruction from a training video I have been watching.

--Keith


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

opie said:


> For my 4 month old, I am trying to get her used to the word drop. When she brings me the ball, I say drop, but if she does not drop the ball, I give a firm uppercut under the jaw.


Using treats to reward a good drop will give you an eager "spit" and a dog sitting there in front of you waiting for her reward. And if your dog has something she should have, you still will have no problems getting her to bring it right to you and spit it out for a reward.

Hitting your dog to make her give up an item will make her hand shy, fearful of correction, and could even reinforce resource guarding aggression. 

Even when you are not "correcting her, if you make a sudden movement with your hand that she thinks might be a hit coming, you will have a fleeing, cowing, or defensive dog. 

I would throw that video away.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

opie said:


> It is not meant to be harmful to the dog, if there is a better way I am open to suggestions. I don't hurt her, she does not wine or wimper. She is a part of my family now, and hurting the dog is not my intention.
> 
> I was just following instruction from a training video I have been watching.
> 
> --Keith


I apologize, my response to your post was rude. Megora's advice is spot-on. I'm glad you're open to other training ideas. Good luck!


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## musicgirl (Jul 26, 2009)

Megora said:


> Using treats to reward a good drop will give you an eager "spit" and a dog sitting there in front of you waiting for her reward. And if your dog has something she should have, you still will have no problems getting her to bring it right to you and spit it out for a reward.
> 
> Hitting your dog to make her give up an item will make her hand shy, fearful of correction, and could even reinforce resource guarding aggression.
> 
> ...


Definitely. There are always ways to train without aggression, no matter how mild. We got our Golden from the pound and he was very fearful of hands at first. We'd raise our hand suddenly to pet him and he would cower as if we would hit him. It took at least a year for him to trust again...

Look for videos with positive reinforcement training. That's your best bet, in my opinion


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## opie (Aug 31, 2011)

TY all for the suggestions, I will definitely try these other suggestions.


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## Yamanjazz (Aug 29, 2011)

The people who made that video were probably sniffing glue before they made it, because i have *NEVER* heard of upper cutting a dog in my life.


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

The way I taught Vendetta to give me the ball was to have two balls. When she came running back with the one she had I said "give" and showed her the ball in my hand she did drop the ball she had and I would toss the other one. Once she had "give" down she would give to hand when I said "give". 

When she or now BaWaaJige have something they should not have the key words is " leave it". they drop what they have and I can pick it. I use paise instead of treats to teach my dogs any commands.


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## Maxwell (Aug 12, 2011)

Yamanjazz said:


> The people who made that video were probably sniffing glue before they made it, because i have *NEVER* heard of upper cutting a dog in my life.


I was reading the uppercut advice and wondering wht those people were smoking...


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## opie (Aug 31, 2011)

Well, if you want to know it was the dvd for the Dog father that they have been advertising on Direct TV. I have since started using treats to get her to drop the ball and is doing pretty good. She seems to know to drop the ball if she wants me to throw it again. Does not run around like her other toys


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

opie said:


> For my 4 month old, I am trying to get her used to the word drop. When she brings me the ball, I say drop, but if she does not drop the ball, I give a firm uppercut under the jaw.
> 
> I have had her for a few days and have been doing this everytime she gets something that she should not have. She seems to be getting better.
> 
> --Keith


Good grief!!!!!


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## Sosoprano (Apr 27, 2011)

opie said:


> Well, if you want to know it was the dvd for the Dog father that they have been advertising on Direct TV. I have since started using treats to get her to drop the ball and is doing pretty good. She seems to know to drop the ball if she wants me to throw it again. Does not run around like her other toys


Good for you for switching your technique! I bet you will notice an improvement not only in the behavior you're trying to get from her but in your relationship with her overall. Trust is SO important (in every relationship, really!) :yes:


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## Yamanjazz (Aug 29, 2011)

Good for you my friend. Im not a pro when it comes to dog but i had one for 13 and 1/2 years and no violence was needed. Its good to hear you have changed your technique to a more loving one


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