Teach a new dog new tricks?

[sschrief68]

I was wondering if anyone had any successful techniques in teaching my new lab only to chase certain discs. Usually he just runs after and retrieves whatever I throw.

 

[Pink Elephant]

The only thing I can think of is doing some research on a dog's ability to distinguish colour and then have a fetch colour and a don't fetch colour.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

My dog chases discs but won't pick any up (not too long to learn that). I use her on the course primarily for locating discs off the fairway in the cabbage. She will run a circle around the disc when I ask 'where is it'. Even when I've said 'Go get it' which is a command we use in fetch, she won't pick up a disc. So for my dog, it was all or none.

 

[KMaC]

I saw a guy once who would throw his drive and then throw a polecat really quick right afterwards and the dog would always chase/thrash the polecat.

Might be worth trying.

 

[stsren]

My dog will only pick up his own disc...no others.
I trained him by having another dog, and having them chase separate tennis balls...one would go, then the other would get to go after theirs in another direction.
This just seemed to translate to discs / frisbees. He knows which is his by the scent, and won't get any others...wish I could teach him to pick up discs that I throw into the water...sadly he'll only get his own, makes me retrieve mine.

My recommendation is to use 1 disc for your dog. Give him water out of it, food out of it, and only use THAT disc when you play catch with your dog. Don't let him chew it to pieces (my lab likes to try that)... After a while he / she will develop a connection with that disc, and realize that it is his disc. Then you can start throwing a different disc and your dog's disc...

 

[jrawk]

The only thing I can think of is doing some research on a dog's ability to distinguish colour and then have a fetch colour and a don't fetch colour.

Or you can try different scents. Like spraying some sort of perfume on ones you want him to chase and using that other 'stop bite' spray the sell for dogs on the ones you don't.

Just might be hard to keep the smells/discs from rubbing against each other in your bag.

 

[cbeckett22]

Ask Michael Vick.. Ba-ZING!!! :hfive:

 

[Easy Tigur]

Ask Michael Vick.. Ba-ZING!!! :hfive:

Ouch. Wrong time/thread.

I don't know how valid this info is, but worth looking at. Also, get one of those cool bags for your dog so they can caddy for you.

I also heard about people throwing rollers for their dogs, then throwing their disc.

 

[mashnut]

I took my dog out to a field once before I started bringing her to the course, and threw a couple discs with hot sauce on them. She tried twice to pick them up, then I threw a couple more, she didn't pick them up and I rewarded her with treats for that, and she's never again tried to pick up a disc. She has a floppy frisbee that she plays with and she doesn't seem to have any issue distinguishing that, but I haven't tried to teach her to pick up certain disc golf discs.

 

[tstack10]

My dog will only pick up his own disc...no others.
I trained him by having another dog, and having them chase separate tennis balls...one would go, then the other would get to go after theirs in another direction.
This just seemed to translate to discs / frisbees. He knows which is his by the scent, and won't get any others...wish I could teach him to pick up discs that I throw into the water...sadly he'll only get his own, makes me retrieve mine.

My recommendation is to use 1 disc for your dog. Give him water out of it, food out of it, and only use THAT disc when you play catch with your dog. Don't let him chew it to pieces (my lab likes to try that)... After a while he / she will develop a connection with that disc, and realize that it is his disc. Then you can start throwing a different disc and your dog's disc...

That all sounds good. I want a dog

 

[SmoothSailor]

This is what I did, specifically so I could take her on the course with me....

She gets a driver (150 dx leopard) and a putter (dunno what kind it is). I have a descent sized yard so I'm able to work on approach and putting here and where I used to live I had 5 acres, so I was able to do drives (before I got my portable). When getting her to not chase my playing discs and to only go after hers, it took time - about 4 months, but we have a system now. She sits right next to me until everyone has driven or holed out, and after the last person has shot, I throw the appropriate disc for her, sort of a reward for behaving as I want her to. If she goes after a different disc, or gets confused on which disc is hers and brings back mine (at home) or someone else's, she goes on the leash for the next couple of holes until I see fit by her demeaner. When I let her off the leash it's at the tee pad and I immediately throw a disc for her and when she brings it back, everyone tees off and I throw it again for her. It works 95-100% of the time. Good luck!

 

[Lewis]

You might also train your dog to wait for your permission before seeking a disc. That might allow you to pick and choose when she "hunts" for you and when she just stays with you. Dogs love to have a job -- it helps them feel valuable to their pack, so giving your dog responsibilities while on the course will be a great way to satisfy that desire. If you can train her to focus on your commands rather than the simple flight of the disc, you should be able to keep her from becoming a nuisance.

 

[jparent]

I've been teaching my border collie to not pick up disc golf discs since I got him as a puppy (10 weeks). When I drive off of the t-box he'll run after my disc and just go lay by it.
But if I were to throw his doggy disc he would get it and bring it back. Maybe he knows from the smell of them? If he ever brought back my DG disc by accident I wouldn't say anything to him, but if he brings back his disc/or lays down near one of my drives then I'll give him a treat.