toy fixation
Gromit is absolutely awesome these days, though still a bear on leash which I know I need to work on. I'd also love to do some agility training, and perhaps mushing since he absolutely loves to pull (hence the leash issues). But, I have a hard time getting his attention. You see, Gromit is fixated on his toys, to the point of obsession - he will pick the toy that he loves and will not give it up. Some days he will not leave his crate to eat or drink, because all he wants is to sit inside it with his ball. He doesn't want treats, because he'd have to drop the ball to get them. When we go out, you guessed it - he just wants to play with the ball, until its time to go inside - when he eagerly runs inside to bring the ball into his crate again.
If I make him leave it outside, he will cry and whine for /hours/. He just doesn't stop.
If I tie him out back, he'll play with the ball til it rolls out of reach and then he absolutely flips out, nearly strangling himself to try to reach it and barking like mad.
Generally this isn't a problem.. I do use the ball as a reward, making him sit/lie down before throwing it. But I can't teach more complicated behaviors that way because he won't follow the ball, he lunges if it is moved. And teaching him "drop it" has been futile. ('leave it works on everything /but/ the ball).
So.. first, is the ball fixation unhealthy? Should I just not let him have the thing he loves most in the world? And how can I get real training in, when if I separate him from the ball he does everything in his power to get back to the ball?
** Update **
I've worked with Gromit for maybe a half hour total today, using the ball as a reward. The first thing I taught him was 'leave it', which he's never been inclined to do before. Don't ask me what I did differently this time, but he's actually obeying now, he jumps back away from the ball when I ask him to 'leave it' - perhaps he's learned that he gets it back immediately and gets fun time.
He's also doing very basic agility stuff, despite me not having any of the props. I only had to demonstrate for him twice what "through" meant, and he's already figured out that it means "go through whatever Mommy points at" - so far he's run through my legs, crawled through them (when I was sitting on the ground), and jumped through when I stand with my feet together, knees spread. And "over" was the simplest thing I've ever taught him - he loves to jump! I started with having him walk over one leg on the ground, then stacked my other leg on top of it, then started spacing them so he has to jump higher.
Thank you for the advice!
If I make him leave it outside, he will cry and whine for /hours/. He just doesn't stop.
If I tie him out back, he'll play with the ball til it rolls out of reach and then he absolutely flips out, nearly strangling himself to try to reach it and barking like mad.
Generally this isn't a problem.. I do use the ball as a reward, making him sit/lie down before throwing it. But I can't teach more complicated behaviors that way because he won't follow the ball, he lunges if it is moved. And teaching him "drop it" has been futile. ('leave it works on everything /but/ the ball).
So.. first, is the ball fixation unhealthy? Should I just not let him have the thing he loves most in the world? And how can I get real training in, when if I separate him from the ball he does everything in his power to get back to the ball?
** Update **
I've worked with Gromit for maybe a half hour total today, using the ball as a reward. The first thing I taught him was 'leave it', which he's never been inclined to do before. Don't ask me what I did differently this time, but he's actually obeying now, he jumps back away from the ball when I ask him to 'leave it' - perhaps he's learned that he gets it back immediately and gets fun time.
He's also doing very basic agility stuff, despite me not having any of the props. I only had to demonstrate for him twice what "through" meant, and he's already figured out that it means "go through whatever Mommy points at" - so far he's run through my legs, crawled through them (when I was sitting on the ground), and jumped through when I stand with my feet together, knees spread. And "over" was the simplest thing I've ever taught him - he loves to jump! I started with having him walk over one leg on the ground, then stacked my other leg on top of it, then started spacing them so he has to jump higher.
Thank you for the advice!