Hatrack River Forum: A challenge, feasible for brilliant jatraqueros only

This is topic A challenge, feasible for brilliant jatraqueros only in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :

I've found a good way to get people to come into my help threads . . . [Wink]

My summer project: training my dog to fetch a newspaper. Right now my idea is just to play fetch with newspapers in sturdy bags to start, with hearty rewards. I figure starting to work up to a newspaper I place soemwhere, then havign her go get it. Then a preplaced paper. Hopefully, this will work, but I want to know if anyone else has done this and therefore, any ideas?

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

Forget rewards - use electric shocks!

*bzzzt* Bad doggie! *bzzzt*

Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :

I don't know, but in the Ramona Quimby books they used cayenne pepper to stop Rigby from chewing the newspaper.

Not much help, huh?

Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :

Nope. And I'm saving the shock therapy for my children some day . . .

"You ate a cookie before dinner and spoiled your appetite? Well, you can either eat your broccoli or I'll shock you--*bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *bzzt*"

Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :

My brother trained his dog to do this. Unfortunately she decided that if one paper was good, a dozen papers would be really really good. So she fetched the whole neighborhood's papers in to him too. He ended up having to train her to leave ALL papers where they were. [Frown]

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

quote:
I don't know, but in the Ramona Quimby books they used cayenne pepper to stop Rigby from chewing the newspaper.

Ha! I was JUST thinking that!

Great minds think alike, eh, imogen? [Wink]

Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :

Lead and BannaOJ are the jatraqueras you need for this.

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

I can't even train my kids to get the paper and they (mostly) understand English! j/k they'll get it - they just have to whine a lot first.

Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :

quote:
Ha! I was JUST thinking that!

Great minds think alike, eh, imogen?

I was wondering whether there would be any other Beverley Cleary fans around... aah, the books of my childhood.

*nostalgic sigh*

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

first of all what size dog do you have? is he going to be able to fit an entire newspaper in his mouth

do your newspapers get delivered in plastic bags?

Generally speaking you should divide the lessons in to two parts The "hold it" and the "take it"

First you need to teach him to grip or hold it in his mouth just at a sit. Then you progress to having him hold it with out dropping it while walking around.

You teach the chasing after it to take it separately. This should be the fun part with treats. But you don't want them to confuse the treats with the newspaper during the hold it part, because you might end up with a shredded newspaper.

AJ

Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :

anthro,

Make it a fun game. make the newspaper the centerpiece for play (as well as reward). Associate a verbal cue like "toy". When she understands that "get your toy" means "get the newspaper" (and fun and treats will follow) you're on your way.

it might work.

fallow

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

Oh my point was above, (since I was rambling late at night) if you have a plastic wrapped newspaper, you need to play with it that way, and get her used to biting or holding the plastic without inhaling it.

I'd have to know more about the dog's size and personality before I could make any more specific training recomendations.

I would hope you have a good "recall" or "come" on her all ready, because she needs to be willing to come back after she's gone out and picked up her toy. Some dogs don't like to.

AJ

Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :

She's a big lab. My main problem is that if she thinks there's a treat in it for her, she gets excited and drops it halfway.

Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :

anthro,

what is your dog's name?

fallow

Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :

Kipling, after Rudyard Kipling.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

then don't use treats only use praise
[Wink]

Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :

quote:
*bzzzt* Bad doggie! *bzzzt*

Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :

anthro,

sweet name! ever call her "rudy"?

fallow

edit: I like "rudy" already. does she have a favorite game or toy?

[ May 21, 2004, 01:08 AM: Message edited by: fallow ]

Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :

She likes fetch, and she spends a lot of time swimming. She loves playing fetch in the pool.

My only nicknames for her are Kips and Kipper.