Jondi, our resident toy fanatic, shows off a couple of her other prized possessions (in addition to the jolly ball, pillows, Cuz toys and Mr Jiggs).
The toys certainly provide fun and entertainment (and probably stress relief) for her, but they also serve as important training tools. Jondi's been working on the cue "drop it" in preparation for some rile and recovery work. So she too can have flirt pole fun, like Sally and Elliot and Star.
"Drop it" isn't only useful for flirt pole work; it also comes in pretty handy if your dog has grabbed something he or she shouldn't have. You know, like when you've dropped an entire hot dog you intended to use for training and you don't want your dog to swallow it whole. Or for those times your dog has found her way over to the cat's litter box and pulled out something (a frequent occurence in our house). Or maybe she's grabbed your bra, or other undergarment, and is headed out the door. Well, you can see how "drop it" could prevent a possible medical emergency, or at least some embarrassment to you.
When a dog so enamored with her toys like Jondi 
is reliably releasing a favored object when you say "Drop it," you've certainly done your work, and have taught your pal a behavior that can keep her safe and your pride intact.(Thanks to our supporters for providing toys that help us do our work.)
What a nice shots with colorful toys.:-)
ReplyDeleteHA! "Undergarment". I always wonder what my neighbors think after I find a pair of undies, (removed from the laundry through the dog door) in the back yard--after which I holler "NO NO-WE DON'T EAT UNDERWEAR!!!"
ReplyDeleteThe green ball is the best pittie toy ever! It is so indestructable! I love it!
ReplyDeleteOr when they start to run off with one of your perfectly aged and patina-d Frye boots. Or when they find a bone in the yard that one of the roofers left after his lunch of fried chicken. You've never seen someone as freaked out as that guy when he saw me pry a pit bull's mouth open and reach in willingly to fish the bone out, lol. Like, "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT ON PURPOSE?!" Probably expecting me to pull back a bloody stump. I think he was also a bit freaked out after I had a come-to-Jesus meeting with him about not throwing food in my yard that could potentially puncture my dogs' intestines.
ReplyDeleteMy gal is toy-motivated and I have likewise found that they can be great for training and not just fun! She has a blue squeaky ball that she will do ANYTHING for and I've found it's a great way to keep her focused on me (and to richly reward her) in environments full of major distractions. (I can see that I am lucky in that she never ever once has made a toy out of an object that is not one, electing instead to rifle through her toy box to select the perfect toy for whatever type of game she has in mind. But then again, this is the dog who instantly took to the command "leave it," so much so that she will not eat food that falls on the floor!)
ReplyDelete