# Pinching other dogs balls at the park



## basilico (Jan 25, 2017)

Hi All, we have a six-month old male Vizsla and constantly amazed how quick he trains and how well he socializes with all animals (only if he wants to at the moment it seems). However we have an increasing problem when we go to the local park for a play. He LOVES running up to anyone, and if a ball goes stray he will take it and just jog laps, ignoring all commands until you somehow physically intervene. He loves having things in his mouth, and will not have a bar of his own toys but if it's someone else's then he gets attention and a game of chasey.

Being a Vizsla we're doing 'positive reinforcement' training. I know to completely ignore him and he might come, but he's becoming more content to just run all day. When it's someone else's toy you suddenly have that accountability to have to get it back to them, and can be up to a 30 minutes wait sometimes. I cannot keep going like this, and am open to hearing how I can teach him that it is not acceptable.

Thanks for your help!


----------



## vdogdad (Apr 15, 2013)

Okay...am I the only one who got "sucked in" by the title of this post??
Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for your V...I would only say with our experience of being owned by two V's and a cur, that you are witnessing typical Vizsla behavior. They love to "steal" toys, shoes, sticks, bones, or anything that might instigate a chase by another dog. Our youngest V, Myrt, is crazy fast...and she knows it...so in her case I think she just enjoys "showing off" that amazing speed and agility! Good luck with your V!


----------



## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

I'd say you need to teach him to "come" and to "drop" or use whatever words u like.
Seems like the park is a huge reward for him. Playing with the dogs and yes many toys.
I would use that as the positive reinforcement.
If he listens and does well he gets to play with the dogs and toys. If he does not then he has to be on lead and sit and watch maybe?
Depending on the park layout and amount of dogs maybe let him drag a 30 foot piece 1/4 " rope so you can get a hold of him?


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

vdogdad said:


> Okay...am I the only one who got "sucked in" by the title of this post??


Nope, and it made me laugh. 
We are a global forum, and use different words depended upon the country of origin. 

Let me say first I love positive training. My dogs training involves mostly positive reward to shape a behavior. But I do not rely on positive training only. I feel a little negative does not hurt a dog. 
Because I train differently, I don't think I would be of help.


----------



## Anida (Jun 10, 2016)

My only suggestion would be to keep him on a long lead and keep taking him and work on his recall and other commands. Then you can start practicing without the lead later. Right now it probably just feels like a reward to go to the dog park.


----------



## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

I too had a problem with my male dropping his ball (those orange/blue chuck it balls are his fave), and like you, I would have difficulty retrieving a ball he had stole from another dog. This isn't a quick method, but it is the only one that worked for my stubborn boy. 

I started with a lot of one on one work. First I made sure that he learned what "drop it" actually meant using another toy that he didn't find as high value as a ball. In the house I would throw the toy, get him to retrieve it, and then I would day "drop it" and take the toy from his mouth. I found with these other toys, he would willingly drop them. Once he was dropping the toy in the house no problem, we did some work on the same exercise outside. Once he was dropping the toy outside, we then switched to focusing on the ball, using the same commands. 

At first, there was no way he would drop the ball when I asked, so I would give the command only once, and then reach in his mouth to get the ball. If he did not let go of the ball, I simply held on until he released it (I was placing no tension on the ball, and not tugging the ball - me applying resistance would make him resist that much more). At first he would hold the ball for anywhere from 5-10+ minutes. I made sure I did it near a chair, and I would just sit down on the patio chair and wait him out. Once he finally released it he was praised, and we would start the exercise again. There was absolutely no play until he gave up the ball. You can give a treat once he's released the ball (if your dog will take it, mine couldn't care less about the food if a ball was there). 

Once he is giving up the ball in a one on one situation with you will need to start working in proximity to other dogs. Go to the park with a long lead, and your own ball, and work with him doing the same exercises there. He now (mostly) willingly drops the ball on command. The only time he won't is if a dog is pestering him for the ball, but he will now give it up willingly to my hand instead of dropping it on the ground (I use "out" if I want him to give up something to my hand" and "drop it" if I want him to drop it on the ground).


----------



## hecallsmebama (Mar 31, 2016)

I like the suggestions already given. We dont take Amos to a dog park, but it took a long time to train him to give us the frisbee. He always came to us (which I understand is not your case) but he wouldn't give it to us. 

1. We would command "give" and trade him a treat for it, with praise. This took maybe a month to wean him off the treats and for him to just give it on command.

2. He wanted to tug with it when he would "give," which was a no-no, so if he tugged, we asked him to sit. We'd remind him "no tug" and make him stay there for a minute (think mini time out) before we'd release him and throw it again. This was a negative deterrent that worked because it interrupts the fun. I know your pup may not sit and stay in an environment like a dog park, but maybe coming up with a similar "time out" strategy would help.


----------



## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

vdogdad said:


> Okay...am I the only one who got "sucked in" by the title of this post??


HAHA! I didn't think of it that way until I read this. Good thing most dogs at the dog parks are neutered! 

basilico,
I would work on making his automatic response when he has something in his mouth to come to you. He is an HPR breed after all, so retrieving is something they generally enjoy and the praise he'll get from doing so can be more rewarding than the joy of running around with it. 
At home, praise him when he walks around with a toy in his mouth. Choose something that will hang out, so you can grab it more easily. Sit on the ground and when he comes to you, pet him on his haunches, away from his head, and continue to praise him enthusiastically. Do this a few times until he is confidently coming near you and then take the toy away, praise him, and look at the toy admiringly. Then give it back to him. Repeat this second part a few more times and then take the toy and put it up. Then immediately engage him in something else, like going outside to get his mind off the toy. 
Eventually add in other variables like distance or a new location, one at a time, to generalize this behavior. Overlay a whistle command to his recall as the sound will carry better at the park and won't convey any frustration you might be feeling. 

As an aside, I think there is room for negative reinforcers, even with sensitive breeds like vizslas, but it should never be done in anger and, with maybe a few exceptions, only applied after the dog fully understands what he was supposed to do.


----------



## basilico (Jan 25, 2017)

Thanks so much everyone, very good tips and ideas! He's excellent with commands at home, but it sounds like we might keep him on a long lead in the environment for a while. Using treats I'll improve his ability to 'give' and 'drop', maybe his ultimate reward is to run with the other dogs. We'll see how it goes! 

Apologies vdogdad, didn't intend to 'suck you in' with the title, Australians have a way of bending the English language and 'pinching' is another word we use for stealing.


----------



## cuddlebuglove (Apr 27, 2014)

basilico said:


> Thanks so much everyone, very good tips and ideas! He's excellent with commands at home, but it sounds like we might keep him on a long lead in the environment for a while. Using treats I'll improve his ability to 'give' and 'drop', maybe his ultimate reward is to run with the other dogs. We'll see how it goes!
> 
> Apologies vdogdad, didn't intend to 'suck you in' with the title, Australians have a way of bending the English language and 'pinching' is another word we use for stealing.


I too, was lured here by the title; I thought that I knew that Vizslas have deft, cat like paws that pick locks, filtch unguarded pizzas and turkeys dressed for holidays, BUT a quirk like THIS : well... Glad to know it's not a well indelicate bad habit ! Language is funny. My British and Aussie Instegram pals Christmas time made me laugh when they said that they hoped that their boys, wouldn't accidentally " **** a leg" near their Christmas tree  whereas in the States we would say"lift a leg" . My neighbors got giggles from that phrase ;D. 
Vizslas are a bit too refined for that behavior... Right?


----------

