# Teaching to play?!



## Rapso (Apr 14, 2015)

Okay so I have a small (big maybe) problem. When I practice agility home I always reward with toys and she LOVE it so much (more then treats). 

But whenever where not home she won't touch her toys. She take the food rewards but after a couple she's no longer interested. 

How do I teach her to love to play when other people are around and we are not home? Is it even possible? 

Thanks


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Is she perhaps simply too interested in everything going on around her? Maybe you could try letting her watch all the fun for a while, and then get well away from everyone else for a short, high energy play session, then back to watching. I'd try spending lots of time watching classes so that eventually it becomes ordinary instead of exciting!


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## Rapso (Apr 14, 2015)

I taught that at first but I think it's mainly the orders that that take her attention. Even if we are alone, away from home, she is just to busy sniffing to play...


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

If your dog is too busy sniffing to play, the first thing you need to do is teach her too look at you and engage in focused attention with you. If you look at the thread I am using as a training log for my boy Javelin you will find lots of descriptions of attention and focus games. Once you get the focus, play will come. For Javelin this morning after some fairly attentive obedience work on taking and holding the dumbbell and position changes I spent some time teaching him to spin and twist, games where no toys required but fun for the dog.

Here is a link to the thread. http://www.poodleforum.com/24-perfo...-hunting/205393-javelins-road-ring-ready.html


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Good advice from Catherine, but I think building sniff walks into your programme may be part of the solution. Dogs' noses are hugely important to them when it comes to reading the world - catching up on who has visited that place recently, how big they are, how potentially friendly or dangerous, how far ahead they may be on the path - all stuff my dogs check out in the first few minutes of a walk, and at key points along the way. Then there are the potential excitements of rabbits and squirrels and other creatures that have left their trails, and the traces of humans they know. I tend to go with the flow and let them use their noses - once they have sussed out the environment they are more able to give some attention to training games!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes, fjm sniffing is not something on my never allow list, but as you have suggested it is something to have its own structure with its own order. If I am walking and tell the dog with me "free" it means they can sniff out at the end of the leash with no tension on it. Once I think they've done enough I say "get close" meaning come near me and pay attention to me.

And that is separate from having a harness and tracking lead on with the order to "go track." Then they are supposed to keep the nose to the track and can pull as hard as they want.


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## Rapso (Apr 14, 2015)

so how do I teach her to stop sniffing at specific time? The only time she doesn't sniff is when we walk on leash but if I stop walking she'll start sniffing right away...


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You need to make yourself more interesting than random sniffing. To do that you need the focus and attention games in the thread I linked to above. Look for the name game and the five cookies game and for "get it get it." I think I have them all there if there is something you can't find I will look for it and link to the specific posts you need.


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## Rapso (Apr 14, 2015)

I'll look into that! Thank you


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