The Difference a Sausage Makes.

Today was a major breakthrough - and all because of a sausage......

After my recent wake up call and my decision to climb out of my ditch of complacency, I have been doing a bit more walking with my dogs as opposed to just walking the dogs.  For too long I have disappeared into my own little world on walks - a bad habit started in childhood.

One of the "issues" that I have had with Talulah is her reluctance to give anything up - be it a ball, a bone, a toy.  The one thing that is virtually impossible to get her to release is a tennis ball - she gets it so far down her long mouth, you can't even get a hold of it.

Playing fetch is a game between three of us.  I throw, Tussock gets it and then gives it to Talulah - then it is a battle to get the ball back for the next throw.  I have tried forcefully taking it off her, shouting at her, bribing her with another ball or toy, bribing with treats, but to no avail - she does not want to give up the ball.  As a result, games of fetch become pretty tiresome and the ball goes back in my pocket.



Tussock goes to get the ball........

 

.......Talulah runs to meet her......

 

......and takes the ball from Tussock.

 

Until today.

I was given some out of date sausages made by my local butcher and I decide to dry them in the dehydrator which up until now has only been used for drying herbs for the horses.  On our walk today, I took a pocketful of the usual treats, and a little bag of dried sausage pieces.

When offered the piece of sausage in return for the ball, I could feel the dilemma going on in Talulah's brain.  What to do, what to do.  At first she was trying to take the treat whilst retaining the ball but she couldn't do that, so then she put the ball down, but tucked it down to her chest before taking the treat.  I gently took the ball whilst she ate and then threw the ball again so that she recognised that she got more game if she cooperated this way.  By the end of the walk, she was much quicker to release the ball and not tucking it away as before.  Result!!!

The ball is given up without force!

But, a result in more ways than one - Tussock was happier as there was more play.  Talulah was happier as there was more play, and, because Talulah was hanging about with me, River didn't get the usual opportunities to beat up Talulah.  The additional bonus was that whilst the two were chasing the ball, I was doing little bits with River - and rewarding her with dried sausage.  And suddenly I had more of her attention, too.

All for a bit of dried sausage.

I guess it was just a case of finding the right treat for the job!