When I went looking for a second greyhound I thought having another ball oriented guy would be great. Enter Ricky Bobby. Well if you follow the blog you may know that Ricky is a bit bigger than Kassa. He is also every single bit as ball motivated. We had one infield collision a bit ago and since then my ball fetching dynamo Kassa has lost interest when Ricky is in the field. I admit that this makes me a little sad. Kassa runs out a few times for the ball, but even when he beats Ricky to the punch he backs off because he is checking for Ricky barreling down on him. Today I decided that, since Kassa isn't getting as much running in, I would change things up. Ricky was having fun with fetch, but I brought treats as well and worked on recalls with Kassa. There is no competition on a recall as he always gets the reward. This way they both got a some good running in.
Kassa running in for a treat.
Ricky running in with a mangled ball.
Even though there have been adjustments, I think Kassa is content with the arrangement. When new family members are introduced we all have to make adjustments.
6 comments:
Sucks when you lose what you are passionate about, though. Had the same problem with my last pack.
I am sure that you are giving him some private fetching time too?
Yep. Good Point Pam. Both dogs get some alone time with me and it normally involves stopping off at a field. It just isn't as frequent as it used to be.
We have had some of those adjustments along the line, too. Have you thought about taking a leash and giving them turns to fetch? It might give Kassa the confidence to start trying it again. I hate to see them miss out on something they really love.
A good suggestion and something we will have to work on. Kassa hasn't been totally convinced. I think a strategy might be if I put Ricky in the vehicle at the beginning and let Kassa run himself out. We will try a few different things.
It's a shame when things don't work out quite as planned! Before I got Beryl she was tested with boisterous, enthusiastic non-greys to make sure she could cope with Frankie ... and she plays a bit rough for him!! Actually she plays a bit rough for most dogs, lol. So the idea of Frankie having a playmate didn't actually work out either. They do still play but it's on Beryl's terms and doesn't last long. At least they are good mates though, as I know Kassa and Ricky are. Good luck with working out an arrangement that suits everyone:)
I’m sorry to hear Kassa developed some fear after the collision with Ricky. I hope you are able to help him work through it. From the looks of the bottom photo it sure looks like he got in enough exercise!
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