Retrieve

HavnŽt been here a long time. HappyŽs stand is getting better and better. Distance now about 1.5 m, I can walk around him etc. What worries me a bit: he likes to play with his fluffy bone (or at laast, he jumps after it when I move it, trying to grab it), but he begins to refuse the other items. Everything thatŽs hard in his mouth, that is wood, metal, plastic etc. He makes an awfully disgusted face, spits it out as soon and fast as he can and is apparnetly not having fun at all. Sometimes, he even turned his head away and closed his eyes. I have to cut down his food a bit, he did put on weight (looking nice and slim, I wish I had his figure, but the balance at the vet says he got 1 kg plus since last time). Maybe, when his stomach growls a bit, heŽll be more motivated to get some nice stuff in there. IŽll give it a week. In case he does not get better, I think IŽll create a new behaviour for him, "soft retrieve" and heŽll go all the way like the normal retreive, but heŽll do it only with his fluffy bone. I donŽt see a point in the "hard things" retrieve when the dog is trying such a long time and just canŽt get used to it. He is not going to Obedience Trials, anyway.