# Proper use of a flirt pole???



## Anthony8858

I made my own version of a flirt pole. It was nothing more than a toy, attached to a rope on a long rod.

I'm going to order a properly made one, because Kira goes berserk over it. She has so much drive, that she'll chase that thing, until her tongue is on the floor.

So THAT brings me to a few questions: (anyone surprised?) LOL

1) What is the purpose of a flirt pole? Is it create drive? If so, I don't think Kira needs that, at this point.

2) Are there any specific exercises that I should be doing with a first pole?

3) Am I being a pain in the ass?


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## RocketDog

LOL on #3. 

I don't think so, I watch your questions too since they're so close in age. I use one with Rocket, he loves it also. I don't know any "proper" methods, I just use it to teach release and how to jump and have fun. I'll be interested in the responses. Some lady stopped her car and got out when I was on a busy street and in a fenced in grassy area (that is going to be a power station someday--there is a 4 lane busy road right next to it) and asked me if I did training because she has a GSD puppy too.  I said, "Erm, no. I'm just playing".


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## 4TheDawgies

I use it with puppies to encourage and develop prey drive at a young age. 
It is then transfered to a bite wedge, bite pillow, then onto a sleeve.

I will still occassionally play with the flirt pole with adults because they like it so well. 

I just fling it around wildly at this point try my best to keep it away. You try keeping a flirt pole away from even on adult dog off leash...:wild:


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## Anthony8858

RocketDog said:


> LOL on #3.
> 
> I don't think so, I watch your questions too since they're so close in age. I use one with Rocket, he loves it also. I don't know any "proper" methods, I just use it to teach release and how to jump and have fun. I'll be interested in the responses. Some lady stopped her car and got out when I was on a busy street and in a fenced in grassy area (that is going to be a power station someday--there is a 4 lane busy road right next to it) and asked me if I did training because she has a GSD puppy too.  I said, "Erm, no. I'm just playing".


LOL... You should make some business cards 

Teaching the release is something I haven't done yet. That's a good idea. I may have reservations about her jumping. Other may want to chime in on this one.
Rocket is young as is Kira, and to the best of my understanding, jumping up and down, may not be a good idea yet.

I'll wait for other opinions on that one too.



4TheDawgies said:


> I use it with puppies to encourage and develop prey drive at a young age.
> It is then transfered to a bite wedge, bite pillow, then onto a sleeve.
> 
> I will still occassionally play with the flirt pole with adults because they like it so well.
> 
> I just fling it around wildly at this point try my best to keep it away. You try keeping a flirt pole away from even on adult dog off leash...:wild:


OK, so you're encouraging the use of a flirt pole, even though the drive is already there? Is this something I can count on using long term?


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## RocketDog

Well, not high jumping. Just a foot or two. He loves loves loves that. And only on grass.


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## NancyJ

I just borrowed a buggy whip from a teammate - chep and works well to tie the light toy on.

Right now Beau just dropped all his puppy canines so I am not tugging too hard. Not sure if I did right or not but I used to build on his prey drive by him chasing and eventually catching the toy then some light tug

I started out from day one everytime he brought the ball back paired it with dropping the ball. He does pretty good with that now.


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## 4TheDawgies

Anthony8858 said:


> LOL... You should make some business cards
> 
> Teaching the release is something I haven't done yet. That's a good idea. I may have reservations about her jumping. Other may want to chime in on this one.
> Rocket is young as is Kira, and to the best of my understanding, jumping up and down, may not be a good idea yet.
> 
> I'll wait for other opinions on that one too.
> 
> 
> 
> OK, so you're encouraging the use of a flirt pole, even though the drive is already there? Is this something I can count on using long term?


You can increase the amount of drive a dog has for something by frustrating them for it and teasing them. Each snap and miss they get a little more frustrated. Your dog may have drive for it, but you also may be able to increase that drive. Its your dog, do with it what you want. 

I don't see why you can't use this long term if you want to. Its a game, its fun, if you and your dog enjoy it why not?

pitbull people use flirt poles to exercise their dogs. They often turn it into a stationary hanging toy on a rope called a "spring pole". Great for building muscles and stimulating and exercising your dog.


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## Miss Molly May

Molly loves her flirt pole she goes bananas for it! I find it is great to do Obedience training while we are having fun. I make her sit and stay while I swing it back and forth until I say okay then the game is on! I also found it great for teaching the "out" command


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## Anthony8858

Miss Molly May said:


> Molly loves her flirt pole she goes bananas for it! I find it is great to do Obedience training while we are having fun. I make her sit and stay while I swing it back and forth until I say okay then the game is on! I also found it great for teaching the "out" command


 
What is the "out" command?


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## Emoore

Anthony8858 said:


> What is the "out" command?


Like drop it.


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## Miss Molly May

Anthony8858 said:


> What is the "out" command?


 
To release the object!


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## AgileGSD

I use it to work on drive building, impulse control, quick response to cues, release cue and because it's a fun way to exercise the dogs.


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## Anthony8858

Miss Molly May said:


> To release the object!


Can you show me the proper technique to teach the "out" command?


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## Miss Molly May

Anthony8858 said:


> Can you show me the proper technique to teach the "out" command?


 
I am not sure if it is the "proper technique" but all I did was trade a valuable treat for the toy at the end of the flirt pole and say "out" when Molly let go of the toy for the treat. After awhile she understood the word "out" and let the toy go instantly!


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## Anthony8858

AgileGSD said:


> I use it to work on drive building, impulse control, quick response to cues, release cue and because it's a fun way to exercise the dogs.
> 
> Savvy Play-Train-Play-Train-Play! - YouTube


Your video was terrific!

I would love to someday get to that level with Kira.

Thanks for sharing.


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## spidermilk

I use mine just to tire him out (and sometimes I mix some training in- like we heel around and then I release him and he chases the flirt pole toy).

I have used it since he was much younger and I just don't make him jump in the air- I just keep it on the ground.

I like to show people who come over how much he likes it- they are amazed by how focused on it/me he can be! I think all dogs (who enjoy chasing things) can have the same focus.


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## onyx'girl

Anthony8858 said:


> Can you show me the proper technique to teach the "out" command?


If the object in the mouth is moving, the pup will want to possess it. So when you command out, be sure that there is no tension on what the pup is holding and it is "dead". Many pups won't out even that way, so the handler will lift the pup by the collar so only the back legs are on the ground, until the pup lets go. Reward the pup when the out happens with more game on or w/the toy...don't end the game right when you out them.


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## Zisso

I use it to have fun, first and foremost with my dogs. They love it so much that they literally go cuckoo as soon as they see me go after it. We practice OB when we re playing with it. I work on recall, heeling, focus, leave it, and anything else I can think of (sit, down, down/stay) It is great in so many ways- and yes, with an adult dog that loves it, it can be difficult to keep it away from them :silly: (I can only play with one dog at a time or I WILL get hurt!)


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## Anthony8858

There is just so much knowledge on this board. You guys amaze me.

I'm very grateful, that you take the time to share, what probably took years of experience to learn.

Is there a preferred toy for a flirt pole?
I see that some come with, what looks like a shammy-cloth.


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## Emoore

Anthony8858 said:


> Is there a preferred toy for a flirt pole?


I use whatever stuffed toy is in the $0.99 bin at Target because it's going to get destroyed. 

I work "drop it" or "out" several times a day. I'll give him something like a stuffed toy or dishrag or ball and then I'll chase him around the house for it-- he thinks that's a lot of fun-- and then I'll say "Drop it" and he drops it immediately and gets a little bit of something really yummy. Then we go right back to the game. For commands that have the potential to be buzzkills like "drop it" and "come" you want to make sure you reward and then go back to playing as quickly as possible. 

As was said before, when you're tugging or using the flirtpole you want to make sure the object is "dead" in her mouth; she won't want to give it up if it's "alive."


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## Anthony8858

Emoore said:


> I use whatever stuffed toy is in the $0.99 bin at Target because it's going to get destroyed.
> 
> I work "drop it" or "out" several times a day. I'll give him something like a stuffed toy or dishrag or ball and then I'll chase him around the house for it-- he thinks that's a lot of fun-- and then I'll say "Drop it" and he drops it immediately and gets a little bit of something really yummy. Then we go right back to the game. For commands that have the potential to be buzzkills like "drop it" and "come" you want to make sure you reward and then go back to playing as quickly as possible.
> 
> As was said before, when you're tugging or using the flirtpole you want to make sure the object is "dead" in her mouth; she won't want to give it up if it's "alive."



Got it.

Thanks


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## SitUbuSit

It also helps to make the dog think that she is causing the toy to move, that the toy is reacting to her movements. Act like it's a real squirrel to help develop prey drive. In real life, a squirrel wouldn't just sit there waiting for her to bite, nor would it thrash about and circle wildly around her while she's sitting still. The squirrel doesn't want to get caught, and, like others said, when it does get caught, it stops moving. And that's when she can proudly present you with her "catch!"


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## Cassidy's Mom

Here's my video of Halo with the Chase-it toy, which is basically a flirt pole: 






I have VERY little room to work in my tiny little yard, so I'm very limited on what I can do, but we were working on impulse control with the toy, combined with mat work. Staying on the mat and making eye contact earned her the release to play!


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## chelle

I so have to get a flirt pole. Any suggestions on how to make one myself?


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## Emoore

chelle said:


> I so have to get a flirt pole. Any suggestions on how to make one myself?


Go to your local horse and farm supply store and buy a lunge whip for $10 or less. Buy a cheap stuffed toy and tie it to the popper. That's all.


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## chelle

Emoore said:


> Go to your local horse and farm supply store and buy a lunge whip for $10 or less. Buy a cheap stuffed toy and tie it to the popper. That's all.


Thanks, I'm going to do that!


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## AgileGSD

Anthony8858 said:


> Your video was terrific!
> 
> I would love to someday get to that level with Kira.
> 
> Thanks for sharing.


 I'm sure Kira will surprise you with how quickly she catches on. Dogs who love to chase can learn pretty quickly what gives them the chance to do so. I didn't worry about a release right away with Savvy but he's learning really fast that when he releases, the toy more often than not comes back to life and the fun continues. I taught his stay through backchaining and I think that might be the quickest method I've used so far - he's pretty solid on it for being only 9 months old.


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## jennyp

I just got my lunge whip in the mail today- thanks for the suggestion on the other thread AgileGSD!! I just need to get a stuffed toy to tie on the end. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow!!


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## chelle

Thanks, Emoore for that suggestion, I picked one up today and a couple of cheap stuffed squeaker toys for a couple bucks each.

Bailey wants me to thank you.  He thinks the flirt pole might be the most fun he's possibly ever had.  My Shiba was tied out watching our flirt pole fun and going NUTSO, she wanted to play the game so bad. Then it got too dark and I couldn't see what I was doing, so we'll play again tomorrow. I definitely have two big fans here.

Only problem I had is that I'd occasionally let him get the toy, chew it, practice drop it... etc... and a few times do a little play tug. I'd tied the toy to the whip part with normal string. It came right off as soon as I made it into a tug game. Is there something better to use than string or is it better to just avoid any tug?


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## Emoore

What I did was buy the toys that had rope as part of it. They have them at Target in the pet section, they are stuffed squeaky bones with a little rope sticking out of either end like this.









They're only a couple of dollars. Then I kind of wound the popper of the whip into the rope of the toy and tied a knot in each. That held it pretty good until the toy was destroyed.


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## onyx'girl

I went to walmart and bought some burlap in the fabric dept. I tied a knotted piece of burlap to my whip from TCS. The burlap with knots moves pretty easy and the pup can grip it well.


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## chelle

Emoore said:


> What I did was buy the toys that had rope as part of it. They have them at Target in the pet section, they are stuffed squeaky bones with a little rope sticking out of either end like this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They're only a couple of dollars. Then I kind of wound the popper of the whip into the rope of the toy and tied a knot in each. That held it pretty good until the toy was destroyed.


Ok, thanks I'll try that.


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## Kingsj

Agile - Great video! I love the way you illustrate how to use a flirt pole to develop drive for an obedience reward! The flirt pole is often used by protection people, but it can be a great way to get your dog excited about a tug reward that can fit in your pocket.

Also, I think you can put just about anything on the end of the pole and make the dog chase it. When I brought my whip home ($10 from Tractor Supply) I used an old (but clean), notted dishrag. Have fun!


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## katdog5911

I recently bought a flirt pole for Stella. I attached an old sock filled with some treats to the end. Haven't used it a whole lot yet. For now we have used the water from the hose to chase. We play the same as we would with the flirt pole. But the grass gets slippery when wet so we have to be careful. I guess I will be using the flirt pole more when the hose gets turned off....
I was wondering if the quick movements and change of direction are damaging to the joints at all?


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## Sunflowers

My problem with Hans is that he's too fast and I have trouble keeping the toy away from him:crazy:


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## silverbear

We flirt pole two to three times a day along with two mile long walks a day to burn off Rocco's energy. He's 5 months. He loves it! We use it to work on his downs, stays, leave it, and out commands. It's a joy to Rocco's pure raw physical energy and motion when he chases the toy. We make our own fleece braids for the toy.


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## ttodd27

Sunflowers said:


> My problem with Hans is that he's too fast and I have trouble keeping the toy away from him:crazy:


Yeah, I built my own flirt pole last week (with a tennis ball on the end since that's Carli's obsession), but she has quickly figured out to just grab the string I have it attached to and pretty much bypass chasing the ball very much. I fear my girl has outsmarted me (so far) on this one.


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## maxtmill

Well, I will be buying a lunge whip! Sounds fun!


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