Wally's getting a better idea of carrying objects and getting more willing/able to take an object in his mouth. Some objects are still too difficult for him, perhaps they are too big or too awkward for his mouth to physically hold after all. His rope bone is no problem for him. That's what we worked with tonight and he took it and carried with no problem.
He even stepped on something that surprised him and made him drop the bone, but he went back on his own to pick it up and bring it back. He's really getting it now if he's doing that - the idea that the object must be in his mouth.
Going to have to keep building it up. It might not be a natural thing for him. He's not a retriever after all, so for him it's an actual exercise in learning instead of using a more instinctive type drive/desire/mouthiness.
One thing that's still needing work is the idea that he has to hold it until I signal for him to give or drop the item. Sometimes he will run around (which is fine since we're just playing) and just drop it without getting it in my hand, or he'll come back and just drop it. I have to make myself not pick it up and make him put it in my hand. Make that a rule of the game. I started doing it myself and holding my hands down as he's coming back to try to give him a "basket" of sorts to put it in (it'll be our hand signal as well). When he gets close, I cue "give" to help him make the connection with the hands.
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