Training in the woods

[Leanne]

Really pleased with this - we have been practising in the garden for a bit now but this is the first time I’ve tried it in the great outdoors.

https://flic.kr/p/2cWVXWn

 

[Beanwood]

Good boy, nice retrieve! Took me ages to trust Bramble to retrieve in the woods, more often than not she would simply bugger off after a scent...

 

[jazzmynn]

Great job!!

 

[Charlie]

Lovely. He looks so well and happy after his illness. xxx

 

[Selina27]

Well done Max, super boy

 

[kateincornwall]

That's grand , well done x

 

[HAH]

You should be pleased, that’s fabulous - like @Beanwood and earlier Bramble, I’m pretty convinced Kipper would stop every couple of yards for a good sniff

 

[Jacqui-S]

If left up to Lilly, the woods would be littered with tennis balls.....

 

[Cath]

Good lad

 

[MellowYellow]

Oh that's lovely! well done both of you!!

 

[Stacia]

Unfortunately I cannot see it.

 

[Jen]

Look at that waggy tail

 

[edzbird]

That was lovely.

 

[Plum's mum]

Lovely clever boy.

 

[Granca]

Well done, Mas! What a lovely waggy tail!

 

[Leanne]

Two Retrieves


So today we have been practising retrieving an object but then being sent away to retrieve a second object - the exciting bit is that the second object is not a tennis ball - so trickier because he has to go back for a second item that is also not as high value.

What was evident was that when he came back after the first retrieve he was very excited, couldn’t focus enough to drop the ball in order to be sent back out - we got there but you can see from the video he was a bit manic for a moment there.

He is obviously a bit of a natural (which would make sense as his dad is a field trial champion) bevause quite frankly my body language is shocking - I genuinely think that Mas thinks the retrieve hand signal is me waving my hands around like a mad person .

I think I need to work on the retrieve to hand - I’m hoping this will calm him enough in the middle bit - I can get him to retrieve items in the house to my hand - but not yet outside, he just wants to go go go

Anyway, feedback gratefully received!

 

[Beanwood]

Maz is loving it, isn't he? Having great fun plus a really nice hunting style. Did Maz know roughly where you had placed the ball/dummy?
I would probably start to think about back training a clicker retrieve with a dummy, this is a really simple way of teaching delivery that can be done in your house. I taught Bramble this way, and it's fair to say she has an excellent delivery to hand

Some interesting titbits here retrieving for all occasions

I would also start thinking about your cues...so what word are you going to use for 1. Marked retrieve vs a blind for example. Combined with this, the one thing I wish I had invested far more time in is a nice heel position, having the dog neatly tucked by my side before I send out for a retrieve.

 

[Leanne]

Thanks @Beanwood!!

Ok what’s a marked retrieve and a blind? Marked is where he knows where they are and blind is where he’s just sent out?

He knew roughly where they both were as watched when I sent them out. So a blind would be like find or search? Why do you need two different cues out of interest?

 

[Beanwood]

Ok what’s a marked retrieve and a blind? Marked is where he knows where they are and blind is where he’s just sent out?

A marked also called "seen" is and you are absolutely right...where the dog has "seen" the fall, and you are going to send your dog out. Similar to a memory, where the dog has "seen" the fall, however the time to retrieve maybe a minute or even an hour later. Memory retrieves are a good stepping stone to working on blind retrieves, where the dog has not seen the fall. So you are sending your dog out "blind".

He knew roughly where they both were as watched when I sent them out. So a blind would be like find or search? Why do you need two different cues out of interest?

In the case of a blind, I have a separate cue, and body language. I "line" up with my arm stretched in the direction of the retrieve and give my first cue "Go Back!". Then I need to stop when they are near the retrieve and then ask to "hunt" the area. I don't line up for a "seen" retrieve, as I expect and encourage Bramble to mark them herself. ie know where they are. The only time I line up for "seen" retrieves is when there is more than one. Actually looks rather complicated now I have written it down!

 

[Leanne]

I think my brain just exploded

So what happens if you don’t know where it is?