_Sam_  Offline
CSI pup
Joined: Sep 17, 2006
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Posts: 9566
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44039 LabPounds
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No.of Labs: 2
Lab Names: Coal Finn & Jed
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Location: Northants
Gender: 
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 Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | One of the most important things you can do is to nurture and encourage his retrieving instinct, this means following a progression which ensures the dog remains keen and soft mouthed, and does not become bored with the whole process. Post up if you would like some detail on this. |
Yes i would like some details on this  i think its the soft mouthed bit that might be the difficult bit.
i tried to post a new topic but it won't let me as work as it blocks certain pages  esp if talking about female dogs!
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Sam, Coal & Finn
It�s never too late to be what you might have been
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Molly99 Offline
puppy walker
Joined: Dec 20, 2005
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Posts: 259
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7454 LabPounds
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No.of Labs: 2
Lab Names: Bella,Tess
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Location: Hampshire
Gender: 
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:01 am Post subject: retrieving |
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Hi Sam
Retrieving progression
The perfect retrieve is actually a combination of several different behaviours. These are: the chase, the pick-up, the return, and the delivery
Things can go wrong in any one of these sections but the most essential is ‘the chase’. A dog that won’t chase after a thrown object with real power and enthusiasm is unlikely to make a really keen retriever later on when retrieves are more difficult and demanding.
Many novice trainers try to steady their dog (make it ‘sit and wait’ before retrieving) too soon before this really enthusiastic ‘chase’ is strong habit. Another common mistake is to keep on throwing retrieves until the dog is simply bored of the whole thing.
Delivery problems are also very common (spitting out the dummy or ball instead of holding and placing it in your hand) but these can usually be solved. Common mistakes are snatching the dummy or ball in your haste to get it off him before he drops it or runs off, tugging things out of his mouth when you don't want him to have them, playing tug of war, scolding the dog when he is carrying something. etc
Some dogs will chase but not pick up an object. This is usually overcome by trying different objects until you find something the dog likes to hold in his mouth. But if not, a ‘trained pick-up’ can be taught. Some dogs will pick up but not return, even when they have a really reliable recall under other circumstances. Again, this can be overcome.
As you can see, there is quite a lot to it! But almost all labs can be taught to retrieve effectively if you establish each of the ‘parts’ of the retrieve in the correct order - get the dog chasing and picking up first, if he doesn’t return walk away and keep walking - make him come to you and not the other way around. Getting a good delivery often needs a little training and tweaking - exactly how depends on what your dog is doing.
If you post up what your dog will do at the moment ie does he chase and pick up? Will he return with a dummy or ball, does he put it in your hand or drop it at your feet? And so on
Chewing up toys is not an indication of hard mouth. Why do you think your dog may not have a soft mouth?
Pippa
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Molly99 Offline
puppy walker
Joined: Dec 20, 2005
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Posts: 259
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7454 LabPounds
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No.of Labs: 2
Lab Names: Bella,Tess
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Location: Hampshire
Gender:
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| Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:47 am Post subject: training |
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| Quote: | | Its no real use training your dog to 'work' if you don't plan to 'work it' as such... you know? |
I differ with this. I think retriever training is a fantastic sport in it's own right, even if you never intend to go near a gun or a shoot. Learning to handle a retriever at a distance - watching a lab slide into a graceful stop from a gallop at 150 yards away on a single blast of a whistle, and turn to you for instructions is a thrilling experience that I will never get tired of. Watching your dog learn to find dummies under more and more challenging conditions and to work in harmony with you as a team, is intensely rewarding, and not just for the dog 
I think many labradors would benefit from specific gundog training as opposed to basic obedience. It is after all what they were born and bred for and what they do best.
There are numerous other activities which will benefit an intelligent, powerful dog - harness its energy and challenge it mentally. Working Trials are field where labradors do well, as are obedience competitions, not to mention all the 'service' roles we have found for these amazing dogs. But there is nothing quite like real retriever work, to keep a retriever happy and content.
Pippa
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