Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:52 pm Post subject: Dropping dummy
I wandered on to this forum in the first place this time to pick brains over this before i got sidetracked on other subjects.
My youngster will hold the dummy so gently she drops the thing. She is OK with a puppy dummy or a ball, but, as soon as I try anything bigger, she just can't seem to keep a grip. I have tried using different coverings, making her carry it around, go back to sitting her up and holding then calling her to me all these will get her to hang on until it is a real retrieve, then she bnounces about and it fakks out of her mouth. Thats perhaps a better description, not drops - it falls.
She is very, very keen. The type of keen that usually hangs on for dear life and you are worrying they are going to have a crunch.
I have no doubt that on the 'real' thing she will be different, but that won't help with training.
Working with German Shepherds in the year dot, they would tie a dumbell into the mouth - I am not going there for anything.
Anyone got any ideas?
An obedience answer to a dog holding too lightly. I used to have a few dumbells around which had a heavy side plate on one side and a light one on the other for when I was taking the class. This meant that the dog needed to hold reasonably firmly or the heavy weight would start to "Twist" the mouth open. I used the same idea when a friend's Flatcoat was allowing the dummy to roll out of it's mouth, only for that I tied two dummies together at the ring. Did the trick with that dog!
End to end Sherry, so when they hold one the other hangs out of the mouth. As to size, that would depend on what you need. With a young dog you could use two puppy dummies or one puppy and one 1lbs. With an adult I have no difficulty using two 1lb dummies, but it may pay you to start with 2 puppy dummies. Just been into the garden to get a photo of it.
Thanks John,
I was pulling my hair out.
I am off out to give it a go.
I have searched and searched for info on this dummy thing and come up with nothing. - except for tie it in.
Sherry
Ian, she is 9 mths.
I want to get back into competitions with her. She is a really nice dog. Yes, I agree a soft mouth is brilliant, but, if I can't train on dummies because she lets it slip out of her mouth - I am stuffed.
She will carry properly if she is walking to heel and she will sit and hold correctly, it is when she is retrieving, it just slides out of her mouth.
Any ideas will be gratefully recieved and tried faithfully.
I was on the point of trying her with a hare dummy, it was only the thought of having to lug it to the training ground that stopped me.
She retrieved a dead rabbit out of the moat yesterday and she was not going to let that slip out, in fact, she also had second thoughts about giving it up. It stank to high heaven!
I would teach the dog to hold. If he walks at you heel carrying, i would give lots of praise, but when he drops, show him I am not happy. He'll soon get the message, don't pull your hair out.
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