Smelly socks are working well!!

Animal-Outings · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:03 pm Post subject: Smelly socks are working well!!

Well Maj is a labrador non retriever Rolling Eyes

this is due to my naivety and the obedience club spoling her by forcing her to hold Evil or Very Mad

.

After our very embarrasing attempt at retreiving last sunday at Northumberland and in front of everybody Embarassed

, basically me trying to act like a loon - but apprently not loony enough- Majic still gave me the look of 'you're having a laugh, why can't you get it' every time a dummy was thrown Rolling Eyes

So thanks to Steve (westmacott) who was training our group, he asked if she would hold anything, yes she will carry dirty socks!

He said ok, get a pair of smelly socks, so we are using the ones I wore on training day, after numerous hours in my boots they were a little ripe Laughing

and use these to hopefully rev her up a little for retrieving and I am not to wash them (just waiting for them to walk themselves to the wash).

Well me and eldest son (who does not know they haven't been washed) are training a little each day, he's doing the silly noises to get her attention then shouting 'mark' when he throws them and so far so good Smile

We're only in the house to start with then progress further when Maj is comfortable with that. Very Happy

I text Rach today (sorry Rach Embarassed

) so pleased as she retrieved all and brought them back to me, spitting a little early but we will work on that.

So maybe I can get Maj retrieving after all - YAY! Very Happy

_Mary_ · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject:

LOL Carroll, whatever works, maybe when you get to dummies you can wrap the smelly socks round them instead of feathers or skin Very Happy

Animal-Outings · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject:

Oooo that's what I have to do first Laughing

Luna-tic · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject:

If you leave a smelly sock on the floor in our house you can guarantee that at some point it will be returned to you with great enthusiasm! It normally gets shoved in your face when you are innocently sat relaxing on the sofa or enjoying reading a book in bed!! Luna seems to think they are the BEST thing and have to be enjoyed by all - Yuck!!

Glad you've found a better use for Maj's love of socks!

shadybug · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:19 pm Post subject:

Smelly Socks are great, I used them with Samps when he starting spitting as they were his favourite thing in the world, will always reccommend SMELLY SOCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!

sarahjane16 · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:26 pm Post subject:

This is interesting as I've just spent an age trying to get Mole to hold something in her mouth for 7 seconds as the class I go to says she needs to do this to pass her test next week. Are you saying this is a big no no? She's really not keen on holding it as all she wants to do is give it back to me Rolling Eyes

BossMax · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:44 pm Post subject:

So glad I'm not in your house at the minute Laughing

Max was the same for socks, but you could now try CLEAN ones....he loves them even more.

The training day was not an embarrassment for you...................Maj did brill with most things so dont underestimate her (or you). How do you think we felt when Max decided to poo in the middle of a retrieve???? and it smelled much worse than your socks Cool

Moj · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject:

Glad it's working - it's so blimmin' frustrating when the retriever won't retrieve! I've got one here who used to retrieve nicely, tennis balls to hand, super. I stupidly thought, 'this khaki malarky will be fine, I know my pooch retrieves.' Ooooohh how wrong was I. She loves the dummies so much that she hurtles after them like her life depends on it and then won't bring them back! When she does, she spits (never used to). I tried various techniques for training the hold, and am currently on the smelly sock hold too Very Happy

Animal-Outings · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:09 am Post subject:

Animal-Outings · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:11 am Post subject: