[Basil]

I am thrilled with my little Nellies natural talent

We're only doing a couple of retrieves a week but I haven't really taught her anything on that front yet, she naturally runs out,picks and returns and will happily wait until sent if I ask her (which i'm not doing much of at all).

But what has fascinated me is that not only is she a natural holder (hoorah no teaching 'hold' yet!) but she also instinctively sits to present
Is this common for pups? Is it likely as she learns to love the game that dropping and not sitting will start to creep in?

Lastly, do you start as you mean to go on with pups and release commands? I am trying really hard to release her on 'Nellie' but for some reason my puppy voice kicks in and I keep saying 'Nellie go get it' :lol:

 

[Diana]

I read this thinking you meant release commands as in 'dead' or 'drop' and thought noooooooo! Please don't!!! ;-)

But you mean 'release' commands as in 'sending'.... personally I start from day one with what I will use forever and a day. I tend to send for a mark on a dogs name so thats how I start with a little thrown seen retrieve for a baby... 'Back' can come later - for me.

Di

 

[Basil]

oh yes I mean release as in send.

Right I will zip my lips and stick to just a 'Nellie'.

 

[Kendra]

I've found I automatically use "WAIT" and then "GO"... :lol:

I don't know if "GO" is an acceptable release command? Indy knows exactly what I mean when I say it...

 

[Basil]

I don't know if "GO" is an acceptable release command? Indy knows exactly what I mean when I say it...

I think you can use what you like, but a whole phrase like 'nellie go get it' is a bit of a puppy puppy thing and would be if ever used in company :lol:

The problem with 'go' is that other dogs may also go on the same release, not a huge problem I suppose unless you are working 2 or more.

 

[Kendra]

Heh, I can just imagine a fully grown, 2 year old gun dog being told "Go on Nellie Noo, go and get it for Mummy" :lol: :wink:

 

[monkeyboy]

Heh, I can just imagine a fully grown, 2 year old gun dog being told "Go on Nellie Noo, go and get it for Mummy" :lol: :wink:

Not quite as far fetched as you may think MC.

A friend of mine was running a dog in a Cocker Trial ( the sire of my boys Rocket and Jamie), a bird was shot, which Storm marked, and my friend was told to send her dog. She gave him the "Out" command, but being a Cocker, Storm decided there was something far more interesting in the opposite direction, so off he went. She called him back up, tried again, with the same result. The judge said to her, "One last chance, or you're on your way", so Frances said to Storm " Please darling, just for Mummy, Get Out", off he went, straight as an arrow, and picked the bird, much to the judges amusement!!

Andrew

 

[Basil]

" Please darling, just for Mummy, Get Out", off he went, straight as an arrow, and picked the bird, much to the judges amusement!!

:lol: :lol: love it!

 

[EJW]

commands as in 'dead' or 'drop' and thought noooooooo! Please don't!!! ;-)Di

Oh that’s interesting ………… Why? I’ve been using “dead” for years, rather than turn it into a tug of war!

John

 

[Diana]

Well, personally, only personally, I've never thought 'dead' releases anything. Its the hand pressure.... Or at least, if you DIDN'T say 'dead' are you saying (which I'm sure you aren't) that your dog won't release? Or if your dog was sat up with a bird in its mouth and without any movement towards it you said 'dead', it would open and drop the item?

Only personally, but from my experience people who worry about a dog 'holding on' tend to use a word to cover their slight embarassment at the dog holding on too long.... the word not really meaning anything to the dog, and the item actually being released for a force of the hand on the dogs jaw or an extra bit of pressure pulling the item and slightly twisting...?

You genuinely find it has a useful purpose? Only I;'ve seen on so many occasions that infact its a word dogs don't know from 'bananas' but humans use it as they are in the habit of doing so....

Di

 

[Diana]

I have phrased the first paragraph really badly... Sorry....
Not questioning your choice of word, just wondering if it actually makes any difference? .... if that actually, if you put pressure on the item and said 'whisky chaser' the dog would release..... ???

Di

 

[EJW]

Ah, that’s an interesting view of it. I don’t know what would happen if I said “dead” without having hold of the retrieve and I don’t intend to find out. :wink: I find it a useful command when receiving a particularly flappy bird or a favourite rabbit skin dummy, just as a reminder that its mine now and you should let go. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a dog that would not give up a retrieve and likewise I don’t think I’ve every owned one that doesn’t need a reminder to let go on occasions.

John

 

[EJW]

just wondering if it actually makes any difference? .... Di

Yes I agree the word doesn’t matter as long as it’s used consistently.

But yes it definitely makes a difference. Sometimes, I find, for no particular reason, but rarely with a normal dummy, you go to take the retrieve, feel a resistance, there is a momentary stand off at this point, 8O say “dead” and the dog releases, because we have said that from when the dog was a few weeks old.

John

 

[Basil]

I used to use 'thank you' for Basil instead of dead

I don't use it anymore as he's now a consistent holder, but when I was trying to teach him to hold (instead of dropping at my feet as with ball fetch), I found he was quick to release the second he thought my fingers were close and i'm a bit fingers and thumbs at the best of times so it would end up being quite clumsy.

So I used 'thank you' as the signal rather than my hand, this meant as a way of testing his 'hold' I could actually touch his nose, the end of the dummy and wave them all about if i wished and he didn't pre-empt and lob it into my hands.

I only really use it now if i want to take a bone out of his mouth or something

 

[Diana]

I do hear what you two are saying, and of course I know and appreciate completely that we all work differently. Its a careful balance, its true between sometimes, in praising before taking the dummy, and maybe catching the end of it, they can think its 'that' release pressure and let go... but I wonder if they really keep hold till they hear 'dead' or until they feel enough hand pressure to know you mean business about releasing on those 'tighter hold' moments? Rendering the word 'dead' actually not necessary? Not that its something I lay in bed wondering about ;-)

I'm just a bit minimalistic probably. I don't use hold and I don't use dead ;-) I'd probably forget and the dog would hang onto it waiting for me to remember to say it!

Di

 

[Kendra]

" Please darling, just for Mummy, Get Out", off he went, straight as an arrow, and picked the bird, much to the judges amusement!!

:lol: :lol: love it!

That's great. And here I was thinking I was saying something ridiculous!