Re: The trouble with fetch.... [quote author=Merla link=topic=6163.msg83005#msg83005 date=1401349808] By the way- we saw a demo of Newfies retrieving PEOPLE at a show on Monday- it was awesome, and my husband is now mounting a 'need a Newfie' campaign!! [/quote] It didn't have that effect on my husband but my husband is the man who refuses to believe that this house needs any more dogs whatsoever.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... [quote author=hd link=topic=6163.msg83008#msg83008 date=1401350295] It didn't have that effect on my husband but my husband is the man who refuses to believe that this house needs any more dogs whatsoever. [/quote]
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Just wanted to say how interesting I'm finding this discussion. Afraid I can't be any help at all! But I'm finding all the advice useful.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... I have a 'merry, happy paw dance' dog and it drives me crazy! Boing, boing, boing around me, jumping up to the game bag to get me to do some retrieving! In the end I gave him a ball to hold and he goes off, puts it down somewhere far away, comes back and I have to say "where is your ball" and he dashes off to find it, does his own retrieving game ;D
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Love it, Stacia!! I do understand the annoyance of it at times....previous dogs would drive me nuts with all the barking until I threw the Frisbee. It definitely can be a two-edged sword...but still would like to get this going, for the reasons mentioned. Will try again tomorrow, with my new fetching object (calling it a dummy is granting it too much dignity :).... If I can get an assistant I will video the attempt. Or non-attempt, whatever the case may be....
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Just catching up with this one....am loathe to make Simba guard the dummy but if you store it with his food it might become more stinky and attractive?....
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Thought about all this today, decided that it seemed counter-productive to take this whole thing right back to step one. It's not that he doesn't want to retrieve, or that he won't pick the object up. My problem was that the actual bringing back was shaky. So. I took my fetchy thing out to the yard, chucked it, he picked it up (fumbled a bit) came running back at full tilt, dropped it at my feet, big treats and praise! Same with the second throw! Third throw I think I threw it a bit too far, he stopped and looked at me, I encouraged him, he came back without the thingy. Oops. Tried again, he went out to it, then came back without it. Hmm. So I went and picked it up, threw it closer, it worked! Straight out, straight back (with thingy), drop at my feet, viola! We did a couple more to end on a high note, then called it quits. I'm not going to worry too much about the delivery to hand, I can work on it once I feel like he has the fetching down pat. Very happy, definitely much less fiddling around or chewing the thingy or anything like that. He looked like he was having fun. So great! ;D
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Ah I can tell you feel much better today,that's great news sounds like you both enjoyed it for the fun ( and the food :) of it! X
Re: The trouble with fetch.... That's great, well done Sounds like the Thingy doesn't lend itself to chewing quite as much. I think that what you're doing now is the way to go - keenness is good, and it doesn't matter if he won't pass it to your hand.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Go Simba and the fetchy Thing! Having fun, that's always the best place to start.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Brilliant Lisa and good boy Simba, could we see the 'thingy' toy please? x
Re: The trouble with fetch.... All right, you asked for it...tah dah!! This is the top side: The Fetchy Thingy 1 by psalmone1, on Flickr This is the bottom: Fetchy Thingy 2 by psalmone1, on Flickr : Okay I know it looks like a surfboard or something...but it DOES float in water and I thought it might be good for when we get to the lake or river and he might have fun going to get it in the water ;D Oh, all right. NOT a proper dummy, I know...but a girl's got to go with what's available. Okay, here's my vid. Sarah didn't get it all, but what she did get you'll see a bit of everything. I forgot, again, thew it too far on the first couple throws in the video. He started to have trouble dropping it when I said "good boy!" on the way back, I didn't notice that until I watched it back. I'll have to wait til he gets back for the praise. What you don't see when the camera focuses on him getting it and then stopping (a little chomp, there, did you see?) is that I am now moving backwards to get him to come. The last one you don't see at all except for the end, but again, I had to move backwards a bit to encourage him. [flash=https://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=145061]http://width="400" height="225" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=de6bb3ca06&photo_id=14129686178" bgcolor="#000000" allowFullScreen="true"[/flash] So. Comments?? He's getting better, and he has fun, so that's good, although the enthusiasm is not as high by the end. There were a few throws before the ones you saw there, Sarah didn't tape right from the beginning. Hmm...I'm having trouble posting the video...I've pasted the HTML/BBC code?
Re: The trouble with fetch.... This should work: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31088481@N03/14129686178/in/photostream/
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Lovely Thingy His outrun looks great - really keen! He's reacting to 'good boy' like it's a marker word. 'Good boy' is ending the behaviour, so he's dropping the Thingy to get ready for his treat. But you know that... To get him to come back faster you can try throwing another thing in the opposite direction to the way you threw the Thingy (so, throw it behind you in the direction of Simba's travel) as he's on the return. As he's running out to get Thingy 2, pick up Thingy 1 and throw that again as he returns with Thingy 2. Don't use the clicker, just throw. Don't do too many of those. Mix it up with food rewarded ones. The moving backwards is good. You can ramp that up even further by running. Or, even better, use a long tug toy trialling on the ground as you run away. That's how we shape a fast return in Flyball...drag a plaited fleece tug toy on the ground and run away yelling like a crazed banshee. He's definitely enjoying himself and he's focused on you - that's great!!!
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Hmm good ideas, Rachel! Going to have to have a think about this. So, as he's running back to me, I throw Thing 2 behind me to encourage him coming. That makes sense...but I wonder, would that perhaps prompt him to drop Thing 1 as soon as he sees Thing 2 fly out? Which would encourage what I'm trying to avoid, dropping the original Thing (okay, what DO I call this, erm, thing?) before he gets to me? I was actually running backwards a bit to encourage him, you can't see me ( for which I am grateful ). The reason I said the "Good boy" on the way back rather than when he got there was the last time, he came back with more enthusiasm when I was excited about the return than when I wasn't. But now he's starting dropping it at the verbal cue, as you say. So I'll try tomorrow without it and see what happens. Anyhow, it feels like we are making forward progress. Now I have to somehow fit in some whistle practice....
Re: The trouble with fetch.... You can wait to throw the second object when he's closer to you. Make the second throw contingent on bringing back the first object. Not a problem that you were saying good boy to reinforce the faster return. It's good to work on one thing at a time though - faster return OR bringing dummy further towards you. Not both at the same time. Just choose one thing to train for (reward) in any one session. If you want him to hold the dummy for longer delay the marker/reward (which you did start doing). If you want him to turn fast and start running back then mark and reward the instant he whips around and don't worry about what happens with the dummy. Be excited about the good returns and cheer or whatever, but don't say anything that he thinks is a marker word (click or good boy) until you want him to think 'I'm done'.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... He is such a lovely dog. I'd say you'll crack this, no probs, his focus on you and fetchy thing is great - just what you need. He just looks like he isn't quite sure about the return, he hasn't quite got it that he has to bring it all the way back. Is he getting a treat at the end? Charlie (only sometimes these days) gets a treat when he puts the dummy in my hand - although some people say that giving a treat encourages the dog to drop the thing on the return, my OH used to give Charlie treats for dropping the ball on his boot. If the ball wasn't brought all the way back, no treat. As soon as Charlie figured that out, he never dropped the ball until he was all the way back.
Re: The trouble with fetch.... When he puts 'thingy' down, don't pick it up for you to throw again as that will then become the habit. If you aren't concerned about him putting it into your hand, do try to teach him to drop it at your feet. When he puts 'thingy' down some distance from you, just wait, he should pick it up again and bring it to you for you to throw again. Nothing wrong in giving a treat, you can shape it so that he puts 'thingy' in your hand for the treat, if he drops it in anticipation of treat, no treat!
Re: The trouble with fetch.... Yes, if you are using treats, it is important I think that there is a definite place - in your hand, or right at your feet that the dog must reach with the thing - otherwise, I do think they tend to spit out. It does look like that might be what Simba is doing. I think this is why some gundog trainers say not to use treats, but it works fine so long as the treat is given for the delivery you want I think.
