Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Thanks Heidrun He can be a bit funny about picking up strange dummies and I've rarely used a traditional dummy as he didn't seem to like the weight and I was concerned to keep his enthusiasm high. Steve had a tennis ball material dummy which I used a lot as Riley loves his tennis ball. I bought some to use at home but felt pretty silly producing my bright yellow tennis ball dummies when everyone else had old well used traditional green ones : This afternoon I used a rugby ball shaped dummy and a traditional one and apart from a tendency to pick them both up by the flap(which I'll get some elastic bands on ASAP) he was enthusiastic for both.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve I have some great dummies from a company called Kennelmate. The slimline ones are quite inexpensive but well made, just don't use them in water, they sink as I found out the other day :-[. I like their weight and shape and all the dogs love them. A little tip, not very ladylike I'm afraid, I spit on them before I use them.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Barbara, sounds as if you are back on track already, well done you and Riley. Go Barbara Helen x
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve I've got a couple of rubber dummies for water as well as a fairly large floating red ball so that Riley can still see it when he's swimming(he loves the ball but will happily pick the dummies) I'll get a slimline dummy or two To add to the bag and then I thought I'd try and throw different dummies each retrieve so that Riley didn't develop too much of a favourite. Also we very rarely have someone throwing for us so I'll try to enlist some help for a few sessions at least. And thanks for the tip
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Hi Barbara, I am curious to know what a 'check lead' is? Thanks Helen x
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve I'm not sure it's the right name but it's a very short lead you leave on your dogs collar to give you something to hold onto when they're effectively off lead. Just a the loop of a handle really. I've seen it used to correct positioning(to get the dog to sit if it's lying down) or to give you a handle if you have to collect your dog when he's moved or not returned. I think it saves you having to put your slip lead back on and is easier than using just a collar.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve So my friend has a lovely well trained 3 year old black lab girl which she's taken picking up for two seasons now. She's been to the class I went to and said her dog was the worst by far as most people in the class are aiming to trial their dogs Both our children were being looked after this morning so we went and did some training. Riley's retrieves were messy but reasonably enthusiastic. We also did some recalls past each others dogs and he was really good, very pleased with him as Pip is his best playmate ever. Mostly I stayed by him while he sat and he didn't even flinch then he sat about 10 metres from me as she came past, he got up but I sat him straight back down and made such a fuss of him because he'd listened to me so well all session ;D We sent them off to play afterwards and they belted round the field like they hadn't been let out in a week! :
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Well that sounds great Barbara. Good for you - and Riley!
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Well we went to the second session last night and I'd asked to be moved into the beginners group - quite a difference in dogs and handlers!!! The retrieving was a bit rubbish but Riley hates picking up a dummy 3 yards in front of him at the best of times(I know he should just do it cos I've told him to but he thinks it's boring) and we were on a grotty farm track that had odd things all over it like a pile of cartridges and all sorts. He was doing ok retrieving down a corridor of dogs when the cows in the field decided to check out what all the people were doing and some of the dogs started barking. Riley looked at me as if to say what on earth is all this!? what did you want again? What was good though is we did quite a bit of obedience amongst other dogs - heelwork, recalls through a corridor of dogs and handlers(dogs offlead opposite handlers) and at the end two dogs one recalled from each end. All really good practice for us and his over friendliness. He did really well and never moved a muscle even when other dogs got up. Poor sausage was exhausted at the end though!! All that concentrating! So when we got home I just chucked his tennis ball round the garden a few times to make sure his tail still wagged
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Sounds like a better group to be in, Barbara. People with trialling ambitions will take the training very serious which will put quite a bit of pressure not only on themselves and their own dogs but also other people and their dogs in the group.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Absolutely right Heidrun The other group were nice people but you could tell they weren't thrilled at my wayward pet pestering the dogs they'd worked so hard on, teaching them to focus to the exclusion of all else including my lovely doofus trying to be their new best friend and it made me feel just awful : Much happier yesterday and much more fruitful.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve The training you do sounds a lot like the group I am in Barbara. It's a lot of fun, and I find doing obedience work COMBINED with dummy work is excellent.
Re: So overwhelmed Riley won't eat or retrieve Pleased that you have found the group for you and Riley , sounds much less stressful all round
