I've been teaching my wonderful 10 month old lab, Jessie, to retrieve and she's doing absolutely brilliantly - she'll do memory retrieves out, back, left and right. However, she's just started turning a circle before going for the dummy (every time)! Has anyone come across this before? - is it common? - and does anyone know how to overcome it?! Many thanks for any help.
My dog does this when he is stressed from being asked to wait too long. Or because he thinks I want something before he gets his reinforcer of the retrieve - it's a bit like 'throwing behaviours'. The circle comes from the turn required to come into the heel position for a retrieve. He gets stressed and thinks 'AGHHHH! Must do something! Sometimes I get a retrieve after I turn round'. Which is true, when he rotates into heel, sometimes he gets a retrieve. Another possible explanation is you've sent her out too far, she has hesitated, you've reinforced this by repeating your retrieve cue and she has then found a retrieve. That can cause a dog to stop, turn back, then go on.
It is quite common in Labs. I heard that a way to overcome it is to send the dog from your other side!
Thanks for your reply Julie. Jessie walks to heel with me to put down the dummy, then we walk straight back, she sits facing the dummy, then I send her. I'll try your idea of reducing the time she sits before I send her. She'll comfortably retrieve 50-60 yards and I've tried reducing that right down to just a few feet in front of her, but she still circles regardless of distance.
Wow! - it would be amazing if such a simple solution solved it! I will definitely give it a try!! Thank you!
I'd stop sending her if she does a circle - this will be reinforcing the circle. Well, in terms of stopping her doing it, changing your routine would be the first thing to try (so sending the dog from the other side isn't such a mad idea). Just try to do your retrieves very differently and see whether you can work out what the trigger might be. It's not a good idea to always do exactly the same thing anyway.
Failing that, I'd have two dummies out, and send her for the next retrieve so fast she has no time to circle!
Have you used a whistle to stop your dog? This can cause them to stop turn and look at you which is the correct action, but being sent back from there can cause them to turn full circle. Julie suggest's having 2 dummies out, I would put a pile 6 or more not too far away 20yds or so and send without waiting. Another way is with a helper to throw the dummmy close enough to them so they can pick it up if she circles, and only allow the retrieve if she goes straight out. Do not allow her to have the dummy if she circles, this has been ingrained.
