The trouble with fetch....

Discussion in 'Labrador Training' started by Lisa, May 22, 2014.

  1. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Okay, good tips, all. I think you are right, Rachel about deciding what I want to focus on. I think for now I would like fast recall back to me, just because that's what I want in my "end-game" while out and about.

    Just a clarification, though...can I mix these two elements up (the fast return vs the bring back to me) in one day of training? One session or two on the fast return, one session or two on the bring to hand? Or is that too confusing?

    Or do I get the fast return solid, first, then go back and reintroduce the bring back all the way?
     
  2. Dexter

    Dexter Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Dexter has massive tail envy! ::) Simbas tail is spectacular!and,was Sarah on the roof of your shed filming that? And .....how is your grass so lovely and green after all the months under snow? :D so many questions and none of them relevant to 'Fetch the Thingy' game!
    You've had much better advice than I could ever give but I'll just add on to say that I agree with Julie ,you will crack this...he's loving it when you throw out for him,you just need to encourage the return you want....and the other posts will help that.Helpful reading for a lot of us,thankyou x
     
  3. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg83914#msg83914 date=1401593315]
    Now I have to somehow fit in some whistle practice....
    [/quote]

    You could do it at the same time - blow your recall as he is running towards you with thingy?
     
  4. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    [quote author=JulieT link=topic=6163.msg84111#msg84111 date=1401639633]
    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg83914#msg83914 date=1401593315]
    Now I have to somehow fit in some whistle practice....
    [/quote]

    You could do it at the same time - blow your recall as he is running towards you with thingy?
    [/quote]

    Wow, didn't think of that! Is that allowed?? :eek:

    Angela... :D

    1) Sarah was on our deck
    2) The grass was dead brown after the snow, but it is amazing how it comes back. It helps that we had a deluge of rain this week, followed by a couple warm sunny days... The leaves are fully out and everything is beautifully green! Next step: mosquitoes :eek:
     
  5. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg84160#msg84160 date=1401649887]
    You could do it at the same time - blow your recall as he is running towards you with thingy?
    [/quote]

    It was the foundation of Charlie's recall - his fetch just happened, and we just kept saying "come" as he returned to us, then the whistle when I moved to that. Worked for us. He always brought his ball back though. He didn't start playing keep away until later.
     
  6. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg84160#msg84160 date=1401649887]
    [quote author=JulieT link=topic=6163.msg84111#msg84111 date=1401639633]
    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg83914#msg83914 date=1401593315]


    You could do it at the same time - blow your recall as he is running towards you with thingy?
    [/quote]

    Wow, didn't think of that! Is that allowed?? :eek:

    [/quote]

    Definitely, I do this all the time with Charlie and it speeds him up to return the ball :) I use any opportunity that Charlie is running back to me to reinforce my
    recall whistle :)

    Simba looks great and pretty interested to me, but I don't think I would make him 'sit' whilst you throw the thingy as you may put him off, you can always train steadiness later if you choose. Keep going xx :)
     
  7. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    You can work on more than one criterion in a day, but I'd only do one per session and I'd only switch to a new criterion when I was happy with the level of improvement on the criterion I'd been working on. Don't just switch between criteria for variety. Achieve a distinctive improvement on one before switching to another :)

    So, keep working on the fast return. Once you're happy with that (might take a few sessions) in the next session switch to asking for a longer hold of the dummy (and don't worry if speed drops a bit - just focus on the new criterion, build that up, then go back to speed in another session).
     
  8. JulieT

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    I might be unnecessarily wedded to the concept of delivery (having had so many problems with it, I don't mean a polished delivery, I mean legging it, and not bringing it back) that I sort of think the return - and return means right up close to me, hand it over, and then stay there until we do something else - is the most important thing. If what you are interested in is "the game" as a way of having him focused on you, I'd say the straight bring all the way back is the most important thing. It's no good him coming back fast, then getting distracted by an interesting smell/dead animal/other dog.

    So I'd be tempted to nail return, return, return - then worry about other things like speed.
     
  9. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Okay, thanks all. No time today to work on it....I'll have to sit down and review all this and see what I want to focus on. I think we're all on the same page in terms of the outcome, the difference being which step to work on first, the come back quickly, or the delivery. Two sides of the same coin, perhaps?

    Will continue on this during the week and report back!! It's so great to have a knowledgable sounding board! :D
     
  10. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Missed a lot of this but a bit like Julie because we're doing gundoggy type stuff the return was more important to me than the speed but for practical reasons even if I wasn't trying to do 'retrieving' I would choose that first.....mainly I don't want to have to go and get it otherwise this might become habitual and it also might get lost and I'm not sure I could source another surfboard thingy(which is an awesome retrieve thing btw) ;D

    And yes blow that recall whistle when he's on his way back for sure!! All good habit building stuff :D
     
  11. Karen

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    I missed most of this too. But wanted to add two things:

    One - he's beautiful!!!!! 8)
    Two - he's loving the retrieving, particularly chasing the 'thingy'. I just wonder whether it might be worth using something that you can throw further, so he has more of a run? Since that seems to be the bit that he really enjoys. Once he gets the idea of bringing it right back to you, he will learn that his reward is another retrieve.

    Is he really part Newfie?? Looks almost too rangy for that.
     
  12. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Well, I found that when I threw it far, he then wanted to stop and look at me, or lie down and gnaw (more so on the ball, but I saw a little nibble one one of my longer throws ::))...in other words the game switches in his mind to "come and get me and this glorious Thingy!" rather than "Bring it back! Bring it back!"

    The "come and get me" is his default...it's how he "played" with previous owner, I am sure. It's what he always did with thrown objects before. So I've finally got him bringing things back, albeit with some bobbles here and there, granted, so I don't want to push it just yet.

    So, yes, a bit of a balancing act between the fun if the chase on his part and my desire to establish the rules of this game on mine. Eventually I want to throw it further, for sure!

    I know what you mean about him being rangy, he is that! I struggle to find Newfie in him too, but all I know is what I have been told. My friend employs someone who has a dog from the previous litter before Simba, the idea was he'd be a bit of a guard dog for their place of business....you can imagine that hasn't worked out so well... ::). But I will go and snap a pic one day. He looks quite different than Simba, I think.
     
  13. JulieT

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6163.msg84418#msg84418 date=1401717647]
    ..in other words the game switches in his mind to "come and get me and this glorious Thingy!" rather than "Bring it back! Bring it back!"
    [/quote]

    This is positive though. He wants that glorious thing. He wants to run and get it. You can train the rest. :)
     
  14. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Just a little update.

    Been bumbling around with this in my usual fashion but we are making progress!! :D

    I tried blowing the whistle while he was returning....he dropped the Thing. Which I thought he might. So, I thought I would just go back to basics, with throwing it not too far, and encouraging him to bring it back right away.

    He's running out with enthusiasm, grabbing it, and turning right away to bring it back. I concentrated on not saying "good boy" , just encouraged him in other ways, and he brought it back the whole way. C&T. We did this a few more times, all good. Have done a couple more sessions since then, he's been very enthusiastic about it. Last couple times I started to get him to hand it to me instead...that's going pretty well too!

    So, I'm happy. I feel like we've turned a bit of a corner...the switch to the Thing has seemed to stop the chewing on it and delaying the return, now he gets it and comes right back quite happily.

    Will try to get a video to show you...but I'm pleased! :)
     
  15. Dexter

    Dexter Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    That is great progress Lisa,really pleased x
     
  16. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    That sounds really good, like he's starting to understand what the game is :)
     
  17. JulieT

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Yay! And it sounds like fun for both of you! :) :) :)
     
  18. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    That's really great, well done! He is a smart dog.
     
  19. Karen

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Hey, that's great news! :)
     
  20. drjs@5

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    Re: The trouble with fetch....

    Great Lisa!
     

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