I have bought Charlie a Katies' Bumper Bottle Tracker. It's probably the same size as a dummy, the idea being you place a water bottle filled with treats, dried sprats in our case and place it inside the tracker which has a velcro closure, you can use tennis balls, socks whatever your dog likes. It has a handle to throw, it floats and is made of recycled fire hose material. They are used in SAR, contraban, scent work training etc. So hopefully throw the tracker Charlie retrieves it and gets a prize of dried sprats each time Should I use this to help with Charlie's retrieving in separate training session whilst also trying to train the 'clicker retrieve' with a dummy? Really just trying different ways to up his desire Thanks x
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ I think you are battling with two ways with Charlie and the Pointer side does, at the moment, seem uppermost. I feel he needs to run as a Pointer would, but understand this just isn't practical at all. So if he was mine, I would put the exciting Bumper Bottle tracking device in the garden and release him to hunt it up. He could earn all his meals that way. I would also keep on with the clicker training but not with the above, have that separate.
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ That sounds cool ;D Yes I would do your clicker retrieve with the dummy and just play with him with the tracker see what happens. Both of you have fun with it. I take it he has to bring it to you so you can release the sprats ? Once he's got the idea of that I'm guessing BINGO. ;D. If you find he starts bringing that to you no problem, which hopefully he will, you could start clicking with that as well. ;D
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Thanks Stacia and Jen, had a bit of fun with Charlie and the tracker toy, placed it indoors in some tricky places and directed him telling him to "find it" when he was close, he brought it back every time and got the sprats inside. I even hid it in the wash basket and he found it ;D He was totally into it and found it quickly each time. At least it's something fun and will keep him happy and using his incredible nose x
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Sounds a brillant game. ;D Lots of fun for you both and he's getting to use his nose and hunt. ;D No smelly socks in your wash basket then or is Charlie's nose just very discerning.
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ [quote author=Jen link=topic=6843.msg93261#msg93261 date=1404505244] Sounds a brillant game. ;D Lots of fun for you both and he's getting to use his nose and hunt. ;D No smelly socks in your wash basket then or is Charlie's nose just very discerning. [/quote] With 5 peoples washing and 3 of those being boys, Charlie's nose is very discerning ;D x
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Helen I've been thinking. : What about when you think Charlie has really got the hang of finding his tracker thingy and whatever command you are using, you go and put it in the exciting garden and see what happens. I'd do a couple inside to rev him up then go in the yard, show him the tracker, leave him in the yard while you put it in the garden. You could put it in full view the first time. Let him through the gate with your find tracker command. If he gets it and brings it yippee cracked the garden. If he gets it, legs off with it, eventually brings it give him the treats inside and try again. If he ignores it get it yourself no harm done and go back to playing with it inside or the yard. ;D. If it doesn't work it doesn't matter because it won't do any harm to your clicker retrieve. If it does work you have a way of controlling him in the garden and Charlie gets even more hunting fun. ;D
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Jen, sorry I have just seen your reply. That's a great idea!! I have been doing some tracking with him indoors and he loves it, tail wagging and he can find it in some pretty difficult locations. I will use it in the yard and then progress to the garden and see if he brings it back, but I do have to be pretty vigilant as I think given half the chance he would run off with it, so I do a C&T for the hand over and he is getting the message that those sprats are quickly going drop out of the bottom
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Sounds brilliant! Might have to try one of these, as we are having a few problems with retrieving at the moment, can I ask where you got yours from?
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Yes Kate of course, I got it on Amazon but if you google Katie's bumper dog toys you can get them in other places too, EBay have them also. x
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ Thank you , just found a site which had the range of Katies training aids, really interesting! Benson is much more interested in sniffing and so easily distracted, to get him to retrieve is a real challenge, we found using a bit of cold game he really improved ie rabbit skin, and he can do a really good memory retrieve, but only on our land, anywhere else is just too distracting. Currently we are working on directional commands by using lures, not sure if this is the right method, but its working and it's great fun!
Re: Could this help with retrieving? :/ So glad everything is going so well Helen including off lead. ;D If he does leg off with it in the garden Helen don't bother (as long as he can't get at the sprats himself ???). I'd call him then turn your back and walk to another part of the garden. If he's still messing about start walking around the garden but ignore him. I bet Charlie will expect you to be doing everything you can to get him to come so don't. That will fool him and the only way he can get those sprats is to fetch it to you. When he does give him the sprats even if it's taken ages. :. He will soon get the idea to get the tasty sprats in the garden he needs to find the tracker thing and take it to you. I bet he will love that game once he gets the idea. ;D I've found with my two if they are messing about and I ignore them they soon come to see why. :
