Retrieve delivery

Discussion in 'Labrador Training' started by Somatic, Feb 25, 2017.

  1. Somatic

    Somatic Registered Users

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2016
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Sydney
    So , Arnie is 13 months old now. He is pretty well behaved. Lately, and I attribute this to hormones and his age, his retrieves have been crap. His recall suffered a bit too, but I feel like I can work through that.

    He will run and retrieve, and sometimes he will just pick the ball up, and then drop it again and do his own thing. Sometimes, like today, he goes after the ball, grabs it and brings it back, but just drops it about a metre away from me and expects a reward.

    How can I make his delivery better without completely wrecking his desire to retrieve? How do I back chain this delivery? I want him to retrieve to hand and return to a heel with the ball in his mouth and only give it to me when I ask for it. Not drop it at my feet or some distance away.

    He's such a little pest sometimes.

    Thanks everyone
    A.
     
  2. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2011
    Messages:
    9,435
    Ok so first of all decide what you want. Retrieve to hand and returning to heel with the ball are not necessarily the same thing.

    For example my dogs deliver to hand but they are in front facing me. They come back to heel after delivery and that's trained separately.

    To back chain any behaviour you start at the end. So decide on your finish position. For me I'd start with the dog facing me and I'd give him the dummy and get us passing the dummy between us. Then I'd put the dummy on the ground and ask the dog to pick it up, then a little further away.

    You might also find teaching a hand touch useful. Then you can put your hand put as a target as your dog is coming towards you.
     
    FoxyLady likes this.

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