This should be in a non training thread really... was having fun yesterday with the dogs in the park, booting balls about...just some good old sprinting about racing after balls and bringing them back to me, with a bit of steadiness now and then but mostly just a game. Brods goes racing a good fifty metres away after the ball, reached it, screeched to a halt, and just looked at me a bit confused. I didnt know what was up, he normally scoops the ball up and races back immediately. He looked like he needed directing so I whistled him in...he left the ball where it was ( unheard of!! ) and came racing back with a feather instead which must have been lying where the ball landed, and presented it to me proudly....got me thinking that its soooo hard wired in them isnt it, this I retrieve fur and feather....The Ball is brodicks new obsession, but put a feather there instead and he knew what he should do...
Re: They are just hard wired.... Hi Debsie, that is such a great image of Brodick returning with the feather I would be in heaven if Charlie retrieved anything and brought it back to me : x
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=charlie link=topic=7301.msg101042#msg101042 date=1407792177] Hi Debsie, that is such a great image of Brodick returning with the feather I would be in heaven if Charlie retrieved anything and brought it back to me : x [/quote] Is that Charlie that you've trained to retrieve a dummy Helen ? And well done Brods....you know what you're doing!?
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=bbrown link=topic=7301.msg101043#msg101043 date=1407792934] Is that Charlie that you've trained to retrieve a dummy Helen ? [/quote] Hmm sort of only in the garden on a long line, tried throwing a ball on our walk and he couldn't have cared less so not really holding out much hope I'm afraid to say. Haven't done any retrieving as we were away. It's taken over 3 months to get to this stage
Re: They are just hard wired.... As we keep pet ducks the last thing I want Obi to to is 'retrieve feather' ;D Our efforts have been put into 'ignoring feather' which hasn't been that hard to achieve, just took time. Now a duck can jump on his head (it happens) and he just looks mildly surprised. Mind you, Obi is not working line and generally never exerts himself on anything more than is absolutely necessary
Re: They are just hard wired.... Guffawing at the image of Obi with a duck on his head ;D Hmm actually if the feather had been attached to a duck there wouldn't have been much retrieving from young Brodick :
Re: They are just hard wired.... It's funny. When it's time to put the ducks away they all gather at the gate. They're pretty keen because they get a treat in their pen, so they sometimes leap into the air, flapping madly, in a futile effort to get over the gate. Because they're big, domesticated birds they have no directional control. Now and then they'll come down on Obi who also likes to stand at the gate and watch proceedings. I don't encourage it, as it's a big temptation to a dog to have a duck land on you or hit you on the side of the head, but he really is very tolerant....
Re: They are just hard wired.... ;D ;D ;D (Both at Brods retrieving the feather, and at Obi with a duck on his head!!)
Re: They are just hard wired.... Lol, made me laugh thinking of a duck on Obi's head ;D Brods definitely knows what to do
Re: They are just hard wired.... I want to see a pic of Obi with a duck on his head... That will make my day!!
Re: They are just hard wired.... I think that challenge might be beyond me ;D They don't really sit there... It's more of an ungainly crash landing followed by a rebound.
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=Oberon link=topic=7301.msg101147#msg101147 date=1407841534] I think that challenge might be beyond me ;D [/quote] I don't know,you managed to get him in a pink ball gown for us If we lived by you Debsie I would say the feather that Broderick returned was what was left after Dexter had already 'met' the bird if you know what I mean : :-[
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=Dexter link=topic=7301.msg101168#msg101168 date=1407847928] If we lived by you Debsie I would say the feather that Broderick returned was what was left after Dexter had already 'met' the bird if you know what I mean : :-[ [/quote] ;D ;D
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=Dexter link=topic=7301.msg101168#msg101168 date=1407847928] I don't know,you managed to get him in a pink ball gown for us [/quote] I would have thought only a pink ball gown AND a duck hat would impress us...
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7301.msg101253#msg101253 date=1407873509] [quote author=Dexter link=topic=7301.msg101168#msg101168 date=1407847928] I don't know,you managed to get him in a pink ball gown for us [/quote] I would have thought only a pink ball gown AND a duck hat would impress us... [/quote] Zandra Rhodes would be very impressed ;D x
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=charlie link=topic=7301.msg101045#msg101045 date=1407793180] [quote author=bbrown link=topic=7301.msg101043#msg101043 date=1407792934] I [/quote] Hmm sort of only in the garden on a long line, tried throwing a ball on our walk and he couldn't have cared less so not really holding out much hope I'm afraid to say. Haven't done any retrieving as we were away. It's taken over 3 months to get to this stage [/quote] Helen, I can relate. Simba quite enjoys fetch in the garden, but when we are on a walk he's really not that interested. Okay,basically not interested. It is frustrating, for sure! And...I also would love to see the Obi/duck mash-up picture..... ;D
Re: They are just hard wired.... [quote author=Lisa link=topic=7301.msg102275#msg102275 date=1408238760] Helen, I can relate. Simba quite enjoys fetch in the garden, but when we are on a walk he's really not that interested. Okay,basically not interested. It is frustrating, for sure! [/quote] I find it enormously frustrating after almost three years of trying to whip up retrieving enthusiasm and 4 months of clicker training the retrieve, I guess if the desire is not there you can't do a lot about it I really hope you have more luck then I have Lisa x
Re: They are just hard wired.... Sorry to divert this thread a bit Debsie ,but Helen.....by accident I made a discovery last eve in the garden.... Instead of throwing the dummy out....I threw it up high and Dexter was much more enthusiastic ,he couldn't wait for it to hit the ground and grab it.....maybe Charlie might respond to a bit of dummy thrown rocket launch style?x
