We had a really good gun dog training class yesterday. Having had a few weeks break over the summer, I was so pleased and relieved that Molly had improved. 'Stay' is a challenge for us and this week our trainer asked us to try something different, that worked really well. I walked Molly to a post, told her to stay and then walked a few yards away. Meanwhile the trainer was about 10 yards away at right angles to Molly (so we made a triangle). He dropped the dummy by his feet with a noise and after 3 seconds I sent her for it. Each time we repeated the exercise I moved a little bit further away and made her wait for a little bit longer before sending her. She really seemed happy and to regard the retrieve as a reward for staying. She's also just started jumping and retrieved well in that situation too. It helps to have the jump in a lane as in the garden at home she'll jump on the way out but then runs round the jump on the way back. The most difficult exercise was to walk Molly to the end of the lane, drop the dummy, walk her half-way back, leave her while I walked all the way back and then send her back for the dummy. I was pleased she stayed but couldn't get her to see that I wanted her to go back for the dummy (which was about 5 yards directly behind her). However it was the first time we'd done that so we'll have to practise at home.
Re: Working at 'stay' and retrieving That sounds great, Joy. Stick at it with the sending her back for her dummy, but maybe shorten the distances quite considerably to begin with. Once the penny drops (and it will!), then you can gradually start lengthening the distance again.
