Guest Anonymous Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 :roll: My future plans is to compete with Coal at Disc Dogs :D He's rather good, I really suck at throwing though :lol: Gota get out there and practice more. Unfortantly though, it's been raining a LOT so haven't been able to get out much, don't want the clumsy oaf to slip and fall!! The thing is, he's HORRIBLE at actually RETRIEVING!!! He runs and gets the frisbee, then runs the other way, or SO close yet SO far from me, little tease! So, I started putting him on a long line and calling him back, when he doesn't come I real him back. It seemed to be working a bit, and I'm sure once the sun starts comming out more and i get out there more often he'll catch on very quick, but I'm just wondering how I do the transition off the lead? What if he learns that I can get him back only if he's on the lead? he's a sneaky bugger and I'm afraid of him doing that :-? Any one teach their dog to come back using this method and how did their transition off the lead go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDG Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 the first step for a reliable retrieve is actually not teaching the dog to bring something back to you, but to spit out an item at your feet. if you start from that point and use a back-chaining proess, the coming back to you will be automatic. :) here's a neat [url=http://www.dogscouts.com/retrieve.shtml]article[/url] on the topic. it really works well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Working on his recall would probably help too. That way you can call him back reliably also. That's probably important to doing disc dogs also :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 This is some thing I had a blast teaching Athena & Dilon... (my other Newf's & Dobie really don't have the prey drive to be good retrievers :wink: ). What I did to make this game exciting for them was first I taught them "off" and "take it" then I play taught them a wonderful no fail recall. For me, I never used the long lead and realed them back in. I instead would throw the object and then once my dog had grabbed it I would run a little the opposite way and called her/him...I stood slightly to one side so I didn't appear to be a threatening looking hulk :lol: :wink: this worked really well with my 2 dogs... it's now a fun game for them...I don't approach them to get the bumper back...I step back a few steps and call them back in an excited happy tone...they are now much too eagar to come running back and giving me the bumper so the game can continue. My Rottie had started the come chase me game when we first started playing this game...but, I didn't join in the chase to get her...she always has to bring the toy back to me. I think the most important things I keep in mind when training for a recall...don't move toward the dog or chase after the dog...dogs will naturally move away from this kind of approach. Run away from your dog when teaching the recall...this is reversing the game your dog is playing with you...instead of your dog teaching you to come chase me and play...you are reversing this and saying to your dog...no, you come chase me and play :wink: get excited call your dog and run a short distance away...let him catch up to you while you are still facing away from him, then turn sideways, kneel down (don't bend over the dog) praise him, tell him "off" for the frisbee..play for a moment then throw it once again...I have my dogs sit before I throw the bumper for them once again...this is positive reinforcement which shows the dogs that the good behavior of sit will make a good thing happen...like throwing the frisbee again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolk9s Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 It may also help if Coal knows that the frisbee he has caught is not the only frisbee you have! Try to have 3-4 in hand, start by just tossing one a short distance, as he gets the first one, wave the next one for him to see. If he returns with the first frisbee, click/treat then toss the next one. Keep the distances SHORT at first, gradually increase them. If he returns but drops the 1st frisbee before he gets close, still praise him for coming back. Pick up the frisbee he dropped. You could also work on doing the click/treat routine for him dropping it at your feet. Start with him on a lead so he cannot run off with it and create his own fun game. Give him the frisbee, tell him to drop it, treat. Give him the frisbee, step back 1 step while encouraging him to step with you, drop the frisbee, treat. This may help teach him to come in close to you with the frisbee, when he does and he drops it at your feet, he gets a treat and PRAISE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Cool, thanks for the tips and stuff! I'll start working with him 2moro, todays NOT a good day to start that, even though it's SO nice to and I planned to, I'm so tired and a LOT of stuff has happend, just not a good time. So 2MORO I will! And let ya'll know how he does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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