Author Topic: Stopped retrieving?  (Read 1683 times)

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Offline Hurtwood Dogs

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Stopped retrieving?
« on: November 08, 2010, 11:10:19 AM »
Both my two have always enjoyed exercises with dummies - retrieving from water and land, blind retrieves etc etc... but just recently they've been losing interest so I gave them a break from it for a while but this weekend, took the dummies and tried again. Normy will go in and find them but then just half heartedly picks up and drops it now and comes straight back to me and Dave will pick up then bury it a few meters away  ::)

Should I give up for a while or is there anything I can do to get them more interested again?

Hannah, Dave & Normy xx

Trev 2001-07 soul dog, always in my heart and dreams x

Offline Black Red + Yellow

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2010, 11:33:19 AM »
Are they just plain dummies?  sorry I don't know what level of work you do with them.....do you know anyone who could cover them with some rabbit fur?  Maybe this will pick up their interest?

Just a thought ;)


Offline Hurtwood Dogs

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2010, 02:38:46 PM »
Are they just plain dummies?  sorry I don't know what level of work you do with them.....do you know anyone who could cover them with some rabbit fur?  Maybe this will pick up their interest?

Just a thought ;)



That's an idea, thank you.. I don't 'work' either dog but have always done gundog type training with them... Dave's never been great but my Weim used to get a real buzz out of it. I think you're right, orange canvas rubbed with cheese, just probably just isn't cutting the mustard anymore! Will see if I can find something more exotic!

Hannah, Dave & Normy xx

Trev 2001-07 soul dog, always in my heart and dreams x

Offline SkyeandOllie

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2010, 03:02:11 PM »
this might not be relivent, but, Skye my GSD refuses to pick up her ball, dummy etc if its landed in anything smelly (although will roll in fox poo  >:( !)  HAve you tried fresh ones?  Same as she wont pick up any new ones until they've rolled in clean grass for a bit!

Offline Helen

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2010, 03:52:12 PM »
rabbit fur would be my suggestion too - you can buy them 'ready made'  ;)
helen & jarvis x


Offline Hurtwood Dogs

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2010, 04:33:31 PM »
this might not be relivent, but, Skye my GSD refuses to pick up her ball, dummy etc if its landed in anything smelly (although will roll in fox poo  >:( !)  HAve you tried fresh ones?  Same as she wont pick up any new ones until they've rolled in clean grass for a bit!

 :005: That's one fussy lady you have there :005: I haven't tried new ones... but she wasn't sure about them when they were 'new' it was only when I rubbed them in smelly stuff they became interesting!

rabbit fur would be my suggestion too - you can buy them 'ready made'  ;)

Yes I've seen those... as they're not getting Christmas presents maybe they can have a 'November' present instead :D

Hannah, Dave & Normy xx

Trev 2001-07 soul dog, always in my heart and dreams x

Offline Helen

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2010, 04:37:56 PM »
this might not be relivent, but, Skye my GSD refuses to pick up her ball, dummy etc if its landed in anything smelly (although will roll in fox poo  >:( !)  HAve you tried fresh ones?  Same as she wont pick up any new ones until they've rolled in clean grass for a bit!

 :005: That's one fussy lady you have there :005: I haven't tried new ones... but she wasn't sure about them when they were 'new' it was only when I rubbed them in smelly stuff they became interesting!

rabbit fur would be my suggestion too - you can buy them 'ready made'  ;)

Yes I've seen those... as they're not getting Christmas presents maybe they can have a 'November' present instead :D

absolutely  :lol2:
helen & jarvis x


Offline Black Red + Yellow

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2010, 05:57:45 PM »
this might not be relivent, but, Skye my GSD refuses to pick up her ball, dummy etc if its landed in anything smelly (although will roll in fox poo  >:( !)  HAve you tried fresh ones?  Same as she wont pick up any new ones until they've rolled in clean grass for a bit!

 :005: That's one fussy lady you have there :005: I haven't tried new ones... but she wasn't sure about them when they were 'new' it was only when I rubbed them in smelly stuff they became interesting!

rabbit fur would be my suggestion too - you can buy them 'ready made'  ;)

Yes I've seen those... as they're not getting Christmas presents maybe they can have a 'November' present instead :D

absolutely  :lol2:

ACtually, I've just got some tennis balls covered with rabbit fur from e bay - they all love them too and easier to put in my pocket!

Offline Top Barks

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2010, 06:03:37 PM »
this might not be relivent, but, Skye my GSD refuses to pick up her ball, dummy etc if its landed in anything smelly (although will roll in fox poo  >:( !)  HAve you tried fresh ones?  Same as she wont pick up any new ones until they've rolled in clean grass for a bit!

 :005: That's one fussy lady you have there :005: I haven't tried new ones... but she wasn't sure about them when they were 'new' it was only when I rubbed them in smelly stuff they became interesting!

rabbit fur would be my suggestion too - you can buy them 'ready made'  ;)

Yes I've seen those... as they're not getting Christmas presents maybe they can have a 'November' present instead :D

absolutely  :lol2:

ACtually, I've just got some tennis balls covered with rabbit fur from e bay - they all love them too and easier to put in my pocket!

You can also buy rabbit balls with throwing toggles.
How many retrieves do you do hannah?
Are they easy or hard?
Do you ever reward with food for just holding, I know some gundog trainers think this teaches the dogs to spit the dummy but If you use a clicker and get the timing right it can be useful.
if they like the rabbit skin covered dummy's you could use a retrieve with one of these as a reward  for a retrieve of a less valuable item.

Mark Sanderson BSc Hons (canine behaviour), FdSc CBT, CAP 1, CAP 2
Member of The Association Of Pet Dog Trainers (00977)
 
Check out my website http://www.topbarks.co.uk/  www.yorkdogtrainer.co.uk

Offline Sarah.H

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2010, 06:10:12 PM »
Millie will get bored if I do the same type of retrieve all the time so I mix it up, also after every 2-3 I'll chuck a ball but roll it fast along the ground as that's what she really loves to chase, that's sometimes more of a reward for her than food.

Millie

Offline Hurtwood Dogs

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2010, 06:16:37 PM »
You can also buy rabbit balls with throwing toggles.
How many retrieves do you do hannah?
Are they easy or hard?
Do you ever reward with food for just holding, I know some gundog trainers think this teaches the dogs to spit the dummy but If you use a clicker and get the timing right it can be useful.
if they like the rabbit skin covered dummy's you could use a retrieve with one of these as a reward  for a retrieve of a less valuable item.

Thanks Mark, I tend to only do 4, 5 or 6 a walk absolute max and vary what they are - hidden blind retrieves or sit and mark type ones. They also don't get to play with the dummies other than when we're doing retrieves. I do reward them with food for returning the dummy, but wondering if they're starting to think they can just find it then come back for food? I haven't tried rewarding them for just holding - how would I teach that? Would you introduce a hold command and click before (they drop it!) taking it from them and rewarding? Then increase the period of time they have to hold for?

I have noticed they're worse at it when they're together on a walk - even if OH is holding one of them while I do retrieves with the other - might be because Dave applies usual cocker law to everything Normy has and she lets him, so it could be Normy is giving up on stuff when he's around even if he's not loose - Dave burying things when she's there too could be related I guess?

Hannah, Dave & Normy xx

Trev 2001-07 soul dog, always in my heart and dreams x

Offline Top Barks

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2010, 06:48:08 PM »
You can also buy rabbit balls with throwing toggles.
How many retrieves do you do hannah?
Are they easy or hard?
Do you ever reward with food for just holding, I know some gundog trainers think this teaches the dogs to spit the dummy but If you use a clicker and get the timing right it can be useful.
if they like the rabbit skin covered dummy's you could use a retrieve with one of these as a reward  for a retrieve of a less valuable item.

Thanks Mark, I tend to only do 4, 5 or 6 a walk absolute max and vary what they are - hidden blind retrieves or sit and mark type ones. They also don't get to play with the dummies other than when we're doing retrieves. I do reward them with food for returning the dummy, but wondering if they're starting to think they can just find it then come back for food? I haven't tried rewarding them for just holding - how would I teach that? Would you introduce a hold command and click before (they drop it!) taking it from them and rewarding? Then increase the period of time they have to hold for?

I have noticed they're worse at it when they're together on a walk - even if OH is holding one of them while I do retrieves with the other - might be because Dave applies usual cocker law to everything Normy has and she lets him, so it could be Normy is giving up on stuff when he's around even if he's not loose - Dave burying things when she's there too could be related I guess?
have you tried free shaping a pick up and hold using a clicker?
Could very well be something to do with Dave.

Mark Sanderson BSc Hons (canine behaviour), FdSc CBT, CAP 1, CAP 2
Member of The Association Of Pet Dog Trainers (00977)
 
Check out my website http://www.topbarks.co.uk/  www.yorkdogtrainer.co.uk

Offline Top Barks

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2010, 06:50:32 PM »
Just another thought Hannah, do you ever do retrieves with other items you can play with?
Maybe Normy is just not finding the act of retrieving rewarding enough?

Mark Sanderson BSc Hons (canine behaviour), FdSc CBT, CAP 1, CAP 2
Member of The Association Of Pet Dog Trainers (00977)
 
Check out my website http://www.topbarks.co.uk/  www.yorkdogtrainer.co.uk

Offline Hurtwood Dogs

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2010, 07:38:18 PM »
No, I'll try the free shaping thing and see how that goes...

We do retrieves with balls too but again, not much interest anymore. I've never tried ragging type toys with them partly because Dave has a tendency to take stuff like that too far and I've stopped him guarding toys from us and the kids now so didn't want to risk it becoming an issue again and also because I don't really want them to get into that as they're pretty good (mostly!) at not taking toys from the children etc..  It would be easy to get a bit lazy with them at the moment as they're both pretty good on walks and are having a great time tracking and hunting but never bogging off and their recall is bang on... just want to play with them a bit more!!!

Hannah, Dave & Normy xx

Trev 2001-07 soul dog, always in my heart and dreams x

Offline tritonx

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Re: Stopped retrieving?
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2010, 09:39:52 PM »
That's so interesting as I've recently been puzzling over Fraser's lack of interest in his frisbee. It used to be the love of his life and if I said, want to play frisbee, he'd jump up with his eyes sparkling and bounce around at the door waiting to be let out. Then he'd retrieve happily and bark at me if I didn't throw it. I used to get him to hand it to me (or teeth it to me) in exchange for a little treat. He liked nothing better than me throwing it into the lower garden where there are lots of bushes so he had to hunt it. And then he lost interest. Would still bounce up at the mention of the frisbee (more or less for old times sake, I guess), but when we got outside, he'd do a politeness retrieve and then wander off. It was quite cute actually as he'd do a retrieve with a trot back rather than racing back as if he was doing it to humour me as Mum obviously was so into the game. What a considerate pup is Fraser. Tried to interest him in retrieving a ball, but it was much the same thing. So, glad you posted this as I'd been pondering the change in attitude.