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More on training your dog to retrieve

N.H. Sunday News - Dog Tracks Column - 1/5/08
By: Gail T. Fisher

One of the best New Years’ resolutions you can make is to spend some time playing interactive games with your dog. As I wrote last week, one of the best games for exercise, to build your dog’s responsiveness, and that aids bonding is to teach your dog to retrieve.

This is a perfect time of year to teach your dog to retrieve since you can easily do it indoors as well as out. Just as important, when the weather prevents you from getting out with your dog for physical exercise, teaching your dog something, including something as fun as retrieving, provides mental exercise – a healthy outlet for your dog’s energy that can be just as tiring as a long walk.

There are three parts to the retrieve: the pickup, bringing the object to you, and giving it up on command. Last week I described how to get your dog to give things to you on command. If you missed this, you’ll find past articles on my website www.alldogsgym.com.

Because of space constraints, there were a few recommendations that I couldn’t include last week that are important whenever you take something from your dog. Whether you remove it from your dog’s mouth, or your dog gives it up willingly, praise your dog. Never scold your dog for giving something up, even if it’s something of value that has been chewed beyond recognition. Think of your dog’s point-of-view if she gives you something, and you scold her. The next time you approach her to take something, chances are good she’ll be protective of it, or even run away from you to keep it. The win-win rule is: When you take something from your dog, give her something in return, even if it’s just verbal praise.

It makes no difference whether your dog drops it on command, or you have to remove it from your dog’s mouth. From your dog’s perspective, a scolding at that moment would be related to your interaction whether you took the object or your dog willingly released it. So even if you have to grit your teeth, say “thank you” by marking the release with “Yes” and giving your dog something in return — a treat, the return of the toy, or at the very least, say “good dog.”

Moving on, the next element of retrieving that often poses a problem for owners is having your dog return to you with the toy rather than running away with it, or coming close but staying just out of reach, playing ‘Keep Away.’

If you experience this with your dog, here’s how to teach your dog to return to you with the retrieve object. With your dog wearing a plain buckle collar, not a choke collar, attach a light long line, light leash, or piece of cord to his collar. Get him interested in the toy, then toss or roll it a short distance away. The moment he picks it up, call him to you in a happy voice. If he doesn’t turn and come right back to you, gently guide him toward you with the light line.

When he arrives, reward him with a good treat – a high-value one that makes it worthwhile for your dog. Your dog may not give up the toy to take the treat. That’s OK; just put the treat on the floor for him to get when he releases the toy. Take the toy as instructed in last week’s column, mark the release with “yes” and reward your dog. The moment he’s done eating the treat, toss the toy for him again.

Consider this win-win from your dog’s perspective: He enjoys the chase, gets a treat for bringing the toy to you, and the bonus is that he gets the toy back again. The fun doesn’t stop when he gives something up.

Once your dog is readily retrieving, you can add new elements to the game, including teaching your dog a vocabulary of objects by using words consistently. Here’s how, starting with a ball for example: Roll the ball a short distance and say, “Get the ball.” Praise your dog for picking it up, for bringing it to you, and releasing it on your “give” command. When he releases the ball, say “yes” to mark the behavior, and immediately roll the ball with the same command.

Repeat this with the ball, then change to a different toy, and give the cue “Get the (blank).” After approximately thirty to fifty repetitions with each different toy, you’ll be able to toss out two toys, tell your dog which one to get, and your dog will choose the frog, for instance, over the ball.

What a great way to spend the cold winter months, teaching your dog a broad vocabulary, expending his energy, and building his responsiveness to your cues.

Happy New Year from Cannon, me and everyone at All Dogs Gym!

Copyright © Gail T. Fisher, 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.alldogsgym.com
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