Lab Questions

[koWALLEYEski]

I have a yellow female. When ever i go play fetch with her she'll do ever command correctly. She'll SIT, STAY, and FETCH, but when she retrieves the ball she drops it about 20 yards away from me everytime. I have found that she will bring it all the way back to me if I act as if Im walking away from her. How do you teach her to bring it all the way back to my feet, or at least closer than she has been bringing it?

[Hockey Guy]

I'm by no means an expert, but my yellow did the same thing as a pup. I would turn around and walk away until he would bring it all the way in. After a short while, all I had to do was turn my back to him and he would bring it all the way in. I then started using a command when I turned my back (for me I said, “All the way"). After that all I had to do was say the command and he would pick it up and bring it to me. My dogs 2.5 years old now and occasionally I still say it. The response now is immediate, even if he has dropped it and started running already he will come back to bring it closer. I don't always make him sit and stay when I'm throwing the ball so sometimes he tries to cheat. That's my bad. I should make him sit and stay each time but usually I'm just trying to 'run the puppy out of the dog' so I can get some work done.

[Ole #1]

Here's the best advice I can give you, buy the book "Game Dog" , the authors name is Richard Wolters (not sure on spelling). This will give great step by step instructions for all the training you want to do.

The lab should always retrieve to the hand, if they drop it, even at your feet it's a problem. The dog must hold the dummy until you remove it. When you throw the dummy and the dog grabs it, turn and run away repeating the word "HOLD". Then as the dogs running at your side looking at you, turn and take the dummy from your dogs mouth. Then after some repetition, when the dog is on the way back with the dummy in mouth, you use the command "HOLD" as the dog gets close. Soon enough they will just keep it in their mouth until you take it away. If you buy the book, the problem will be eliminated within within a week.

[koWALLEYEski]

Thanks, She is a little over a year so I am pretty patient with her. She loves to run and has a great nose. I know things will pan out.

[broken line]

kowalleyeski....I too have a female yellow, she is 4 1/2 now. I blame it on myself that she does not retrieve dummies to hand. She will drop it about 3 feet from me, I then encourage her, and she will pick it up and literally throw it closer to me. However....when it comes to pheasants or birds (the real things) she has never stopped short of handing it right to me. Freaky luck ?? I don't know, but it works for me. Good luck.

[koWALLEYEski]

I have been working with here whenever I get a chance. I dont know if she is going through that phaze or not, but Ill take a ball and hit it with a bat and she'll run and run and run and bring it to me but after awhile she just runs out to it and doesnt bring it back. It is frustrating. But she still wont bring the ball back to my hanD!

[LABS4ME]

Delivering a bird or object to hand is not an instinct, it needs to be taught and reinforced. You may get lucky and get a dog that will consistantly deliver birds to hand, but usually even that is taught by themselves as they drop crippled birds when young and have to chase them down. Every retriever should be taught fetch - hold - drop. It shouldn't even be a question if you should, most guys wouldn't even think twice about teaching them sit, stay, here, heel, but won't consider putting in the time nessacary to teach proper retrieving. Kowalleski, sounds like to much "fun" retrieving and not enough formal training.....

Good Luck!

Ken

[poutpro]

What I did was incorporate treats into the mix. Start by giving her treats everytime that she brings it back, then do it sporatically so she doesn't know when she is getting one or not getting. This worked really good for me.

[koWALLEYEski]

I have read on here on an earlier thread that treats shouldnt be used to help training because then the dog expects something. I think if i just praise her when she brings it back she will start understanding.