I have been working the dogs, weather permitting, on retrieving. Abby and Boss on the bench, force breaking them, and Sally and Mann, who have been through the force breaking, on getting better at retrieving. Mann will retrieve the dummies and is really good at retrieving birds he sees fall but he doesn’t enjoy retrieving. I had someone force break him and they used too much force, I think. But with a lot of easy retrieves and lots of treats he’s starting to enjoy retrieving, maybe.
A head shot of Sally pointing a pigeon.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Sally pointing a pigeon.
I heel Abby and Boss close to the retrieving bench, whoa them then tap their head and say, “up”. They run and jump onto the retrieving bench from about 15 yards away. I had started by running the chain, that I hook to the dogs collar, around the 4×4 post at one end of the retrieving bench so the dog couldn’t move around to fight me. After a few days they were no longer fighting so I quit hooking them to the chain at all. Boss decided he had had enough. He jumped off the retrieving bench but didn’t go far. I whoaed him then said, “Up”. He jumped back on.
After that I continued to attach the chain where they could run up and down the bench. Again, Boss decided to get off. This time the chain held him where his feet were touching the ground but he couldn’t go anywhere. I started toward him to put him back on but he was able to climb back on by himself. He hasn’t tried that again. After the retrieving session is over I always pick them up and set them on the ground. Just before I set them on the ground I say, “whoa”. It’s really hard on dogs, especially puppies, bones to jump off anything.
I tried to use the ear pinch to make the dogs open their mouth but either I don’t understand exactly what I’m doing or I don’t have the strength. But long story short, after pinching Abby’s ear for a few seconds and her yawning at me I went to the string around the toes. I’ve used this in the past and it works for me. I don’t ever jerk on the string. I use a steady pull until they open their mouth then let off as I insert the dowel.
Like I said earlier, when I first started, I ran the chain around the 4×4 at the end of the bench so the pups had to stand. I pulled on the string until they opened their mouth and I placed the dowel right behind their canine teeth. The dogs learned pretty quick that the pressure came off when they opened their mouth. After about 3 days I quit wrapping the chain around the post. This gave them a little more room to move but they, by this time, were used to standing and taking the dowel.
Wrap the chain that’s hooked to his collar around the 4×4 and he can’t move his head.
Before all of this, I had, for several weeks, been squeezing their lip against their teeth and when they opened their mouth I placed my fingers behind their canine teeth. So this concept wasn’t new to them. After a few days of not saying anything when I put pressure on their toes I started saying, “fetch” just before I pulled on the string. A few times both dogs opened their mouth when I said, “fetch” before I could pull on the string. That tells me they understand how to take the pressure off.
I was helping them, by whenever they opened their mouth, whether before or after I pulled on the string, I placed the dowel behind their canine teeth. The last few days I have been making them reach an inch or two for the dowel. So far, they are moving slow, but they are reaching for the dowel.
Mann after the pigeon had flown.
All of this is really stressful for the dogs so I let them run for a while after we’re through. I pet them a lot and even feed them a few treats as we get back to the kennels. Abby really likes the treats but Boss just wants to be petted, most times. The other day when I got to the back of my place Boss was about a hundred yards to the west. All of the dogs check this area out from time to time. I started back to the kennel and called Boss and toned him with his e-collar.
I walked on toward the kennels. I checked the GPS and he was even farther west of my place. I called him, hit the tone on his e-collar and continued on toward the kennel. I checked the GPS and he was still going west. I hit the tone and gave him a light stimulation with the e-collar. Usually, he comes with the tone but he always comes with the tone and a little stimulation. I checked the GPS and he wasn’t coming. Well really, he would come a few yards and I would think he’s on his way. Then he would be going west again.
I started getting serious with the e-collar. I kept turning it up but he wasn’t coming. Pretty soon he was a mile to the west. That’s probably out of my e-collar range. I worked Abby on the retrieving bench then let her run for a while. When we got back to the kennel I petted her for a while and put her up.
Boss pointing Abby honoring.
I got on the 4-wheeler and rode to the back calling Boss. Part of the time he was over a hill and my GPS just showed a question mark. A lot of times, because I have run them off the 4-wheeler, they will get in front of it when I’m riding the training grounds, looking for them. Not this time.
I rode back to the kennel. I turned the other dogs out into my big pen, cleaned pens, changed their water and fed them all. Just before I finished with the last kennel Boss came to the kennel area. He was hot and he wanted a drink. His tongue was hanging to his knees, almost. I took the GPS collar off and put him in his kennel. No treats or petting for Boss tonight. But he didn’t care. He had a good run. I had thought maybe his e-collar wasn’t working but when I checked it was just fine.
If I work Abby and Boss on retrieving twice a day I also work Mann and Sally twice a day. Sally has been force broke to retrieve and she enjoys it. I force broke her a few years ago and she’s getting better about retrieving dead birds. She does a good job on the dummies I throw for her but retrieving birds is not the same.
Sally center, Mann on the left honoring Ally on the right.
This last season she did a good job on the dead birds but I think all of the exercises we are doing with the Dokken quail, dove and chukar, she will do even better next season. I think she will be faster maybe not better. Sally definitely works for the treats so if I carry treats or start feeding her the heads from the quail she will retrieve really well, I think.
Mann is a different dog. He doesn’t really care for the treats but he really likes to be petted. He leans against me when he comes in, holding the dummy until I say, “give”. For him and Sally I only throw the dummies 6 or 7 times then let them run for a while. Mann is now, after about a month of retrieving in the yard, retrieving like he kind of enjoys it. Not whole heartedly but kind of likes it. But he does like the petting and he will even take a treat once in a while.
Boss honoring.
Just having something to do with the dogs, that will get me out of the house and will get the dogs out is worth a lot. I think having the dogs disciplined enough to be good retrievers makes a better bond between man and dog. When dogs understand what you want and they know you’re happy with them for doing it, they’re happy, too.