I gave Sally, Sunday off, from force fetch, then Monday was cold and miserable. So she got two days in a row off. It is cold, rainy and windy today but I thought I should do something with her. I put gloves, hat and a lot of clothes on and went out to work her.
I make her heel without me touching the leash.
Sally
Sally
I put the e-collar on her and heeled her out with a leash. I heeled her for about 25 yards then whoaed her. I hooked the leash around her flanks so it wouldn’t drag and made her heel with no restraint. After another 25 yards I whoaed her and took the leash off. I released her to run.
I walked to the retrieving bench and waited on her to come close. She came to me and I said, “up”. She jumped onto the retrieving bench. I petted her and walked her back and forth. I think, because of the amount of time I spend petting her, she loves the bench.
I hooked her to the pulley system on the bench but I had it where she couldn’t run back and forth. I put the string on her leg and a half hitch around her middle toes. I held the bumper in front of her and said, “fetch”. She was slow but she took it. I tapped the bumper telling her to hold. She held the bumper with no problem. I said, “give” and she dropped it in my hand.
I had her fetch and give several times and she did it correctly. Then she took the bumper by the end instead of in the middle. When I tapped on it she turned her head and the bumper dropped to the ground. I pulled on the string and slowly picked up the bumper. She grabbed the bumper. I tapped the bumper on both sides of her mouth but she held on. I said, “give” and she dropped it in my hand.
We did the fetch and hold several times. Once again, she took the bumper by the end. When I tapped on it it dropped to the ground. I pulled on the string and slowly reached for the bumper. When I got close to her head she grabbed it but dropped it again. I continued pulling on the string and when it got close to her mouth she grabbed the bumper. This time she held it correctly.
I untied the pulley system so she could reach farther and move along the bench. I raised the bumper above eye level for her and said, “fetch”. She raised her head and grabbed the bumper. I held it near her feet and said, “fetch” and she took the bumper. Most of the time I tap on the bumper to make sure she is holding, correctly.
I placed one end on the bench while holding the bumper and told her to fetch. She reached down and took it. It was slow but taking the bumper from the bench level is a big step. After three retrieves from the bench I took the string off and had her carry the bumper to the other end of the bench. I petted her then said, “give”. I took the bumper and set her on the ground. It was too cold to let her run for very long but she ran for a few minutes. I put her in the kennel.
I intended to work Sally on Wednesday but when I got up it was 17 or 18 degrees. It warmed up later in the day but I didn’t get time, to work her. This morning was above freezing when I got up. More like April.
I led Sally out with the piggin’ string. She had an e-collar on but I didn’t even have the transmitter. I want the dogs to be used to getting the e-collar on whenever they are out of the kennel. I heeled her toward the retrieving bench with some 180 degree turns thrown in for good measure. I whoaed her and released her to run for a few minutes before putting her on the bench.
A really big bumper.
This morning I snapped the chain to her collar but left it free where she could run up and down the bench but not jump off. I put the string around her leg with a half hitch around her toes. I held a bumper in front of her and said, “fetch” and pulled on the string until she opened her mouth. I don’t have to pull very hard. Just enough that she knows I can do it harder. After the first time on the normal bumper she opens before I pull. I give her the option.
Again, this morning she took the bumper by the end instead of the middle. When she does this I know she’s going to drop it. I always play along and tap on the bumper. She drops it and I pull on the string and slowly pick up the bumper. When it gets close she grabs the bumper.
This morning I introduced several other bumpers. I have one that is a 3/4 inch pipe that I have wrapped duct tape around with a large ball of tape on one end. She didn’t like this one. I have another Styrofoam bumper with the cover coming off. She didn’t like it, either.
I started with the pipe bumper and when I held it in front of her and said, “fetch” she didn’t want to open her mouth. I pulled on the string and she opened right up. I tapped on the bumper and she spit it out. I pulled on the string and slowly picked it up. When I held it in front of her she grabbed it. I had her fetch and hold several times with this bumper.
A ragged bumper.
The Styrofoam bumper, when I held it in front of her she didn’t want to take. I held a steady pressure on the string and she opened her mouth. As soon as she took it her head went down and she dropped it. I pulled on the string and slowly picked up the bumper. I held it in front of her and she grabbed it. When I released the pressure on the toes she spit it out. I pulled on the string and slowly picked up the bumper. When I got close to her she grabbed the bumper. This time she held it. I petted her and tapped on the bumper but she wasn’t letting go. When I said, “give” she dropped it.
I had her grab the bumper above her eyes and with one end on the bench. I used 4 different bumpers and the next time I will use more. Hopefully, I will be able to work her 3 times today.
After she was back in the kennel for about an hour I put the e-collar on her and led her out again with the piggin’ string. After a little heeling practice I turned her loose to run for a few minutes. This time I had the transmitter for the e-collar and when she didn’t come back in a few seconds I held the tone signal button down for a few seconds and called her. She came in a dead run. I said, “up” and she jumped onto the kennel.
I now have about 10 different bumpers for her to work on. I started with the one I’ve been using all along then went to others. She didn’t like the pipe bumper and the bumper with the cover coming off so we worked on them. She dropped the old bumper once but that didn’t work for her so she held the rest of them.
The pipe with a duct tape ball on one end.
I have some real big bumpers that some dogs in the past didn’t like. I was beginning to think they were too big for English setters but Sally took it with no problem. This second time today we worked on her taking the bumper above head high and off the bench. She only dropped one bumper and we used about 6 or 7 different ones. I will continue to mix the bumpers up so she learns that she must grab something when I say, “fetch”.
I was able to work her the third time today. As usual, I led her out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. I did a little practice on heeling then released her to run. I had to call her when I wanted her to get on the retrieving bench, but she jumped on with a happy tail. I hooked her to the pulley system where she could run up and down the bench.
Even with me doing force fetch with her she gets right on the bench. I put the string around her leg with a half hitch around her toes. I petted her for a while then held a bumper in front of her and said, “fetch” and pulled on the string. She took the bumper. I had her hold it for a few seconds then said, “give”. She dropped it in my hand.
I started going to different bumpers. Some I had her fetch and hold several times and some only a couple of times. I want her to look for something to put in her mouth when I say, “fetch”. This afternoon she had trouble holding the large bumper. Not that it’s too large but because she’s trying to see what she can get by with.
When she dropped it I pulled on the string and was in no hurry to pick up the bumper. Usually, before I got close to her her mouth was open. I think she dropped that large bumper four times. She must learn that when she picks something up she can’t drop it. Each time I pulled on the string and slowly picked up the bumper. Finally, she held it.
Force fetch is never fun but we are past the really hard part. She’s getting the idea. We haven’t worked on this very many days and she’s reaching high and low to grab the bumper. A few more days and she will quit dropping the bumper, I hope.
Another bumper.
She’s holding the bumper and holding up her foot with the string.
A different bumper.