Puppies staked out.
The retrieving lane I rigged up for the puppies.
Tur Bo stopping to flush.
I drove two stakes in the ground near the shed to tie the pups to. I have a female puppy from the litter out of Tur Bo and Blaze left and an English cocker spaniel that I’m going to work on retrieving. I’m using the fence of the big pen on one side and some baby gates on the other. This gives me a lane where I can bounce the tennis ball off the shed and they have to run to me with the ball.
Yesterday was the first time the pups were staked out or had a tennis ball thrown for them. I staked them both out while I cleaned kennels then I walked Rocky, the cocker spaniel, into the lane and threw the tennis ball. He grabbed the ball and came right to me with it. I petted him and told him what a good boy he is until he dropped the ball. When he released the ball I bounced it off the side of the shed and he pounced on it and brought it back. I petted him and praised him until he dropped the ball. I threw the ball 10 to 15 times and he retrieved it each time. I never tried to take the ball until he dropped it. As soon as he dropped the ball I threw it for him again.
I put him back on the stake out and brought out the setter puppy that my grandson, Isaac, calls Layla. I bounced the tennis ball off the shed and Layla ran to it and laid down with it. I picked the ball up and bounced it off the shed again. Layla rolled it around with her nose then laid down with it again. I bounced it off the shed again and she picked the ball up. I called her to me but she didn’t pay any attention. Both pups still have the short ropes on their collars so I pulled her to me with the rope. I petted her until she dropped the ball. I tossed it again. Some of the times when I threw the ball she would pick it up but sometimes she just laid down with it. There is a lot of difference between a dog that is bred to retrieve and one that isn’t. I turned them both loose so they could have some play time.
This morning I put both puppies on the stake outs while I cleaned kennels. When I finished I turned Rocky loose and we went to the retrieving lane. I tossed the tennis ball and he ran to it, picked it up but didn’t come to me. I grabbed his rope and led him to me. I petted and praised him until he dropped the ball. The first 5 or 6 times he laid down with the ball in his mouth. I had to lead him to me then pet him until he dropped the ball. The last several times he came to me as soon as he picked it up. I put him back on the stake out.
I called Layla into the retrieving lane. I threw the tennis ball and she ran after it. She rolled it around with her nose then pushed it with her feet. I threw it again and she ran after it and laid down beside it. I teased her with the ball and threw it again. She ran after it, picked it up and laid down with it. I grabbed her rope and led her to me. I petted and praised her. I threw the ball again. She picked it up and tried to run by me. I held her and petted her. I threw it again and she dropped it before she got to me but she tried. Finally, she brought it to me 3 times and we quit. I turned them both loose to play for a while.
This evening, I put the pups on the stake outs while I cleaned pens. We think that dogs would really hate to be chained up but this is just the fourth time they have been on the stake outs and they ran to me as I knelt down by the stakes. As I cleaned the kennels the pups played with each other as they waited.
I unchained Rocky and he beat me to the retrieving lane. He was already trying to find the ball before I threw it. I threw the ball and he grabbed it and raced to me. I petted and praised him. When he dropped the ball I threw it again. After 4 or 5 times he grabbed the ball and laid down to play with it. I pulled him to me with his rope. I had to pull him to me a couple of times then he went back to coming to me. I put him back on the stake out.
I turned Layla loose and she ran to the retrieving lane. I threw the ball and she ran to it and laid down. I threw the ball again and she pushed it with her feet then pushed it round with her nose. I threw the ball again and she picked it up and I had to pull her to me with her rope. I threw the ball several more times and she picked it up some of the time. A few times she still had it when I pulled her to me.
I remembered that I had a small bumper with some feathers on it. I got it out and threw it for Layla. She started toward it and pointed then jumped forward then back real fast. She got close then started barking at it. I picked it up and let her smell it then threw it again. She was still scared of it. I held it in front of her and she smelled it. I threw it and she got close but barked at it. I held it for her again and she took it but dropped it. I threw it and she picked it up then tried to get by me. I petted her until she dropped it. I put her back on the stake out and turned Rocky loose.
He ran into the retrieving lane. I threw the bumper with the feathers on it against the shed. He went toward it but was slamming his front feet on the ground expecting the bumper to run. He didn’t get very close but kept slamming his feet against the ground. Finally, he started barking at it. I held it in front of him and he smelled of it. I threw it and he got close but only barked at it. I held it in front of him again so he could smell it. He took it from me but didn’t want to give it up. I continued to pet him until he finally dropped it. I threw it against the shed and he picked it up but didn’t come to me. I pulled him to me but he didn’t want to give it to me. He dropped it and I threw it again. He grabbed it and tried to get past me. I petted him until he dropped it but he still had some of the feathers in his mouth. I took the feathers from him and we quit. I turned them both loose to play for a while.
We put our thinking on dogs. To us it would be terrible to be chained up but these pups, after just a few times of being tied, run to the stake outs. Dogs like routine. If you can get them to repeat an exercise a few times and praise them for it, it will become a learned action.
It’s really hard to get pictures of these pups in the retrieving lane. To get enough pictures on the post I will have to recycle some.
To the people that have clicked on ads that they have seen on these posts, I want to say thanks. I make a few cents each time someone clicks on them. Thanks again.
Teasing the puppies with a pigeon.
Tur Bo holding a bumper on the retrieving table.
Luke pointing a pigeon.