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Hi from another teacher. I?m not sure why you?re wanting to re-train, so I?m not sure whether this will be helpful. With my previous BC (and I plan to do it with my current ones) I back-chained the retrieve. That is, started with the present and give (assuming the dog is happy to hold the dumbbell or article or glove or whatever at all - to get to that stage with Sam I had to tease him with the dumbbell until he was grabbing at it, and then gradually got him to calm back down till he would sit in front and hold.) With the dog sitting in front, as I give the dog the object to take in his mouth I say ?Fetch? or whatever the command word will be for the exercise, have him hold the object for a moment, then with my hands ready, say ?Give? and take the object, then praise the dog and maybe give a treat. (Treats are a bit of a problem sometimes with this part of the exercise, since the dog can open his mouth to early in anticipation of the treat!)

 

Once the dog is doing the last bit well, I progress to leaving him in a sit with the object in his mouth, walking away as if for a recall and then calling him to me, then praising, and then doing the ?give?. I do this over the solid jump as well (don?t know if you have ?retrieve over? in your working trials.)

 

Then I progress to having the dumbbell on the ground, with the dog sitting beside me some distance away ? usually start this on lead. Giving the fetch command, I run out with the dog, encourage him to pick the dumbbell up, and then run backwards to where I started.

 

Next step when he?s solid on this is put the dumbbell on the ground, walk back to the dog, then send him out by himself to fetch, and encourage him back with it.

 

When he?s got all that, he?s ready for the wait while I throw (in the case of the dumbbell). Having learnt from the number of zeroes for anticipation with my last boy, who became a super keen retriever, I probably wouldn?t let him go out to get it each time, but sometimes go out and get it myself, and then reward a successful ?wait?.

 

Have fun.

 

 

 

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Barb

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Ah ha ! That is helpful, thanks. We are part way there and it is the breaking down into smaller stages that is a good idea.

 

Before our obedeance training was more in line with the canine good citizen rather than doing things like the retrieve, so I have only played ball with him in the past.

 

it is good for him to have something new to think about. Thanks.

 

Jan.

 

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All Creatures Great and Small.

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