retrieve and give back

[freewillow]

I have a young australian shepperds. I cannot teach him to fetch and give me back objects. He goes, takes them in his mouth but would drop it a few feet from my hands. Anyone with a good idea on how to solve this? Thanks

[kjd]

One way is to trade: have two objects. Throw the first. Once he has brought it close to you, throw the second object. Usually, a dog will drop the first one to chase the second.

[MaxHollyNoah]

Hi freewillow,

kjd's method works well.

Another way goes like this:

Throw a ball within a few feet from you. As soon as you dog picks it up in his mouth, make a fuss saying "Good job, good job. Now bring it, bring it" as you clap your hands and walking backwards.

Most likely your dog will follow you with a ball in his mouth as you walk backwards. Take the ball from his mouth as you praise him and throw it again within a few feet again. Repeat this and make the distance longer and longer. He will soon figure out that if he brings the ball to you it gets thrown again.

Hope this will work, along with the trading method kjd suggested.

[Sheafe]

Originally Posted by MaxHollyNoah

Hi freewillow,

kjd's method works well.

Another way goes like this:

Throw a ball within a few feet from you. As soon as you dog picks it up in his mouth, make a fuss saying "Good job, good job. Now bring it, bring it" as you clap your hands and walking backwards.

Most likely your dog will follow you with a ball in his mouth as you walk backwards. Take the ball from his mouth as you praise him and throw it again within a few feet again. Repeat this and make the distance longer and longer. He will soon figure out that if he brings the ball to you it gets thrown again.

Hope this will work, along with the trading method kjd suggested.

Wish this method worked for us, but no.
Our 4 yr old (rescue) Cairn Terrier has erratic interest in bring-back of
a ball, will only drop it nearby, never place it in hand. Have tried the
two-ball method. Libby will not bring to the hand any object.

Please suggest how we can have Libby bring the object and release it
into our hand.

(Libby has adapted to us slowly over a year's time.
Having been cage-raised in a puppy-mill, She doesn't seek our affection in a manner we're used to...
Our previous Cairn was loving toward us; Libby not so much. We need help in that area, also..... to develop that relationship, but our efforts so far
haven't meant with much success.)

[kjd]

Sheafe,

You are correct. Both methods are really to get the dog bringing the object back to you and dropping it where you can get it easily. If you want her to drop it into your hand, you first have to teach her to drop it into your hand while she is near you. You might try giving her the object; then, while holding your hand under her chin, hold a treat she really likes right up to her nose. Then, as soon as she opens her mouth for the treat, say "Drop it!" and give her the treat while catching the object. Of course, she may be smart enough to get the treat without letting the object out of her mouth. . .

I appreciate your problems. My dog will be 7 in November. Her breeder gave her up after she could no longer have puppies. Zoey came from the middle of nowhere to suburbia. She knew no one; the smells were all wrong; she'd never seen stairs. When I found her lunging, in fear, at other dogs, I decided to let her chill out for a year, while learning this is her forever home. I do some training, but don't push too hard. She has to learn tough stuff like walking up open stairs (it took her several weeks to go up regular stairs). She lacks impulse control. When I first got her, she wouldn't eat anything -- now, if it is in my hand, it has to be edible, doesn't it? Fortunately, she does love all two-legged creatures. Anyway, I'd keep plugging away patiently with your Cairn. Some day, she is going to realize she is in dog heaven and give you back the love you miss.

Thank you for rescuing that dog.
kjd

[MaxHollyNoah]

Hi Sheafe,

OK. Now lets try this.

Totally separate from retrieving, jus practice "give it to me" command, using non-ball objects.

Have your dog either sit/stand/down in front of you. Bring a toy in front of her and tell her to "take it". When she gets the toy in her mouth, praise and treat. In order to take the treat, she will have to open her mouth and the toy will get dropped. As it drops catch it and say "Thank you! Good girl".

Pretty soon, she will drop the toy when you extend your hand under her mouth. Praise and treat. As she does this most of the times, introduce a command "give it to me". After she masters this, next time when you throw a ball, extend your hand to her saying "give it to me" before she drops the ball on the ground. I think she will actually bring the ball and "give it to you."

Good luck