Improving Hold

[Matthew J. Ries]

Just looking for some tips, my 7 month ylf is currently in walking FF and we are following Smartworks. Her hold was poor, but we taught hold and it improved. We progressed to FF where her random cigaring and rolling would disappear, but its still there. Typical session starts with good technique, but as it progresses she gets worse, if she drops I can reinforce with an ear pinch. I typically remove a bad hold, say No and reinsert with Hold and jaw taps. Throw a retrieve she has no issues.

Do I continue to wait this out or can I be doing more? I switched to a larger bumper and just Hold, then hold, heel sit basics again when this rears its ugly head.

thanks
matt

[Wayne Nutt]

Sometimes I think we tend to worry about things too much. Like Howard N. said, How many times have you seen a dog cigar hold a duck?

[John Lash]

It's pretty common to tap the bumper as they return to heel. Tap it to knock it out of their mouth if they aren't holding it tight enough. Or drop it as you take it from them and tell them to fetch, like they messed up and didn't hold it long enough.

[truthseeker]

I am with Wayan on this one.( cigaring ) It's not that big of a deal, just take the retrieve and say " fetch to replace it right" (If you say no, they will not know what you means in the instance) and move on. If she drops it, it's a fetch nick fetch or a ear pinch.

[Matthew J. Ries]

Ok, thanks guys. I will be more consistent and reinforce fetch when this is the case. Thanks Wayne, that makes a lot of sense.

[Evan]

Just looking for some tips, my 7 month ylf is currently in walking FF and we are following Smartworks. Her hold was poor, but we taught hold and it improved.

Matt,

So, you started all of this with a paint roller, not a bumper?

We progressed to FF where her random cigaring and rolling would disappear, but its still there.

???

Typical session starts with good technique, but as it progresses she gets worse, if she drops I can reinforce with an ear pinch. I typically remove a bad hold, say No and reinsert with Hold and jaw taps. Throw a retrieve she has no issues.

Do I continue to wait this out or can I be doing more?

Being in walking fetch, have you CC'd to fetch yet?

I switched to a larger bumper and just Hold, then hold, heel sit basics again when this rears its ugly head.

thanks
matt

How does this dog hold a roller?

Evan

[Matthew J. Ries]

Evan,
Yes, started Hold & the FF with a paint roller. Her hold was weak in the beginning but improved significantly, to the point we started FF. I proofed hold to the point I felt she had it.
She has a solid hold beginning sessions of walking fetch (10-20 mins total), but if she drops the bumper or begins cigaring & dragging the bumper as we heel to the next...I take the opportunity to remove it and reinforce fetch + a long hold.
We have not CC to fetch. This week I was planning on starting the CC to sit, heel, fetch section.
Just don't want to move too quickly and have to come back & try each everything. But then again I may be moving too slow & boring her.
Thanks

[Evan]

Can you shoot some video of a typical session and post a link? That would help a great deal.

Evan