This IS the first step of FTP. It makes the step by step transition from FF from the ground to a moving fetch to the pile which is the first step of taking a line to a blind.
+1!
Yeah, you don't want to start skipping around your training material. Each concept has it place in building up the fundamentals.
Exactly. It's very much about control. I like to use a variety of different bumpers/sizes/shapes, since dogs have their favorites...it gives me just a little more opportunity to make my point regarding which bumpers they get to pick up. I'll have a mixed bag of Dokkens, Averys, canvas, DT, and maybe a half filled water bottle or a wooden buck.
Absolutely correct. Movement tends to disrupt a young developing dog's concentration on a task. Walking Fetch provides motion to FF, which will cause errors the trainer can quickly and efficiently correct to deepen the skill set of FF. There is no distance between dog and trainer to slow down or impede any needed corrections because the dog is still by your side. You want that as solid as possible before assembling the fundamental obedience tasks with those of FF into FTP, which is the fully trained retrieve. This is all Carr-based principle, and represents a vitally important area of sequential development. I would caution against skipping steps, while expecting a top quality result.
Adding to that, it also solidifies FF and further conditions the response to the command. In other words FF isn't complete until walking fetch is done. IMO
That's a step a lot of folks (including pros) skip these days.
Doesn't always work like that.
I wonder about skipping stick fetch, perhaps most would just rather do it with just the collar. I like to have multiple ways to correct a dog, seem to proof it more to me, heaven knows sometimes that collar doesn't charge up correctly, always nice to have another tool in the chest just in case
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Good question. Stick fetch began with two roles to play in the process. One is distraction proofing 'fetch'. I think most trainers these days who stick fetch do it overwhelmingly to accomplish that. But it also was a form of pressure conditioning, and I'm not sure how many work up and down the pressure scale with it as a pressure tool.I wonder about skipping stick fetch, perhaps most would just rather do it with just the collar. I like to have multiple ways to correct a dog, seem to proof it more to me, heaven knows sometimes that collar doesn't charge up correctly, always nice to have another tool in the chest just in case
Some Amish trainers still use a slingshot. I was never very accurate beyond 2-3 ft so I used a BB gun during FTP at about 10-15 yds. But that was 30 yrs+ ago. We have a great e-collar technology today & such crude methods are not needed and are certainly not as exacting or effective.
