[Wolfatomic]

Beginner here: I wish I would have started my 6-7month old lab on casting sooner. Trying to teach the "place" command with a dog cot and sending her after bumpers from there.

Any tips on how to get her started or easier ways to teach her. I've ordered Lardy's program but won't be getting it for a while due to shipping issues. Anything helps

additional questions: she's mouthy, won't hold more than a second, and constantly drops it due to her moving it in her mouth and chewing it. I've tried teaching hold since she was younger but little improvement. Anything I can do to limit this or is this just an excited puppy thing? Thanks guys

 

[Renee P.]

Wait till you get your Lardy materials: based on what you have written, your pup is not prepared for what you are asking it to do.

Pup should be fetching on command and holding the bumper before you proceed with teaching casting. It should not be bobbling, dropping or chewing the bumper. The pup should be solid with sit, here and heel before you force fetch.

Lardy's flow chart is here: http://www.totalretriever.com/images/FlowChartDownload.pdf

Good luck!

 

[1tulip]

What is your goal with your pup?

Do you hunt? Are you interested in running in hunt tests (which can be a lot of fun... honest. There are people in these training groups that don't run trials or tests, but just hunt their dogs.)

In Reno there are obedience groups, hunt test and field trial people, there is a fly-ball group and a bunch of folks who are devoted to dock diving. (In fact the #1 Toller in the country, who competes in the lap dog category, routinely jumps 19 and 20 feet.) There are therapy dog and canine good citizen people as well. It's a robust dog community here.

Sounds like you want the dog to retrieve at a more than basic level though.

 

[Wolfatomic]

Wait till you get your Lardy materials: based on what you have written, your pup is not prepared for what you are asking it to do.

Pup should be fetching on command and holding the bumper before you proceed with teaching casting. It should not be bobbling, dropping or chewing the bumper. The pup should be solid with sit, here and heel before you force fetch.

Lardy's flow chart is here: http://www.totalretriever.com/images/FlowChartDownload.pdf

Good luck!

Does Lardy explain how to get a pup to stop the chewing?

 

[Renee P.]

Does Lardy explain how to get a pup to stop the chewing?

No, I don't think so. None of the programs I've watched cover that, though I remember seeing some coaching by Bill Hilllman on a blog type forum in which he tried to help someone improve their dog's mouthiness---this was several years ago. He also has some youtube videos about teaching hold that have been slapped up on RTF quite a few times.

Here's the first of 3:

http://www.billhillmann.net/the-hold-command/

Here's 2/3:

http://www.billhillmann.net/hold-command-2/

Here's 3/3:

http://www.billhillmann.net/the-hold-command-3/

Your best bet is to get some local coaching, 1tulip above is in your neck of the woods.

 

[KwickLabs]

Three or four weeks ago, there was a heeling issue. How's that coming along?

Your wants may not match up with the pup's needs. It appears that several skills are expected to fall into place at the same time. A general rule is to isolate skills and teach them individually. What you want and what a pup is capable of learning or doing may not be the same. The pup needs should get the nod on what's next.

Pups learn in their own time.....deadlines are often counterproductive. Expecting it to just happen because that's what we want is unrealistic. You've never mentioned whether or not you are following a program. You did say you're waiting for Lardy's. What influenced that decision and how do you feel that will change what you are doing right now? For instance, I am fairly certain Lardy does not cast to platforms.

Which do you think should be dealt with first casting or being mouthy? Could you isolate each in different sessions? When would you combine them? And again how is the heeling coming along?

In conclusion, what a trainer sees in his pup's performance is a result of the trainer's input. That may seem harsh.......but there is a cure.

 

[DFB]

Did you teach hold as part of a force fetch program? What I mean is have you forced the dog to hold things with pressure (ear pinch)?
I teach hold as the beginning of force fetch and get it rock solid before moving one step further. I like having that hold down pat. It sure makes things a lot easier. I would hold off until you get your material. Once you see someone teach it it's a lot easier.
One trick I've used with great success is incorporating casting into force to pile. Once I have the dog solid on force to pile at say 50 yards I'll go back to the pile only being 10 yards and I do a modified baseball. I start only a couple yards adjacent to the dog/pile line and slowly move out until I have the dog running force baseball with the over or back command rather than force to pile. It's a pretty natural transition for most dogs. Then it's water force time.