[Kevin Mays]

we have been discussing different commands during ff. do you use drop to deliver to hand or do you use sit? i use sit. going back to when i am on line i dont want to distract the dog with 10 different commands when i am on line in the last series doing a water quad and dog comes back locked in i aint using heel, sit , drop etc.
sit means square up to your next bird deliver to hand and get ready to go get em all in one command.

 

[Anthony Heath]

I use heel then leave it. If I didn't use heel then the damn dog would sit about 2 feet in front of me locked onto the next bird. :roll: Yea, Yea, poor training I know!

A.

 

[achiro]

I want a separate command for drop. Telling the dog sit, I want to be able to reach down and take the bird in my own time. I am having a hard time seeing how you can tell the dog sit and expect the drop without having to "snatch" the bird out of his mouth?
I like to be able to grab a foot, head, rope, whatever and get a good grip on it before I tell the dog to drop.

 

[tom]

I use 'heel', 'sit', 'drop', and use that sequence every time -- every retrieve. It's more about the way I was taught than anything else, but I do find that it settles the dog.

BTW, I sure wish you would reduce the size of your avatar

tom

 

[Retrievrfevr]

Just curious. I noticed several people say Heel, sit, drop.

In another post, it was discussed that one need not use the word stay
as sit implied stay. Why does one need to say sit after heel in this instance? Is it also not redundant? Doesn't heel in that situation imply the dog should sit lined up with the handler?

 

[Chris Kingrea]

Just curious. I noticed several people say Heel, sit, drop.

In another post, it was discussed that one need not use the word stay
as sit implied stay. Why does one need to say sit after heel in this instance? Is it also not redundant? Doesn't heel in that situation imply the dog should sit lined up with the handler?

Not necessarily in my view. Heel means heel (come to my side facing the same direction I am). We may have the dog Sit at heel, BUT we may also walk at heel.

All that said, I don't use ANY of the spoken commands for the older dogs very often. I don't use "Here" on the return of the retrieve, unless they become disoriented. I don't say "Heel", but rather just slightly hold my hand out on whatever side I want them on. I rarely have to say "Sit" because they know the game and do so on their own. Nor do I have to say "Leave it" because they normally would already be locked down on the next bird and eagerly awaiting for my hand to take it from them so they can go again. So basically it's normally a fairly silent routine except for the sends. But all the commands are there and are known if the need arises. Same goes for "Fetch" and/or "Hold." They already know what's expected.

Whatever works !

 

[Keith Farmer]

reply

IT DEPENDS!!!!

If you have a dog that is finely tuned, so-to-speak, by being capable of incremental movements on the line hear and heal are no longer "one positional" commands. Rather, hear and heal become lining tools to send a dog through a gap, take a finer angle into water, etc. When the dog is correctly lined a sit command can be given to solidify the position, the hand dropped, and the dog sent.

Drop is a must command for my training; I want a definite command for release. I have witnessed good dogs at tests that froze on a bird and the handler had no command for release. I teach each dog to fetch, leave, and drop upon command. Hopefully upon test time they remember. 8)

 

[Kenneth Niles Bora]

All that said, I don't use ANY of the spoken commands for the older dogs very often. I don't use "Here" on the return of the retrieve, unless they become disoriented. I don't say "Heel", but rather just slightly hold my hand out on whatever side I want them on. I rarely have to say "Sit" because they know the game and do so on their own.
Whatever works !

I agree, as little talking as I can, not easy for me.
A come in whistle as dog turns with bird.
An arm held out to the side for heel, sometimes with a finger snap.;-) And the word release for the dog to give me the bird.
From day one it is always release, for release.

 

[Steve Peacock]

For me, I am lined up on the next bird before the dog reaches me. The dog should already know to come to heal, so I generally don't have to use that command. When the dog comes to heal he should know to sit, so generally don't need to use that command. I let the dog lock in on the next bird then reach down, with hand opposite side from dog, grab the bird, I use drop or give to release bird. I give the release command never moving my hand letting the dog open his mouth and drop the bird. then move the bird behind my back and release the dog to retrieve.

Don't teach or use "stay". Sit means sit means sit, until given another command.

 

[BonMallari]

For me, I am lined up on the next bird before the dog reaches me. The dog should already know to come to heal, so I generally don't have to use that command. When the dog comes to heal he should know to sit, so generally don't need to use that command. I let the dog lock in on the next bird then reach down, with hand opposite side from dog, grab the bird, I use drop or give to release bird. I give the release command never moving my hand letting the dog open his mouth and drop the bird. then move the bird behind my back and release the dog to retrieve.

Don't teach or use "stay". Sit means sit means sit, until given another command.

ditto here verbatim

 

[Steve Peacock]

One thing I forgot, I usually put out my arm to indicate to the dog which side to heal on.