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Trying to teach my 1.5 year old lab doubles and its not going so well. Wondering if I could get a few pointers.
I setup today on a flat mowed field, I tossed one bumper at about 60 yards, and the second at about 20 yards. he nailed the short bumper as expected, but when he returned and delivered, lined up for the second (memory) mark I sent him, and he kind of just wandered off, sniffed a bush, took a potty break, etc.
OK so then I figured maybe he just didnt remember it, so I tested his memory. I would toss a mark, then take him for a short 30 second walk in a circle returning to the line. Then I would release him and he would pick up the mark easily. I repeated this several times varying the distances and the walk times and each time he picked up the single mark. So memory didnt seem to be the problem.
Any ideas on getting him to fetch the second mark? I realize I can command fetch and I could pinch his ear all the way out to the second bumper, but hey, we are doing marks! isnt this what these dogs live for?
I setup today on a flat mowed field, I tossed one bumper at about 60 yards, and the second at about 20 yards. he nailed the short bumper as expected, but when he returned and delivered, lined up for the second (memory) mark I sent him, and he kind of just wandered off, sniffed a bush, took a potty break, etc.
OK so then I figured maybe he just didnt remember it, so I tested his memory. I would toss a mark, then take him for a short 30 second walk in a circle returning to the line. Then I would release him and he would pick up the mark easily. I repeated this several times varying the distances and the walk times and each time he picked up the single mark. So memory didnt seem to be the problem.
Any ideas on getting him to fetch the second mark? I realize I can command fetch and I could pinch his ear all the way out to the second bumper, but hey, we are doing marks! isnt this what these dogs live for?