Directed Retrieve Question

AmberSunrise said:

Judging a match this past weekend I saw an issue that has me thinking on how I might address it. Suggestions/comments welcome.

The situation: glove #2

Team turned beautifully to glove #2, dog went straight to glove #2 and retrieved it (beautifully). She turned to the right after pickup and spotted glove #3, ran over to glove #3, dropped glove #2 to sniff glove #3, picked #2 back up and delivered to a crooked front.

Very possible conditions and my thoughts on possible areas to address:

1) Tighten the turn after pickup
2) Revisit a strong recall (direct & fast)
3) more work on angled fronts

Any other potential areas to look at?

Things I think about when commuting to work

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AmberSunrise said:

Judging a match this past weekend I saw an issue that has me thinking on how I might address it. Suggestions/comments welcome.

The situation: glove #2

Team turned beautifully to glove #2, dog went straight to glove #2 and retrieved it (beautifully). She turned to the right after pickup and spotted glove #3, ran over to glove #3, dropped glove #2 to sniff glove #3, picked #2 back up and delivered to a crooked front.

Very possible conditions and my thoughts on possible areas to address:

1) Tighten the turn after pickup
2) Revisit a strong recall (direct & fast)
3) more work on angled fronts

Any other potential areas to look at?

Things I think about when commuting to work

Click to expand...

PalouseDogs said:

Working on a direct, fast recall should (in theory) also tighten the turn.

However, I think the bigger area to work on is ignoring other tempting items. In training, make the correct glove hard to see and the wrong gloves very tempting. There's the proofing exercise where you put glove 2 right against the ring gates (if indoors) or buried partly by leaves, and glove 3 is halfway down the normal retrieve line or put closer to glove 2 so the dog has to pass next to it when returning. This proofing exercise is commonly done to reinforce commitment to going to the correct glove, but it also works to reinforce commitment to returning without getting distracted.

That said, I'm feeling unqualified to give glove advice right now. I'm dealing with the problem of "killing" the glove on the return in trials. It's Pinyon, my OTCH dog. He never killed the glove before he finished his OTCH. A few shows ago, he did the shake and toss for the first time. (He's been doing a lot of goofy things he hasn't done before; I'm thinking he might be trying to tell me he's had enough of this Obedience stuff.) I was taken by surprise the first time and didn't do anything. Killing the glove is self-rewarding. He's taken to doing it nearly every time. I've been doing a Fix and Go nearly every trial in an attempt to stop it. It's not working. He doesn't kill it in training, of course. This week, I'm trying to fix it by enforcing the very fast recall. Doing a lot of walking fetch with him on leash: "Take it", step back, give a light leash tug the instant he has it, call to front, take glove, toss it behind me, go to the next glove, etc. I'm doing 5-10 fast reps every evening. Also doing the retrieves with the pivots and keeping him on a flexi. We have 4 trials coming up this weekend, so I'll be able to see whether it makes any difference.

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DevWind said:

Utility A dog? Personally, I would consider that a retrieve issue. Shouldn't be dropping the retrieved object ever. Call the dog back as he's picking it up. Work more on hold. (separately from retrieve) I would also tempt the dog in practice by moving the gloves closer together.

Click to expand...

PalouseDogs said:

Working on a direct, fast recall should (in theory) also tighten the turn.

However, I think the bigger area to work on is ignoring other tempting items. In training, make the correct glove hard to see and the wrong gloves very tempting. There's the proofing exercise where you put glove 2 right against the ring gates (if indoors) or buried partly by leaves, and glove 3 is halfway down the normal retrieve line or put closer to glove 2 so the dog has to pass next to it when returning. This proofing exercise is commonly done to reinforce commitment to going to the correct glove, but it also works to reinforce commitment to returning without getting distracted.

That said, I'm feeling unqualified to give glove advice right now. I'm dealing with the problem of "killing" the glove on the return in trials. It's Pinyon, my OTCH dog. He never killed the glove before he finished his OTCH. A few shows ago, he did the shake and toss for the first time. (He's been doing a lot of goofy things he hasn't done before; I'm thinking he might be trying to tell me he's had enough of this Obedience stuff.) I was taken by surprise the first time and didn't do anything. Killing the glove is self-rewarding. He's taken to doing it nearly every time. I've been doing a Fix and Go nearly every trial in an attempt to stop it. It's not working. He doesn't kill it in training, of course. This week, I'm trying to fix it by enforcing the very fast recall. Doing a lot of walking fetch with him on leash: "Take it", step back, give a light leash tug the instant he has it, call to front, take glove, toss it behind me, go to the next glove, etc. I'm doing 5-10 fast reps every evening. Also doing the retrieves with the pivots and keeping him on a flexi. We have 4 trials coming up this weekend, so I'll be able to see whether it makes any difference.

Click to expand...

AmberSunrise said:

I believe they were Utility A. They requested the order, the handler was anxious to know what I thought and believed the glove issue might be NQing.

I have seen her before, but this was a lovely dog I have never seen her with before.

Thanks!

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DevWind said:

I watched them at a seminar trying to correct your issue. Considering why I think the dogs were behaving in that manner, I would never recommend the method used. Still not sure why I stuck around the whole time. Maybe hold work would help?

Click to expand...

DevWind said:

Utility A dog? Personally, I would consider that a retrieve issue. Shouldn't be dropping the retrieved object ever. Call the dog back as he's picking it up. Work more on hold. (separately from retrieve) I would also tempt the dog in practice by moving the gloves closer together.

Click to expand...