Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to the maker of this video. I have a 23 month old Working Cocker Spaniel. She is bred directly from gundog lines, both her mum and dad excel in the field. Shes the first dog i've owned and is unfortunately very possessive so we've been in battle just trying to get a play retrieve with a ball. I was desperate to start some gundog training with her, and you have been my saviour! After two weeks she will stay as I throw the bumper, retrieve and sit to deliver :-)
After trying all types of unsuccessful fetching techniques, Our dog was finally able to fetch properly with this technique. Thanks for the great video.
This is very helpful!! The beginning steps are great because my pup is reluctant to 'hold' and object. Seeing how long you hold onto it too really gives me a nice guideline for the process. Thank you for making this video!
But I loved your video! It's clear that as you add dificult at one point, you make another point easier, that is something that I usually forget to do (and wanting to go faster, i go slowly doing that. Yes, dogs learn faster than humans :D) Well, congratulations for the training and thanks for the video! It will help a lot! Sorry if there are any english error, I'm Brazilian!
This video was well done . It showed very nicely how to break the retrieve down into managable parts. One caution; the clicker so close to the dogs ear is very loud. Click next to your own ear if you don't believe me. Yeah I know your thinking, if it is going to be a gun dog the click is nothing. But over the career of the dog the more you can lessen the damage the better. There are softer clickers, and it isn't necessary to hold the bumper with both hands .
You certainly have a wonderful rapport with dogs, brilliant stuff, our Rupert is a little headstrong (to be fair he's only 20 months old) but we love him to bits :-). Brilliant videos you have on here they have been very informative, all the best from Birmingham England...Cheers!
Thanks! "Jessie looks like she is enjoying the learning/interaction experience." Yes, that's the goal. Just like kids, if dogs enjoy the process, they will learn it more quickly and be motivated to do the behavior.
There are many ways to fade the treats. Start by replacing them with other rewards, use them intermittently,(selecting only for the 'best' retrieves), premacking the behavior. Eventually, the retrieve chain of behaviors becomes the reward in itself, much like many dogs love retrieving.
Fantastic video! I'm really terrible with shaping haha! I read only few things before start training my dog, and I basically used luring and targeting. Result: It's really dificult to me to get something using shaping.
very good video! timely too because my girl is about ready to learn these skills. she has hunting dog in her breeding,beagle, and i want to embrace her natural game drive to be a hunter thru a hunting game. although i will not be hunting real birds or rabbits(unless i have to eat,lol) simulation of the hunt will be a great recreational activity for us to do together and a good thing for her to know how to do in the event i have to hunt for food:)
@pkipper1 Thanks! This is a good point, and one I consided when training. The clicker I used was actually a muted one but I amplified it for the video. I don't like deaf dogs either. They go deaf early enough without added help! VBG! I find holding the bumper with both hands does make a difference in the early stages as it gives you control of it (the dog cannot drop it) and you can balance it properly so your dog learns the feel of how you want it to be held. Enjoy!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your training technique. I'm thankful that I have plenty of dogs to practice with to learn how to train this method :)
she really loves to tug! :D it is her favorite game., shes taking a bit of a break from it now that her all adult teeth havent come in yet, she just cant get a good grip and its no fun for her right now, but in a few weeks she will be right back at it. sometimes i am given bird wings and tails from local hunters to use in my art projects which i can use in her training. she loves to steal craft feathers and play with them so the real thing with their scent will be much more fun for her:)
@LegendsMami Glad it 's working for you. Of course, you may have to modify, jump over and or add some steps. Each dog is a little different. Sounds like you are having fun!
Try it to see if it works. Some dogs do better if you start having them carry it before holding it when stationary. Experiment to see what works since every dog is different. Also choose something that feels good if she's reluctant-a stuffed toy for example. You can also smear yummies on a hard object to start her off. Allows you to click for opening her mouth onto object. You can then shape that into a grab.
@supernaturalbc2009 Thanks. My puppy wasn't that interested in his toys and certainly not in retrieving them. Within two days of staring clicker training he is going out like a rocket and picking up his toy and delivering it to my hand. I'm not really bothered with the 'present' or finish yet but thanks as this video has helped him get into a 'play mode'. Eventually I will fade out the clicker and I think he will then be sufficiently motivated by the game rather than the food.
@Fieldcocker Yes! Start from scratch. In fact, I'd probably start with shaping the hold of a wing, then a wing attached to a bumper, then two wings on either side of the bumper, then a whole bird. You will find that gnerally the process goes much more quickly than the first time through. Challenges you might face are the dog not wanting to hold the dummy (some dogs don't like the oily birds) or the dog hard mouthing it. Shape the hold and train with microsteps so your dog can succeed. Enjoy! D
If you don't plan on using real game, you can alternate use of use tug toys between each training session to Premack the process (assuming of course that your dog enjoys tugging!). You could also add real scent to the dummy as well and play some hide games to teach her to find a 'injured' duck that she has to trail to the new location in long grass for example.
@wyndrunhr Try upping the value of your treats and/or train in a small room so its more fun to return it to you than run away (nowhere to go). Once the dog is successful there, train in a little larger room or block off space in a larger room to limit where the dog can go . Good luck!
@nataliawasilewska97 You can use anything that is comfortable to hold. If you start with something narrow, the dog will have more success. If you start too big, she may not like doing the task as much. When she is comfortable holding smaller objects you can go to bigger ones. You can start with plush ones and go to hard ones. Whatever works for your dog. The whole idea is to make it easy and fun, just like for kids. You can make it harder once she understands the basic idea.
@CrueLoaf Because a play retrieve is very different than trained retrieve. if you want reliable & precise delivery, you have to train it. If you don't mind the dog throwing it at you, dropping before it gets to your hand, chewing the bumper or bird etc, a play retrieve is fine. And yes, the retrieve becomes its own reward and you can use it to reward other behaviors. (Unless of course, other things interfere such as the desire to chase and chew a bird etc). Premacking helps to overcome that.
I'm not a trainer, but I've been clicker training my dog - I'm interested to see what the poster will say. But I might use a 'wrong' word like 'oops', or just walk away signaling that's not what you wanted. That's what I do with my pup, she usually comes back a little more focused when I re initiate the training session. I'd like to see what supernaturalbc2009 says though.
What should you do if the dog tries to tug the dummy ? I have been letting go and waiting for my dog to present the dummy to me again - but he tries to run off with it within the confines of the room we are clicking in. Help ? I am new to clicker training and don't want to get it wrong. Thanks
Donna, just saw this and started with the first step of touch and click. My puppy (11 weeks) is so focused on the scent of my hands that have held the treats that I really don't think he is deliberately touching the bumper. Any thoughts?
Wash your hands, sit down with dog standing in front of you and use one hand to hold the bumper while putting your treat hand behind you each time. Lower the value of the treat as well if you are training indoors. Good luck!
@Scrapper16PS3 Her mom was a German Shepherd mix, her dad likely a miniature pinscher (terrier). She's 32 lbs and about 21 Inches at the shoulder. Quite similar in body shape and coloring to an Australian Kelpie except has a lighter bone.(her face and ears are definitely NOT Kelpie). Her behaviors are definitely terrier without the intensity. No herding instinct evident and has high prey drive for rats, birds and squirrels.
I am trying this for the first time with a terrier mix so you would think it would be easy, but nooo. lol He takes the dummy and holds it for several seconds at the most and then drops it or allows me to take it from his mouth gently if we are close, but when I add distance he never comes forward. I tried placing the treat behind the dummy and behind his legs but that makes him obsessed with looking at the ground for treats that he might have missed and he stays in that spot. Am I doing something wrong or is there anything different I can do to get him forward in the training? I feel like he is very close and he has come a long way from where we began. Thank you.
This is very good but I feel silly clicker training my Retriever to, err, retrieve! Shouldn't the retrieve be self rewarding why do we have to introduce food? That said, will the dog learn to enjoy the retrieve and not be waiting for the food reinforcement?
when my pup places her mouth around the object i use for teaching her to hold, she just starts chewing on it, even while I'm holding it and after clicking (as soon as her teeth touches the object) she won't let go until i pull the object away. I tried using other objects. she does the same thing. Any tips? thanks!
Higher value reinforcers. Seriously. Right now the chewing is a bigger reinforcer than whatever you are feeding her. Find some food that is higher. Try cooked beef heart, liver, cheese, omelette, hot dogs etc. Or try a lower value object. Get a solid release before moving on.
Trying this with my golden retriever, but even first Step is awfully hard - either he licks my hand wanting to get The treats, or ignores The bumper trying to be good mannered - if I move it around a bit to make him interested in it he gets too in play mode and starts tugging.. kind of a closed loop :( any advice?
Teach a calm hold while in a down. Start with a chin rest, then teach your dog to take and chin rest. Fade the chin rest. Then train in the sit. Stand. Moving. Start with a bumper without rope attached as flinging the rope can be reinforcing. Good luck!
Donna Hill Hey so our first few sessions are going well she has figured out that the bumper means treat and has started to mouth it I'm waiting for her to completely grab it and she gets irritated. she starts barking and hitting the bumper with her paws she gets a little too excited trying to figure out what i want. how do I calm her down? Do I only reward calm grabs? Also this is exactly what I was looking for as an alternative to force fetch, I just couldn't bare to do that... Also she is starting to mouth the bumper and when she does grab she wants to pull away. I know it's a lot thanks for any response!
Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to the maker of this video. I have a 23 month old Working Cocker Spaniel. She is bred directly from gundog lines, both her mum and dad excel in the field. Shes the first dog i've owned and is unfortunately very possessive so we've been in battle just trying to get a play retrieve with a ball. I was desperate to start some gundog training with her, and you have been my saviour! After two weeks she will stay as I throw the bumper, retrieve and sit to deliver :-)
After trying all types of unsuccessful fetching techniques, Our dog was finally able to fetch properly with this technique. Thanks for the great video.
This is very helpful!! The beginning steps are great because my pup is reluctant to 'hold' and object. Seeing how long you hold onto it too really gives me a nice guideline for the process. Thank you for making this video!
Really EXCELLENT video..this is how i teach the pick it up behaviour and progress to the retrieve. You make really brill easy to understand vids.
But I loved your video! It's clear that as you add dificult at one point, you make another point easier, that is something that I usually forget to do (and wanting to go faster, i go slowly doing that. Yes, dogs learn faster than humans :D)
Well, congratulations for the training and thanks for the video! It will help a lot!
Sorry if there are any english error, I'm Brazilian!
This video was well done . It showed very nicely how to break the retrieve down into managable parts.
One caution; the clicker so close to the dogs ear is very loud. Click next to your own ear if you don't believe me. Yeah I know your thinking, if it is going to be a gun dog the click is nothing. But over the career of the dog the more you can lessen the damage the better. There are softer clickers, and it isn't necessary to hold the bumper with both hands .
You certainly have a wonderful rapport with dogs, brilliant stuff, our Rupert is a little headstrong (to be fair he's only 20 months old) but we love him to bits :-).
Brilliant videos you have on here they have been very informative, all the best from Birmingham England...Cheers!
Thanks! "Jessie looks like she is enjoying the learning/interaction experience." Yes, that's the goal. Just like kids, if dogs enjoy the process, they will learn it more quickly and be motivated to do the behavior.
Thank you - favourited for the next time someone asks me how to get a dog to retrieve - very concise.
There are many ways to fade the treats. Start by replacing them with other rewards, use them intermittently,(selecting only for the 'best' retrieves), premacking the behavior. Eventually, the retrieve chain of behaviors becomes the reward in itself, much like many dogs love retrieving.
Fantastic video! I'm really terrible with shaping haha! I read only few things before start training my dog, and I basically used luring and targeting. Result: It's really dificult to me to get something using shaping.
Very good.
My first golden was a totally natural retriever, while my current dog has issues with retrieving.
Best clicker training video I've seen!
very good video! timely too because my girl is about ready to learn these skills. she has hunting dog in her breeding,beagle, and i want to embrace her natural game drive to be a hunter thru a hunting game. although i will not be hunting real birds or rabbits(unless i have to eat,lol) simulation of the hunt will be a great recreational activity for us to do together and a good thing for her to know how to do in the event i have to hunt for food:)
@pkipper1 Thanks!
This is a good point, and one I consided when training. The clicker I used was actually a muted one but I amplified it for the video. I don't like deaf dogs either. They go deaf early enough without added help! VBG!
I find holding the bumper with both hands does make a difference in the early stages as it gives you control of it (the dog cannot drop it) and you can balance it properly so your dog learns the feel of how you want it to be held. Enjoy!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing your training technique. I'm thankful that I have plenty of dogs to practice with to learn how to train this method :)
she really loves to tug! :D it is her favorite game., shes taking a bit of a break from it now that her all adult teeth havent come in yet, she just cant get a good grip and its no fun for her right now, but in a few weeks she will be right back at it.
sometimes i am given bird wings and tails from local hunters to use in my art projects which i can use in her training. she loves to steal craft feathers and play with them so the real thing with their scent will be much more fun for her:)
brilliant! great job breaking down the behavior! i'm working on a retrieve/carry behavior, this will be very helpful with that!
Great Vid Donna. You have inspired me to get a clicker for my training. Thanks!
Once you start, you'll really enjoy it. Check out my starting videos and others: www.dogvideoindex.blogspot.com
And in June I am teaching a retrieve class as well via Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
Great video. How long are your training sessions with the dog? And what treats are you using?
Thanks for yet another interesting video tutorial. I will try it on my dogs.
Great job! Very nicely broken down!
@LegendsMami Glad it 's working for you. Of course, you may have to modify, jump over and or add some steps. Each dog is a little different. Sounds like you are having fun!
Try it to see if it works. Some dogs do better if you start having them carry it before holding it when stationary. Experiment to see what works since every dog is different. Also choose something that feels good if she's reluctant-a stuffed toy for example. You can also smear yummies on a hard object to start her off. Allows you to click for opening her mouth onto object. You can then shape that into a grab.
@supernaturalbc2009
Thanks.
My puppy wasn't that interested in his toys and certainly not in retrieving them. Within two days of staring clicker training he is going out like a rocket and picking up his toy and delivering it to my hand.
I'm not really bothered with the 'present' or finish yet but thanks as this video has helped him get into a 'play mode'. Eventually I will fade out the clicker and I think he will then be sufficiently motivated by the game rather than the food.
Interest, going look into it. How long do you make the session and what about calories intake
I appreciate the thought. I learn best by teaching others!
@Fieldcocker Yes! Start from scratch. In fact, I'd probably start with shaping the hold of a wing, then a wing attached to a bumper, then two wings on either side of the bumper, then a whole bird. You will find that gnerally the process goes much more quickly than the first time through. Challenges you might face are the dog not wanting to hold the dummy (some dogs don't like the oily birds) or the dog hard mouthing it. Shape the hold and train with microsteps so your dog can succeed. Enjoy! D
If you don't plan on using real game, you can alternate use of use tug toys between each training session to Premack the process (assuming of course that your dog enjoys tugging!). You could also add real scent to the dummy as well and play some hide games to teach her to find a 'injured' duck that she has to trail to the new location in long grass for example.
Wonderful video on retrieve training!
brilliant video
Makes sense. Thanks for the response, great video!
I love your video you explain it soo well :)))
@wyndrunhr Try upping the value of your treats and/or train in a small room so its more fun to return it to you than run away (nowhere to go). Once the dog is successful there, train in a little larger room or block off space in a larger room to limit where the dog can go . Good luck!
@laurakrupp Try a smaller-sized object or one that has a different texture. The easier you can make it, the more successful he will be.
@nataliawasilewska97 You can use anything that is comfortable to hold. If you start with something narrow, the dog will have more success. If you start too big, she may not like doing the task as much. When she is comfortable holding smaller objects you can go to bigger ones. You can start with plush ones and go to hard ones. Whatever works for your dog. The whole idea is to make it easy and fun, just like for kids. You can make it harder once she understands the basic idea.
@CrueLoaf Because a play retrieve is very different than trained retrieve. if you want reliable & precise delivery, you have to train it. If you don't mind the dog throwing it at you, dropping before it gets to your hand, chewing the bumper or bird etc, a play retrieve is fine.
And yes, the retrieve becomes its own reward and you can use it to reward other behaviors. (Unless of course, other things interfere such as the desire to chase and chew a bird etc). Premacking helps to overcome that.
@LegendsMami Let us know how you make out. I am always interested to see how it works with non-retrieving breeds!
can you use a plastic bottle intead of a bumper??
Thanks!
I'm not a trainer, but I've been clicker training my dog - I'm interested to see what the poster will say. But I might use a 'wrong' word like 'oops', or just walk away signaling that's not what you wanted. That's what I do with my pup, she usually comes back a little more focused when I re initiate the training session. I'd like to see what supernaturalbc2009 says though.
Great video 5 *s
What should you do if the dog tries to tug the dummy ? I have been letting go and waiting for my dog to present the dummy to me again - but he tries to run off with it within the confines of the room we are clicking in. Help ? I am new to clicker training and don't want to get it wrong.
Thanks
Question.......dog will grab and hold bumper, but as soon as I let go, they run away with it. Suggestions? Put them on leash?
Thanks!
Donna, just saw this and started with the first step of touch and click. My puppy (11 weeks) is so focused on the scent of my hands that have held the treats that I really don't think he is deliberately touching the bumper. Any thoughts?
Wash your hands, sit down with dog standing in front of you and use one hand to hold the bumper while putting your treat hand behind you each time. Lower the value of the treat as well if you are training indoors. Good luck!
@DonkeyDanni Thanks for the feedback. it might encourage others to try this approach! D
@Scrapper16PS3 Her mom was a German Shepherd mix, her dad likely a miniature pinscher (terrier). She's 32 lbs and about 21 Inches at the shoulder. Quite similar in body shape and coloring to an Australian Kelpie except has a lighter bone.(her face and ears are definitely NOT Kelpie). Her behaviors are definitely terrier without the intensity. No herding instinct evident and has high prey drive for rats, birds and squirrels.
I am trying this for the first time with a terrier mix so you would think it would be easy, but nooo. lol He takes the dummy and holds it for several seconds at the most and then drops it or allows me to take it from his mouth gently if we are close, but when I add distance he never comes forward. I tried placing the treat behind the dummy and behind his legs but that makes him obsessed with looking at the ground for treats that he might have missed and he stays in that spot.
Am I doing something wrong or is there anything different I can do to get him forward in the training? I feel like he is very close and he has come a long way from where we began. Thank you.
When do you stop giving them treats? What happens if you forget the treats on hunting day? Thanks
This is very good but I feel silly clicker training my Retriever to, err, retrieve!
Shouldn't the retrieve be self rewarding why do we have to introduce food?
That said, will the dog learn to enjoy the retrieve and not be waiting for the food reinforcement?
when my pup places her mouth around the object i use for teaching her to hold, she just starts chewing on it, even while I'm holding it and after clicking (as soon as her teeth touches the object) she won't let go until i pull the object away. I tried using other objects. she does the same thing. Any tips? thanks!
Higher value reinforcers. Seriously. Right now the chewing is a bigger reinforcer than whatever you are feeding her. Find some food that is higher. Try cooked beef heart, liver, cheese, omelette, hot dogs etc. Or try a lower value object. Get a solid release before moving on.
okay! will do.. thank you!
Trying this with my golden retriever, but even first Step is awfully hard - either he licks my hand wanting to get The treats, or ignores The bumper trying to be good mannered - if I move it around a bit to make him interested in it he gets too in play mode and starts tugging.. kind of a closed loop :( any advice?
Use something else, like a wooden dowel until he gets the idea. Then switch to the bumper.
when my dog puts the dummy in his mouth he shakes his head with it straight away. How do i stop this behaviour?
Teach a calm hold while in a down. Start with a chin rest, then teach your dog to take and chin rest. Fade the chin rest. Then train in the sit. Stand. Moving. Start with a bumper without rope attached as flinging the rope can be reinforcing. Good luck!
Donna Hill Hey so our first few sessions are going well she has figured out that the bumper means treat and has started to mouth it I'm waiting for her to completely grab it and she gets irritated. she starts barking and hitting the bumper with her paws she gets a little too excited trying to figure out what i want. how do I calm her down? Do I only reward calm grabs? Also this is exactly what I was looking for as an alternative to force fetch, I just couldn't bare to do that... Also she is starting to mouth the bumper and when she does grab she wants to pull away. I know it's a lot thanks for any response!
My dog grabs the item and then drops it. I can't get him to hold it :(