# Training Your Dog to Retrieve



## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

One of the things about dog training is the fact there are so many ways to train. The retrieve is by far probably the one that takes the longest to train, if it is done from scratch, with a dog that does not like to necessarily like to hold things in his mouth. I wanted to get your feedback and ideas. 

When we train animals for movie work and commercials, this is a behavior that is essential.


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## mcavan (Nov 2, 2005)

Check out the Video (coming to DVD sometime soon I hope! ) "Positvely Fetching" by Adele Yunck and Judy Byron. 
(I work for at her Northfield Dog Training, http://www.northfielddogtraining.com)

This video shows how to shape a totally motivational retrieve using food. This method can take a little longer of course but the end result is a very happy, reliable retrieving dog. The video shows many different breeds, many NOT being natural retrievers (like my 
Pharaoh Hound and Whippet I had at the time..LOL!!) 

It breaks things down into the smallest of pieces to ensure the dog really understands each and every part of the retrieves. This is mainly geared for people training for AKC obedience competition but the concepts would apply to any retrieving task people had in mind. 

Also covered are many suggestions to correct common retrieve performance problems, like mouthing, pouncing on the dumbbell, batting the dumbbell around, slow returns and so much more.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Joel, how do YOU teach a dog a retrieve?

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## BJDimock (Sep 14, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: IliamnasQuestJoel, how do YOU teach a dog a retrieve?
> 
> Melanie and the gang in Alaska


Yes, how do you?
I start when they're pups and naturally taking things in their mouths.(It's helpiful for a guide dog to also be able to retrieve things for their handlers. If they pick something up, I mark it possitively. At a young age, they generally trot over to see what I'm happy about. When I remove the object from their mouth, I mark it again and give them a treat.(Its amazing how fast the younger dogs will start bringing you everything they lay their mouths on. It also helps with unwanted chewing!!!) 
On that note, my pups learn the "take it, Leave it command" They learn what I want them to take, and what they're supposed to leave.


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

I actually train it by placing something in the dog's mouth, and having them hold it for about a second, and build it from there. Here are 27 one minute clips on my site that will take you step by step. 

http://www.companionsforlife.net/Retrieve_members1.html


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

Oh, did you put more behaviors on there? (sorry, kinda OT)


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Joel, I'm on a slow dial-up connection and watching videos is just not really possible for me. What if you have a dog that doesn't want to hold something? Do you use force? What is the dog's motivation for continuing to hold an item?

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

I taught Kayla starting with placing the dowel in her mouth-which she did not like. I would just place it in without any force or encouragement. I would mark her spitting in out, which she would do pretty quick at first, using a clicker and a treat. When she picked up that spitting it out was the praise and award point, I started extending the period before the praise and award. Giving me the dowel became the "money" point of the exercise. We then started extending the time and moved to placing the dowel on the floor and further away.


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

That is a real good way. You might also want to start with something a little softer too, but it sounded like she really understood.


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

Hi Melanie,

I do use a food reward early on. There are many dogs that are not too cool about holding objects in their mouths early on. In that situation, I will gently open the dog's mouth and place it in. I use very little force in training almost everything with dogs.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

I was originally trained back in the days of Koehler, when my instructors believed that the only way to get a reliable retrieve was by training a forced fetch (i.e. ear pinch). I never liked the method, however. It started with a week or so of placing an item in a dog's mouth and holding the mouth shut, then giving them the "give" command and taking the item out. Most dogs resisted and I really didn't like the concept of ME putting something into their mouths - I wanted THEM to put their mouths on the item instead.

So I changed completely over to a structured reward-based retrieve where the dogs are rewarded for small increments of the behavior. At first a glance at the dumbbell gets a reward (behavior is marked with a click or a word, I use "YESSS!"), then once they figure that out you delay the marker word until the dog moves toward the dumbbell and that's what gets rewarded. Next step is to have the dog actually touch the dumbbell, then mouth it, then hold it, etc. Dogs with retrieving instincts go through this very quickly, non-retrieving type dogs take longer. My GSD Trick was doing competition retrieves beautifully at six months old, but it took Khana (chow) longer than that to learn it as she has little retrieving instinct. BUT they both learned it and without any type of force.

Years after I trained Trick, Lana Mitchell wrote a book called "The Clicked Retriever" which was pretty much the method I was using. I don't know if it's still in print, but if anyone wants to learn a structured, positive-reinforced method for teaching a retrieve, this is a book that will help.

Melnaie and the gang in Alaska


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: IliamnasQuestI was originally trained back in the days of Koehler, when my instructors believed that the only way to get a reliable retrieve was by training a forced fetch (i.e. ear pinch). I never liked the method, however. It started with a week or so of placing an item in a dog's mouth and holding the mouth shut, then giving them the "give" command and taking the item out. Most dogs resisted and I really didn't like the concept of ME putting something into their mouths - I wanted THEM to put their mouths on the item instead.
> 
> So I changed completely over to a structured reward-based retrieve where the dogs are rewarded for small increments of the behavior. At first a glance at the dumbbell gets a reward (behavior is marked with a click or a word, I use "YESSS!"), then once they figure that out you delay the marker word until the dog moves toward the dumbbell and that's what gets rewarded. Next step is to have the dog actually touch the dumbbell, then mouth it, then hold it, etc. Dogs with retrieving instincts go through this very quickly, non-retrieving type dogs take longer. My GSD Trick was doing competition retrieves beautifully at six months old, but it took Khana (chow) longer than that to learn it as she has little retrieving instinct. BUT they both learned it and without any type of force.
> 
> ...


I do not agree with the ear pinching at all. A actually saw some animal trainers training dogs for movies and commercials do that. It was painful, and in my opinion, a horrible experience for the dog, and a great way to tear down the trust and the relationship that the trainer was trying so hard to build. I am not too familiar with that book, but if it worked for you, that is the most important part. 

With my way, it is done gently.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Joel, glad to hear that you promote gentle methods. Unfortunately the forced retrieve is still very common in the competition world. It's one of those methods that can be effective so people tend to use it even though it can also be pretty harsh. 

Melanie and the gang


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 16, 2008)

You are so right. I like to use the words "gentle manipulation"... there are so many things you can do with gently manipulating the animal, and not forcing. Let me tell you that there were some movie animal trainers early in my career that jumped on me, and told me the dog would not be reliable unless I used those techniques. I, along with other trainers, not only proved them wrong, but when my dog did go to pick something up, he did it with excitement, not out of fear of knowing what the consequences would be. Most importantly, the dog did the behavior with 100% reliability!!


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