Once the dog progresses and is not trying to spit your hand out I move to a small diameter dowel and repeat the process. These are not a pleasant training session by any means but it is necessary to build a good consistent dog. It also helps to establish you as the authority figure making other training steps easier. Usually you start this once the dog has its permanent teeth around 6 months of age. However by using my hand I find I can start ealier because my hand is not as hard as the dowel and makes the process in my opinion a lot easier.
Archive for March 8th, 2010
Force Fetching
Monday, March 8th, 2010
I am starting the new pup “Moose” on force fetching. This is his second training session. force fetch. This is a technique that helps cements the dogs ability to retrieve on command and become consistent with their pick-up of the object to be retrieved. I place the dog on a sturdy platform with a cable over head attached to the collar. I have a pulley that can move left and right with a cable u bolt I tighten down so the dog can’t move from side to side to start. I will take the dogs ear and hold the collar and the ear between my first finger and thumb and apply pressure and as the dog opens his mouth I say fetch and place my hand in its mouth release the pressure pinch and say hold. I hold my hand there until the dog just hold my hand and is not trying to push my hand out with its tongue once that is accomplished command drop and take your hand out of the dogs mouth, you repeat this several times over in a session 5-10 times. 10- 15 minutes. Stroke the dog and build him up when he does the right thing for you so he gets what he is doing.
