Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!doug.cae.wisc.edu!osnome.che.wisc.edu!hunting
From: jholand%peruvian@hellgate.utah.edu (John Holand)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Re: gundog training
Keywords: gundog
Message-ID: <1991Jun22.112337.19393@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Date: 22 Jun 91 16:23:36 GMT
References: <1991Jun20.043646.27739@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Lines: 43
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

In article <1991Jun20.043646.27739@doug.cae.wisc.edu> dschranz@violet.waterloo.edu (David W. Schranz) writes:
>I have two one-year old labs that I have been gundog training
>for approx. 8 months.  These are my first dogs I have
>tried to train for hunting.  I am having problems 
>teaching them to "fetch up" ie. they drop the dumming 
>just before they get to me or they drop it to shake
>as they get out of the water.  I have tried scolding
>them just as they drop it but I doesn't seem to be
>sinking in.  Are there any tricks of the trade I 
>should know about?
>thanks in advance.
>David W. Schranz (dschranz@violet.waterloo.edu)
>University of Waterloo
  
    I had this problem for a few weeks but I was able to
 stop it, here is what I did.

   As soon as the dog drops the dummy take him back to where
he dropped it, open the dog's mouth and put the dummy back in,
then gently squeeze the dog mouth as to show the dog to hold
the dummy. Then yell "HOLD", (but not in an angry voice just
insistant) 
	When the dog drops it don't make him pick it up, else 
they can get it the habit of dropping it and then picking it up
on command. Pick it up yourself and place it in the pups mouth.
The idea is that you are only correcting the pup, and this is how 
they learn they made a mistake.
	By now your pup should know and obey "stay", so use it.
Have him stay where he is at. Take a few steps back and have him
come, as he approches you and nears the spot where he would drop
the dummy, (or you see him start to drop the dummy) yell "HOLD"
again. In a few days the pup will definetely understand "HOLD".
	Once the pup has learned "HOLD" start using it earlier.
ie: if the pup would drop the dummy 5 feet from you, yell "HOLD"
when the pup is 7 feet from you, then 10 feet, then 15, then 20
pretty soon you will not have to remind the pup at all.
     With 2 45 minute sessions daily you should be done in one week,
two weeks tops.
     It is also advantageous to teach a whistle command to go along
with "HOLD" , this enables you to correct the dog while coming out
of the water and drops the dummy before shaking off, or in any case where
distance is a problem.
Later, John R. Holand