Training - Dumbbell Retrieve - Page 1

I have a 6 year old "spayed" german shepherd that does not like the dumbbell. I obtained a cd title on her in December and have been practicing Rally Advanced and cd exercises the past few months. She is great on the Rally exercises because she works well with voice praise while working and she manages pretty well on all the cdx exercises with the exception of the dumbbell. She refuses to pick it up. I have been told that I should force train her, but am uncomfortable with some of the methods advised. I was also told to try putting peanut butter on the dumbbell (becuase she is highly - highly food motivated), but she simply went over the jump, licked the peanut butter off and jumped back over. Any ideas on how to teach an old dog a new trick? Cheryl

You need to train the dumbbell separately .... it is truly a complex exercise by itself. Once your dog has the idea of taking the dumbbell in her mouth and holding it while in a stationary position, then you can start to move her around and eventually add in the distance for the flat retrieve and then the jump There are many different ways to teach it, my current dog was taught motivationally with a clicker and a piece of pvc pipe on a rope until not only was she grabbing nad holding it but pulling on it as if to get it away from me... A friend uses his index finger before introuducing the DB.... Are there any obedience groups you could hookup with that use positive methods to start?? Some dogs do require some compulsion (the degree depends on the dog).. I used an ear pinch on my first AKC copmpetition dog.. it was nothing more than if I were to pinch my own ear lobe....in no time at all, I saw the light bulb go on and from then on he was a retrieving machine.. just needed it explained in terms he understood.... Every dog is different and should be handled that way and you really can't rush it.. it takes as long as it takes!! Where do you live??

Will she chase and retrieve anything? That's why I always use different objects to throw for my pups. I have seen dogs that would only chase one thing such as a ball.

DKiah: I have done obedience training thru the years with some different trainers. Currently doing motivational for Rally, but my trainer did not have any ideas on the dumbell. The PVC pipe on a rope sounds promising. She loves retrieving other things like balls, kongs, frisbees. She goes to my office with me and plays fetch. She loves to steel the little plastic bottles from our sample room and run around the warehouse. I am in PA - 40 minutes west of Philadelphia, C

Are you training Rally at a facility that also does obedience?? You often find obedience people teaching and doing Rally... Do you subscribe to Front and Finish magazine??? It is great and they at certain times of the year publish obedience school listings across the country.. I thnk they are even available online now... Do a search and I'll bet you will find the website and who you could work with.. there are tapes and books, etc but I always find it helpful to work with someone who is really good especially for something so important.. and btw if your dog will fetch things already.. you should be able to get it done....

DKiah: Thank you. I will look up Front and Finish and try to find an obedience class geared to training for the cdx. I was a little disappointed that Rally might be my last step with her because of her reluctance with the dumbbell and really didn't want to use any aggressive force methods. Thanks again for your suggestions. It has given me hope that maybe the cdx will be possible. Take care, Cheryl

dKiah Hey, thanks for the tip on Front and Finish magazine. That is one I wasn't familar with, although I have many books on formal obedience etc. I went right to their website (thanks to you) and saw a wonderful article with 3 tips on helping my dog with her forging problem. (Shes a Service Dog so doesn't do much "Formal" heeling) but will need it if I ever decide to take her for her CD. Thanks Oh, and Renofan...are you using the exact size/weight of dumbbell that you need in the ring? I wasted some time with a class using one that wasn't the correct size for my bitch, because it was the only one there, and now I wish I hadn't. Now, I've purchased my own that is suitable for our size dogs. Also, is your dumbbell new and have that funny rubber smell? I notice some new rubber smells turn off All my dogs and have to be "descented" before they will even touch them. SBB

train before meal time and her reward for returning with the dumbbell will be a treat. You might even use part of meal as the treat. piece by piece

An idea i seem to be having succssess with,i tried throwing a piece of plastic piping on floor ,as soon as dog investigated it,lots of prais and rewrd ,kick it round a bit to make it more interesting,when dog picks up i rewarded with food,then stroked her holding DB ,again praise and food,moved onto DB SAME IDEAS ,IS WORKING ok ,But do not do it so long dog becomes bored,just my idea ,seems to be working with my GSD

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