Go to heel out of the dumbbell exercises - Page 1

My little girl has a very pretty go to heel.  We do a round about finish, not the flip finish and out of the down with recall she's quick, bright and attentive.

Then we hike up to the dumbbell holster and go to do our dumbbells and for some reason her go to heel plummets.  It's like pulling teeth just to bring her around after she's returned to me with the dumbbell.  Flat, hurdle, A-frame the picture is all the same.  Good speed out, okay speed back, calm hold in front, focus on me when I take the dumbbell, then I say 'fuss' and she has a leisurily stroll around me, looking at everything and everybody and eventually coming to basic.

So far to date, I've tried motivating her with the ball, with food, with a correction pop and there has never been any improvement, not even a couple of steps forward.   I've tried working the go to heel away from the dumbbells as an exercise all it's own and she'll whip around me like a snake, all attention, focus and eagerness but the minute I reintroduce the dumbbells she goes flat once again.

Anyone else had this issue in training?  If so what are some of the methods you explored and did you get any positive results from them?  This is the only thing keeping me from trialing in a few weeks and I'd like to be able to work on it through the winter to have it better by spring if possible.

Sounds like she sees he dumbell as a negative thing.  I would back tie her and make drive with the dumbell like you would with the tug toy or ball.  I have seen drive made by making the object exciting toss it out in front of her while you are holding her on the leash and tell her revier....(get her to bark for the dumbell) but don't let her get it.   Get her all worked up for it if you can and don't take it from her, let her carry it to the car like you would the bite sleeve.

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

I had to do  a lot of that in the beginning to get her into the dumbbell in the first place so that's a really good suggestion to go back to the foundation.

Two steps forward for every four steps back!

I'm still working on getting Echo to fetch the dumbbell without trying to eat it first.  Sooo frustrating.  She has done some major damage to the practice dumbbell.  I glued a hemp rope around the ends of another practice dumbbell to discourage her vigorous gnawing and it is working.  She knows what I want but for some reason she hates to pick it up properly...she always tries to pick it up by the end using the side of her mouth.  She has carried it over the wall this way.  But she has no problem going to heel once she brings it to me, all splintered and slobbery. 

I think this is because we do as Vickie suggests.  We really get her amped up to go after it and she knows she has to be in the heel position before I will throw it.  The last time she picked it up properly she did a victory lap around the field before bringing it to me.  I don't let her take it to the car (because she will eat it) instead I have her bring it to me and I put the dumbbell on the holster and reward her with her favorite treat as I lure her away from the holster.  We're getting there, slowly but surely. 

How did you introduce the dumbbell to her in the first place?  Did you do the forced method?  Where they put the pinch on her and force her to take it?  If you did that it could explain the avoidance.  They wanted to do that with my dog but I said no.  She's smart enough to figure it out and she lives to please me so we will take our time.  Plus I know she would not respond well to being forced to do anything.  How does your dog approach the dumbbell holster?  Is she eager to get there and eager for you to throw the dumbbell?  Echo will run to ours every chance she gets and bumps the dumbbell then looks at me saying "come on already!"  If your dog is not eager to get the dumbbell, work on making it a game.  I sure hope you can get your problem solved.  Keep us updated.

Debi,

No, she has never been forced with the dumbbell and has never needed to be forced to hold it.  She does that fine. 

We actually used the tie out method and the game of 'keep away' that Vickie talks about and I can still play that game with her and get her ramped up to run out and get the dumbbell and return with it.  It's just that when I ask her to go to heel she goes completely flat on the subject.

can you have someone male a video of you doing the excercise? its sometimes easier to see wherein the problem lies that way . I would also consider force fetch its really crucial for them to understand the rules, it really has nothing at all to do with retrieve drive. more of an understanding of your expectations