Important Concepts for Meeting the Goal
1. Taking the dumbbell from the hand
2. Taking the dumbbell from the ground
3. Retrieving the dumbbell on the back tie
4. Retrieving the dumbbell free
The first prerequisite for teaching the forced retrieve with our method is to establish a mechanical advantage over the dog so that it cannot physically resist us. We must be able to control the dog, and control it very easily, so that we can be precise in everything that we do with it.
Just as we do for training the out in bite work, we use a back tie to secure a mechanical advantage. The dog is tied to a post or tree on about eight feet of line leading to a leather collar buckled snugly around its neck. The animal also wears a correction collar that is reversed so that the live ring hangs in front, underneath the jaw. The handler stands in front of the dog with a leash that is attached to the correction collar. Most often we use a pinch collar rather than a simple choker.
The purpose of this exercise will be, quite simply, to compel the animal to take the dumbbell in its mouth and hold it. With the leash in his left hand and the dumbbell in his right, the handler begins to pull on the leash strongly enough to cause the dog some discomfort. At the same time he says, “Take it! Take it!” At one point or another the dog will open its mouth, either in the process of resisting the collar or in order to give a yip of distress—or, in the case of a tough customer, to try to bite. At that instant the handler inserts the dumbbell in the dog’s mouth and, just as soon as he has it between the dog’s jaws, he relaxes the tension on the leash and praises the animal softly and quietly.
The dog will immediately spit the dumbbell out. The handler begins to pull on the correction collar again the instant he sees the dumbbell come loose, and catches it as it drops from the dog’s mouth. Very quickly he presents the dumbbell to the dog again, urging it to “Take it! Take it!” He keeps after the dog until, in response to the discomfort, the dog opens its mouth again and then the handler quickly reinserts the dumbbell. As always, as soon as the dumbbell is actually in the dog’s mouth, he relaxes tension on the leash.
The proposition for the animal is a simple one. Taking the dumbbell in its mouth after hearing the command “Take it!” will turn off the discomfort caused by the correction collar. Dropping it or refusing it will turn the discomfort on again.
The dog will quickly see where the advantage lies, and someone who is really good at teaching the forced retrieve with this method can have a dog taking the dumbbell and holding it after about fifteen minutes of careful work.
Once he has compelled the animal to take the dumbbell, the handler praises it quietly and calmly while the dog holds the dumbbell, petting it gently if he can do so without disturbing the dog’s grip on the dumbbell.
After a few seconds of holding the dumbbell, the handler commands “Give!” and tries to get the dumbbell back. At this point many dogs have their jaws set stubbornly and somewhat resentfully on the dumbbell, and will require a mild correction in order to get them to give it up. The correction is not given with the leash, because we have just finished teaching the dog that tension on the leash and the discomfort that it causes mean to take and hold the dumbbell, not drop it. Therefore, we correct it another way. A very light bump on the chin or the end of the dog’s nose should “unclinch” the animal from the dumbbell.
The handler works with his dog once or twice a day on the back tie until the animal will quickly take the dumbbell on the command “Take it!” and hold it calmly, and then give it up readily on the “Give!” command—without the necessity for any corrections.
Once the dog takes the dumbbell from its master’s hand, it is time to teach it to pick the dumbbell up off the ground.
With the dog kept on the back tie, the handler gradually presents the dumbbell to the dog from farther and farther away, so that at first the animal must reach six inches for it, then eight, then ten and so on. If the dog refuses at any point to take the dumbbell, the handler causes it discomfort with the collar, and keeps on causing discomfort until the animal reaches out and takes the dumbbell in its mouth. Once the dog has learned to reach and even take one step forward in order to take the dumbbell, the handler begins to hold it lower and lower until finally he holds it against the ground.
So far, the dog has remained stationary. Now the handler must teach his dog not just to reach for the dumbbell, but to run to it. The dog must also learn to carry it back without chewing or dropping it. This does not follow naturally once the dog has learned to take the dumbbell. The typical dog must be carefully taught to carry, because it tends to remain clamped like a vise onto the dumbbell until we ask it to take a step, and then the dog spits it out on the ground.
The handler works the retrieve along the arc of the back tie. He thereby retains the ability to perfectly control the animal, but at the same time he can create the room to move the dog as much as a dozen feet to the dumbbell and a dozen feet back.
He stands close to the limit of the back tie tether with his dog at heel. He gives the command “Take it!” and, rather than simply placing the dumbbell on the ground, he steps forward quickly and throws it four or five feet along the arc of the back tie. In the same motion the dog goes with him and takes the dumbbell. As soon as the dog has it, the handler steps back a pace toward his starting spot, calling the animal so that it turns around and brings the dumbbell back. The handler helps it with voice and gestures to do a perfect come-fore, and then commands the dog to “Give!” and takes the dumbbell from it.
If at any point the dog drops the dumbbell, the handler instantly begins to correct it and keeps correcting it until he can find some way of finagling it back into the dog’s mouth. After a certain point, it will do no good to simply pick the dumbbell up for the dog and place it back between its jaws. The animal must instead be made to understand that before the discomfort will cease it must actively seek the dumbbell, go to it and take it in its mouth.
The first few times that the handler takes his dog off the back tie for retrieving practice, he proceeds very cautiously. Using just a leash and correction collar, he has the dog take the dumbbell first from his hand and then from the ground. Only if everything goes without difficulty does he pitch the dumbbell out a few feet in front of him and let the dog go after it.
Initially he walks the animal through each retrieve, stepping out toward the dumbbell with the dog and then walking backward a few feet so that the dog can come-fore and deliver the dumbbell. He stays alert and remains close to the dog, ready to correct at any moment if the dog refuses.
If the dog proves absolutely reliable on these walk-throughs, the handler then throws the dumbbell and sends the animal out alone to retrieve it for the first time. Initially he makes the throw no longer than the length of the leash. As training progresses he throws farther so that, eventually, he must drop the leash and let the dog run out by itself.
GOAL 2: The dog will retrieve over both the hurdle and the climbing wall cleanly and with confidence.