MEMORY RETRIEVES, BLINDS AND THE BACK COMMAND.

These exercises help produce a steady dog, improve heel work, improve memory, teach the back command and act as a foundation for unseen retrieves.

Prerequisites:

Dog must retrieve

Dog should know the sit command.

Dog must walk to heel on or off lead (see note below)

Dog must be able to sit and stay on or off lead before being sent for a retrieve (see note below).

Note: if you need to use the lead it is preferable that the lead is looped around the dog’s neck (as per the diagram) rather than being fully on the dog.   This has a number of benefits.  The handler does not have to struggle to remove the lead before sending the dog for a retrieve which not only disrupts the flow of the dog’s thought processes and therefore the benefit of the exercise but also if done continually becomes a signal to the dog that as soon as the lead is taken off he is allowed to run off which is not a good habit to get into.  Any lead restraint should be as minimal as possible and the owner letting go of one side of the looped lead should be done as unobtrusively as possible and with little movement from the handler.  This way the dog does not easily know when he is on or off the lead and this makes transferring the dog’s training to the off lead stage much easier.

Phase one

Start the exercise on a narrow path or track with not too much cover.

1. Sit the dog at your side at point A.

2. Throw the dummy up the track to point B about 20 yards.

3. Keep dog sitting.  

4. Lower the hand alongside the dog’s head level with but forward of his eyes (see photo) with your fingers pointing in the direction of the dummy

The dog will probably be looking at the thrown dummy and will only be slightly aware of your hand at this stage but it is the beginnings of directional control.

Photo Sharon Rogers.

5. Keeping the hand still (you can use the command wait to stop the dog anticipating you) then give the back command and let the dog go for the dummy.

6. Take the retrieve and praise the dog.

Note the objective of this phase is that the dog goes out directly and confidently to retrieve the dummy.

Phase two

1. In the same place starting from point A, walk out with the dog to just short of point B.

2. Sit the dog by your side.

3. Tell the dog to stay

4. Throw the dummy so the dog sees it land.

5. Walk back with the dog at heel to point A. where you started.

6. Turn the dog to face in the direction of the dummy and tell him to sit and stay

Lower your hand in to the same position as at phase one stage 4 and 5. above.

Take your time and wait until the dog’s eyes are locked onto the direction of the dummy.

7. At the exact same time as the dog’s eyes lock onto the dummy, keeping your hand still, give the back command and let the dog retrieve the dummy (exact same time means within ½ a second).

8. Recall the dog and take the dummy.

9. Repeat the exercise over time increasing the distance and using different paths and areas of ground but always sending the dog back in a straight line to the dummy.  You will probably end up just dropping a dummy whilst going out to train and sending your dog back to it rather than having to walk back with the dog each time.

Phase three

Once your dog is confident at one memory retrieve at various distances you can do the same thing but dropping two dummies as you walk out making sure they are about 20 or 30 yards apart along the track so that the tendency to try and pick two at once is reduced.

Once the dog has retrieved the first one set him up in the same way as in step 6 phase two and 4 phase one above.  (This is very important if you want to have your dog always properly and confidently going out to retrieve in the direction you choose particularly for unseen retrieves later on.  Although your dog will probably cotton on very quickly, to the fact that he is going to be sent, do not skip this step).

Once he is going back confidently for any number of dummies you leave along the track then you can start to leave dummies out that he has not seen i.e. unseen retrieves and sending him back for these.  Start with one at a short distance and then build the distance and number up gradually.  The objective, as far as possible, is to send him out with one command and he will keep going until he finds the dummy.  However, if he hesitates on route another timely back command can be given.   Sometimes it is worth while putting the most prominent coloured dummies furthest away of standing them up on their ends so that he is more likely to see them from further away thus improving the chances of him being successful and getting him to use both eyes and nose.

Next we want to move on from tracks to using directional control in open spaces.

Phase four  The compass exercise

Prerequisites:

Dog must be steady to you throwing a dummy

You must be able to leave your dog in a stay position a walk in a circle at least 20 yards out from him.

Your dog should always return directly to you with a retrieve and not make any attempt to hunt of for other dummies.

Use a wide open field or similar and you will need four dummies.  Do not choose a day where there is too much wind to start with but where scenting is quite good.

Starting at point A in the middle of a circle put the dog in the stay position

Look in front of you and choose a good landmark about 20 yards away for example a clump of weeds or particular coloured flower.

Walk to the outside of your imaginary circle (not too big to start with) and your chosen landmark.

Throw one dummy up in the air to drop at your feet by the landmark making sure the dog marks it (call this area North).

Walk around the circle clockwise to another prominent landmark roughly in the East position throw another dummy as at step 4.

Continue walking around the circle clockwise to South position and another landmark and throw another dummy as before

Continue to the West position and note another landmark and throw the last dummy

Return to your dog in the centre.

Make sure you can see and remember all your landmarks.

Move your dogs position if necessary so that he is facing the last place you (threw)  the dummy (West position)

Set him up in the same was as you did at step 6 phase two and 4 phase one above.

Give him the back command and send him for the dummy.

Give him the hunt command or whistle when he is in the right area.

Once he has collected that dummy and brought it to hand position him to face the South position (make sure you can see your landmark).

Set him up as in phase twp abpve again and send him for this retrieve (if you have done your work properly during the previous phases this should not be too difficult.

Once he has collected this dummy try sending him for the remaining ones in order.  Remember these will be getting more difficult so move nearer to them if necessary to ensure success.

Repeat this exercise a number of times in the same place over time and collecting the dummies in different orders.

Once your dog is competent at this exercise you can put out unseen dummies instead of marked ones and eventually you can make a mixture of marked or unseen retrieves.  However, before doing this you need to be competent at dummies on the seen exercise first.

Tips remember scenting conditions and wind can act to make the exercise more difficult.  Sending dogs into the wind i.e with it blowing into your face always makes a retrieve more difficult as an inexperienced dog is often reluctant to push into the scent as he thinks he is already in the area of the retrieve as the scent has already reached him.   Also, a large dry field can make a dog tired quickly and he may lose his confidence and motivation if he does not find his retrieve quickly.

Phase five see The Diagonal Box  

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