Dog Picking Up And Carrying

[Zhou Xuanyao]

I wonder if anyone has taught the following, or might have some ideas.

I want to teach my dog how to pick up a certain item on command, then carry it until told otherwise. Or, maybe I could give an item to the dog, and then she must carry it until told to let it go.

Take a walk for instance, we could do this for practice as part of her training. She is given an item when we leave, and she carries it for the duration of the walk. Its ok if she puts it down for a second while shes sniffs around for whatever reason, but then she has to pick it up and take it with her again before she leaves.

I think it would be a neat trick and im sure once she (and I) know how there will be many ways I will be able to adapt this skill in other training in the future.

Edited July 23, 2008 by calsonic350z

[WalandLibby]

Is what you're thinking of similar to the retrieve? (because for most dogs you do need to teach them to keep hold of the item and move with it in their mouth).

Will you be using rewards and a bridge/clicker? That's certainly how I teach this. Break the task into smaller units (eg., shape taking an offered item into the mouth, picking it up from the ground, give it to hand, hold it for gradually increasing duration, move with it in the mouth etc.) and teach each as independently as you can of the others. Some you can't - obviously you can't work on most other bits of the behaviour if the dog doesn't take the item in their mouth first. Put them together when all are well understood.

I don't think it'd be really comfortable for a dog to carry something in their mouth all through a walk though. But there are so many other tricks you can do with take and carry. Like this...

Edited July 23, 2008 by WalandLibby

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Haha !

Thats funny. I like 28 seconds with the shoe, he figures he might use his paw to help him out :rolleyes:

Yes well thats right thats an example of something I might be able to do later there are many. Yes she does know how to retrieve but she does that because she wants that item, and because she knows that if she carries it back to me something great will happen, I will throw it again !

Example of where this could have a practical use. We are out on a walk. I see a tennis ball. I dont want to pick it up and carry it myself because I have her in one hand and who knows I might have a bag full of you know what in the other. She isnt interested in the ball right now but she will appreciate having another ball to rip apart at a later stage. Now, Jordy, heres the ball, carry it home, all the way home. Not carry it for a few minutes and then get bored and leave it behind

I can get her to do it until she gets bored of it. But while she still has enthusiasm for the item she retains it and im able to encourage her to pick it back up and keep going if she puts it down, but only for a little while. I dont want to keep doing this because im going to end up teaching her that when it gets boring, leaving it behind is part of the routine, so I want to stop this training until I know how to do it right.

Edited July 23, 2008 by calsonic350z

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Here we go. This guy is carrying a bag of groceries !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVfuZV4PxFE

[WalandLibby]

I think you would teach it just like a retrieve but with increasing delay of the return to hand and increasing movement while holding (taught separately and put together when the dog can do both well by themselves). And you would want to have long duration when you're not out walking before starting to do the behaviour in very short stints while walking.

Is your retrieve a play retrieve that developed more or less naturally or did you teach it bit by bit? (If you did the later, it would be really easy to extend the behaviour.)

Sometimes I see a Lab walking with a toy in his mouth - I'm sure he's not forced to do it (by anything except his instincts) but he drools something shocking and I always think he looks uncomfortable. And can't do the other stuff he should be doing while walking, like sniffing. But something smaller like the Flattie is carrying would be better.

Edited July 23, 2008 by WalandLibby

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Thats sounds like a good start WalandLibby. Yes i'll have to see what I can come up with along those lines.

No I didnt really teach her to retrieve .. I played a small part in it mostly it was instinct. She would only half return the ball I had to encourage her and now she brings it all the way back, also I had to teach her to drop but apart from that she did it on her own.

She will be allowed to put the item down and do whatever she does such as have a sniff around, investigate something, or whatever, but then she has to pick the item back up again and keep going rather than leaving it behind, so she will be fine she wont be uncomfortable.

Edited July 23, 2008 by calsonic350z