How Long Did It Take You To Teach Your Dog To Retrieve?

[squeak]

This is a spin-off from my other "retrieve" thread. I am curious how long it has taken people to teach their dog to hold and to also retrieve. I guess I am asking partly to find out if I am an incredibly bad trainer, or I just happen to have a dog who is a very slow learner.

I am also very interesting in the following, but don't think that it really fits into a poll question, so I would be grateful if you could post your replies...

(i) what breed is your dog

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

Thanks.

[Kavik]

Between a week and a month to hold, 3-6 months (guess) for total retrieve though we are still trying to fix a few problems.

I used the clicker method, first time using this method only, this is my second dog to teach to retrieve. Diesel, my GSD, is very different in temperament to Zoe, who was my previous retrieve attempt. Zoe will do a very fast enthusiastic retrieve but does not have a steady hold or carry it around well. Diesel we taught hold from the start and he is happy carrying it around but not a fast or enthusiastic retrieve. I think a combination of methods and temperament.

[JulesP]

I gave up with one of my border collies. It was just causing us both distress!!! Not worth it.

[MonElite]

First question - less than a week

This was her 4rth lesson on the 16th June

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpWqq0ji6KQ

Second question - between a week and a month

And this was done on the 22nd June

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=40Te1KVIgm8

(i) what breed is your dog

Dobermann

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

puppy

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

Clicker 99.9% pure positive. Held the muzzle to obtain extended time of a hold

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

Not formally, previous dog would fetch and run away with a toy. After adding the ecollar for a recall he would come with the toy.

It was a retrieve in prey drive and I would reward with another prey retrieve. Never taught him to do a formal dumbell retrieve, never had the need. Dog was not really a natural retriever.

Edited September 16, 2008 by Monelite

[Keshwar]

(i) what breed is your dog - Afghan Hound

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult - Puppy

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch - clicker training, purely positive - back chaining, soaking retrieve object in tasty stuff, etc, etc..

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog? - Nope first dog I have done obedience with.

My problem isn't getting him to go after the object or to hold stuff it is just getting him to bring it back. Being a sight hound he loves to chase moving objects it's when they stop moving that the problem occurs. This applies to a range of retrieve objects except pine cones - he will happily retrieve pine cones. Unfortunately you can't use a pine cone in the ring.

Bear.

[dogdude]

i) B/T, B/T, SBT (also, about to teach new SBT pup)

ii)Teen, teen, teen.

iii)No, no, no.

iv)FR FR FR

v)Each dog learnt faster than the previous.

Non of these dogs showed any interest in chasing balls/fetch. My latest however does.

[whitka]

1. Golden Retriever

2. Puppy

3. Postive then later clicker

4.First trained to retrieve.

My problem was Toby just didnt want to pick the dumbell up in the middle, he was retrieveing and everything but would not pick it up in the middle, so we got some help from a very nice Doler and also starting using the clicker and all of a sudden he was picking up the dumbell in the middel.

[Dame Aussie]

(i) Australian Shepherd

(ii) Puppy

(iv) She started doing it without any training

(v) No my other dog isn't interested at all!

I don't know how much it has to do with the breed but we have two chi x's who couldn't care less about chasing something.

However I just got an Aussie pup who started doing it on her own at 11 weeks!

She started picking things up and bringing them to us, so we would throw them and she would go get them and bring them back.

If its a ball she will just drop it on the floor to be thrown again, however if its a toy she likes she doesn't always give it back

[Natsu chan]

I'm still training this I must admit. I do blocks of training in fits and starts as collies don't really like retrieving and a lot of short duration training with lots of praise helps no end.

So

1) Collie rough.

2) puppy

4) forced retrieve

5) Yes. About the same, but she's softer and requires more encouragement.

[hopenfox]

(i) what breed is your dog

Koolie/BC.............Kelpie

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

4 months..............10 months

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

No training

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

Purely positive - Held a toy, wagged it around a little in a playful manner, letting them mouth it, threw the toy, called the dog to me, grabbed the toy & played a little tug then threw it again...

Taught 'Hold' later, by getting them to sit, 'take it' (they knew this from playing tug), 'hold it' (I use/d body language and voice tone, sort of froze, and drew out the command - 'hoooooooold iiiiiiiiiiiiiit', with a hand gently resting under their chin), 'give'...'YAY!', instant game of tug &/or fetch.

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than your previous dog?

My very first dog, a Cavalier, I attempted to teach the formal retrieve without first teaching it as a game with a favourite toy, and followed the recommendations of the instructors at my local Obedience Club...Put the dum-bell in his mouth, hold it in there while saying 'hold' and praising, then saying 'give' and allowing him to spit it out. He never enjoyed this and took maybe a couple of weeks to learn to hold it till I said give. I then slowly lowered the dum-bell to the ground, till he was picking it up for me, then throwing it further and further away until he could fetch pretty good...He never enjoyed this, wasn't consistent, and sometimes chose to refuse to retrieve.

After training my current 2 dogs to retrieve the 'fun' way, I've used this way to teach my foster dogs to retrieve, and they've all picked this up in a couple of training sessions. They have included six 6 week old Jack Russel/Foxie/Chihuahua puppies, a 3 year old BC, and a 6 month old Staffie/Greyhound. I did keep the lead on the Staffie/Greyhound pup because she did originally want to run off with the toy.

[ZEPING]

(i) what breed is your dog

GSD

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

puppy

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

havent and am keeen for any tips???

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

this is my first dog

[TerraNik]

(i) what breed is your dog

Keeshond

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

Puppy

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

N/A

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

Clicker training - though we are only up to 'take it' and very very short hold!! He will 'fetch' tennis balls and 'take it' and 'hold' them, but I'm having trouble transferring it to the dumbbell... Slowly, slowly! I stopped while he was teething, so I've started back up again

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

This is the first time I have tried to teach retrieve.

Edited September 17, 2008 by TerraNik

[Monah]

Less than a week with both my latest dogs.

viszla and spinone

both puppies

both were 'naturals' (being HPRs) and will retrieve ANYTHING that fits in their mouths. I also have 4 cats who retrieve

both learnt much faster than any of my other dogs, some of mine, wolfhound,lakeland, maltese, never learnt and had NO interest in balls at all (or anything else to retrieve)

[Paulp]

Dog 1

(i) lab X golden retriever

(ii) puppy

Ebon has retrieved ever since I got him at 3 months of age, I don't think it was taught to him, he just did it naturally. At first it could be a bit difficult to get the retrieved object off him. He is the first dog I have owned and trained.

Dog 2

(i) labrador

(ii) puppy (12 months)

(iii) rescue, don't think there was much training although she would sit on command

(iv) originally would chase a large ball if razzed up first but quickly lost interest and would not always bring object all the way back. I started training her to fetch last week because I want to try her at flyball. I just started with an object I knew she would chase if in the mood and food rewarded her every time she started bringing it back even it was dropped part way then started rewarding only when it came all the way back. Then started transferring onto tennis balls and dumbells. She is now a very consistent fetcher in the back yard (this only took a few days) but for some reason still won't fetch outside the back yard, this is something I am working on.

(v) My only other dog is a natural retriever that didn't need training.

[shoemonster]

Paulp, Ebon isnt the ebon whos just started flyball is he?!!!

(i) what breed is your dog

E, stafford

M stafford

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

E, puppy

M, 8 months

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

E, N/A

M, no training beyond basic puppy school

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

E, purely positive, started shirly chong method, but only up to take not yet at hold stage, and have given it a break to focus on other things

M, Mix of forced and positive, opened her mouth gently and held it to get her to hold the dumbell, had to do that maybe 5 times, then positive with a bridge word from then on

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

No previous dogs

I answered between 1 week and 1 month for both questions in the poll, but answered only for Molly as Ed hasnt learnt the full formal retrieve yet

She took around a week to hold, and was fetching and sitting in front of me within a few weeks, but took a few months to refine it. Only working now on an occasional rolling in the mouth when she waits for me to take it now

[Diva]

(i) what breed is your dog - Borzoi

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult - older puppy

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog) - no, had spent much of her life with her leg in a splint, no training

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? clicker training, back-chained

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog? Yes I have, about the same to get to the point of reliability, although the Borzoi started off slower.

[Paulp]

Paulp, Ebon isnt the ebon whos just started flyball is he?!!!

Thats him, as you would have seen he is a rabid fetcher. Can be a bit of a problem, when I go to mow the lawn and throw things off he keeps bringing them back!

I'm teaching my other dog, the little white lab, to fetch because I want to get her into flyball as well.

[Lablover]

(i) what breed is your dog

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

(iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog)

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

Thanks.

Ummmmm, Ummmmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm to what standard, fun retrieves, obedience trialling standard, or retrieving trial standard?

(i) Guess LOL.

(ii) Three generations and one import.

(iii) Obviously LOL apart from import, trained very young, ie I used to hey hey hey them, when 4 weeks of age to cue feeding time. Yank I insisted was not trained using avoidance/escape techniques, or FF. The rearers certainly bless their hearts, thought he heeled and recalled quite well. They were obviously joking.

(iv) Both

(v) Depends on dog

[J...]

(i) what breed is your dog

Kelpie Lab x

(ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult

Puppy at 7.5 weeks

(iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch

Kind of just evolved as she loved to fetch as a pup. Obviously wasn't perfect as we went through the not returning the toy stage etc but by the time she was about 6 months she had a really good retrieve which flowed easily into a proper obedience retrieve. She's a complete retrieving nut though.

(v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog?

No Darcy is my first.

[shoemonster]

Thats him, as you would have seen he is a rabid fetcher. Can be a bit of a problem, when I go to mow the lawn and throw things off he keeps bringing them back!

I'm teaching my other dog, the little white lab, to fetch because I want to get her into flyball as well.

Excellent, more labs and then we can have an all lab team as well as an all stafford team!

Edited September 17, 2008 by shoemonster