ness Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Question Ptolomy (yeah I could email you but somebody else might want to know), at what point do you tell the dog its correct. You mentioned not wanting presents or anything so at what point do you take the article off the dog. Does it matter if the dog returns with it but drops it? Is all you are after that the dog picks up the correct article? Grabs at the correct article? Never had too many problems with Ness has she had retrieves with presents on each article before I started teaching scent. Kenzie obviously doesn't yet . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Sendaways are fun spotted devil. Kenzie has been mucking around with a send to a hoop since she was 16 weeks. Funny thing is one day somebody at a UD box set up at training and without a second thought she offered going out to it and sitting in it. Within maybe 2-3 minutes she was doing pretty neat sendaways with some distance 5-6m possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Thanks ness - I have a little time on my hands at the moment so there's no excuse not to go and buy a hoop - anything that involves "running" is a favourite with Zig. Stand half a metre from him and ask him to find "heel" and you get a pretty enthusiastic response. Stand 20 metres from him for the same exercise and he nearly jumps out of his skin with excitement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Great thread Excuse me for a quick hijack but is there anything I can do to prepare for scent discrimination as I'm still working on Zig's retrieve......I'm using different toys at the moment and he will only hold for a few seconds (clicker training and he's having a ball....just doesn't quite get it yet :rolleyes: ). I'm doing a few other fun things like "directed eating" as I like to call it but he just gets bored so quickly so I am trying to introduce a few new ideas. Note to self.....need to buy hoop for sendaway! ETA: Sorry, just had a look at the website....we play the 'find it' game with a squeaky toy except I hide him in the hallway - been playing this one since he was a puppy and he goes completely nuts for it. You could start off by playing the two food game with two scent articles which will get the dog used to racing out and picking up the article. Usually dogs finding picking up the metal the hardest and if they are going to chew an article it will usually be the wood. You could also start hiding a scent article (in easy places to begin with) and sending the dog to find it. This article will then become your heavily scented article to start scent with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) Thanks so much Ptolomy ETA: The 2 food game has been a godsend for us - once Zig has a reward he often used to think it was "game over" and decide to bolt off for a quick leg lifting session but the 2 food game has him trying to work out how to get that next reward as quickly as possible! Edited December 29, 2008 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 The Spotted Devil - little Miss Kenzie's favourite thing is to be called to run through my legs (works better than her normal recall command ), but mainly because I didn't want to poison my possible recall words until she knew she would come whereas her "through" command I have stuffed around with before I have thrown her toy since she was 9 weeks old. Now at nearly 9 months she will actually call off chasing after Ness to come and run through my legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Oh that's fantastic Funny buggers aren't they? Zig's informal recall at the park improved out of sight when I started holding out my left or right arm for agility practice. Dunno about running through my legs though....I reckon he'd knock me clean onto my @r$e :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Well I just woke Kenzie up to try scent - hmmm back to the drawing board she has decided she can hold the metal but won't pick it up off the carpet. I wonder if I can start with wood and then go back to metal as she can pick that one up fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Question Ptolomy (yeah I could email you but somebody else might want to know), at what point do you tell the dog its correct. You mentioned not wanting presents or anything so at what point do you take the article off the dog. Does it matter if the dog returns with it but drops it? Is all you are after that the dog picks up the correct article? Grabs at the correct article? When I taught Blaize and Scoota scent they both were able to hold the article before I started teaching the scenting part. Beans and Lexi were different and although I tried to teach them to hold before moving onto the scenting it just wasn't happening - so I decided to move on - and funnily enough the holding part just happened further down the track - really easily. You must treat this as a game - so if the dog is struggling make it fun by offering encouragement, thats why I say take all formality out of the game to begin with - the turns and presents can be added and worked on later as a separate exercise. In the initial stages, when the dog just has the 4 unscented and 1 scented article on the ground, when the dog has picked up the correct article and turned around and started back to you I would be telling them how clever they were or C/T'ing. Once the light bulb has gone on and the dog is catching onto the exercise I would start delaying the "good dog" until they were almost at your feet. You should find that as the dog becomes more confident the sit will come, although you may have to put a verbal on it initially. I would hopefully be getting a good dog in before it drops the article - you should find as the dog becomes more confident it should be holding onto the article longer and longer. Lexi used to throw the article at me, so once she was confident in making the correct article selection, I started asking her to pick the article up and deliver to hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 I gather you are using tongs to put your unscented article out and that you are using the same number metal article as your heavily scented one. Remember all your articles will have some of your scent on it - and really we want the dog to bring back the hottest scent. Yep, using tongs to put out the unscented ones and using the same one over and over as the scented one. Has nice meaty smells on it too from the treats. If she brought the wrong one back I used another one like you suggested, so now all those are sitting outside with the lid off to air them but I've left my meaty smelling one inside to keep using that. As an interesting exercise - can I suggest that you leave scent for 2 days (the articles should be well aired by then) - then on Thursday - put out 4 metal articles with tongs - 15cm apart and add one scented one and send her to find it. If she brings back the incorrect one take it off her and send her to find it again. If she gets it wrong again just give her a pat and pack it up and we will try it another way. If she gets the correct one - tell her she is brilliant and try one more time only. Then pack the game away.Let us know how you get on. Cool. Will do! PS - You can get more scent articles from Zoe with the tollers. She will be at the practice trial. Awesome, do I need to organise in advance to purchase another set from her or does she usually carry them about and I can approach her on the day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 The other thing I should mention - is that when the dog is learning you don't worry about the about turns, the holding of the article, the sits or straight presents - the only thing we are looking for is bringing back the correct article. I'm not worrying about anything but finding the right one but she will offer the sit and hold of it in front of me (not necessarily straight! need to work on that for the dumbell retrieve!) which is the part I don't care about right now Just spit the right one at me for starters please, Ruby! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Yep it was the throwing the article at my feet I was concerned about with Kenzie. Might as we have called her Lexi . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well I just woke Kenzie up to try scent - hmmm back to the drawing board she has decided she can hold the metal but won't pick it up off the carpet. I wonder if I can start with wood and then go back to metal as she can pick that one up fine. I think I would be starrting off on grass rather than carpet (although I did teach Blaize and Scoota on carpet) - carpet would hold a lot of scent. Just my thoughts..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Its raining and cold outside - you would never guess we are in the middle of summer so its inside or nothing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know she has a couple of orders for scent articles for other people - so I will ask her to make another set. I think they are $30 a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know she has a couple of orders for scent articles for other people - so I will ask her to make another set.I think they are $30 a set. That'd be great, thanks Does she sell, or does anyone know where I can find, a plastic dumbell? I have a large one, too large for Ruby (though it's what I used to teach her to retrieve and hold something) so I bought a smaller wood one for her but with very little use it has big chunks coming off the bell bit (not to mention endless teethmarks ) So thought I would go back to plastic as she doesn't mouth them as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 (edited) Sorry the place where I thought you can order them online doesn't appear to stock them anymore. Edited December 30, 2008 by ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomy Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I know she has a couple of orders for scent articles for other people - so I will ask her to make another set.I think they are $30 a set. That'd be great, thanks Does she sell, or does anyone know where I can find, a plastic dumbell? I have a large one, too large for Ruby (though it's what I used to teach her to retrieve and hold something) so I bought a smaller wood one for her but with very little use it has big chunks coming off the bell bit (not to mention endless teethmarks ) So thought I would go back to plastic as she doesn't mouth them as much. The K9 shop sells them. There may be a show on NYE otherwise you will have to wait for the first show in January to have a look. She would probably need a medium which is about $11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 The K9 shop sells them. There may be a show on NYE otherwise you will have to wait for the first show in January to have a look. She would probably need a medium which is about $11 I never thought to look in there! I was thinking about heading down to take a squiz at the NYE show if my friend who breeds and shows Labs is going, so I will see if their shop is open. And no, I don't have anything better to do on NYE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Well RubyStar I am trotting off to an obedience trial tomorrow night . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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