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  1. #1
    Puppy Curtis Davis's Avatar
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    New and got some questions

    I have recently got a new lab. I have an older male but this is a 3 year old female. She has a real nice looking pedigree. My question is, is it too late to get her fine tuned? She knows a few commands (set, down, stay and fetch). However she has a tendency to be over excited and curious about what is going on around her. She will do fine about the first 3 throws of her dummy then she is all over the place. What can I do to calm her down. For example she will sit and stay for a little bit then she will just start going early. Or she will be coming back and drop it 10 yards in front of me and run right past me. She will also not blind retreive. Will not go out unless she sees it. Any help would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Puppy michael m's Avatar
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    Have you tried exercising the dog for a while before formal retrieving training session to burn off some of her energy? This may help calm her down.

    You mentioned that after a few retrieves, she will start going early... you need to have control over her to prevent this, be it a check cord or some other method to keep her from "jumping" the command to retrieve. She needs to learn that she can't go until commanded to do so. Along that same line, have you been doing large percentage of denials? If the dog has been trained where every tossed bumper is her's, it could be why she doesn't wait for being told to fetch.

    Finally, regarding blind retrives... set the dog up to succeed. This means very short blinds at first and set her up with the wind coming towards her and have some scent on the bumper. This means putting scent on the bumpers you toss for regular retrieves, so that she associates that scent with a bumper. This will help her know that a bumper is there without seeing it when you send her on the short blind retrieve.
    Have her under control and if she doesn't go, take the first step with her at heel. towards the bumper and let her discover it is there. When she does find it, even if you walk her to within 2 feet of it, praise and reward her a lot. If things are really difficult for her, you could train short distance blind retrieves using the scented bumper or a favorite
    "smelly" treat at a very short distance indoors. You could start this in the house with a hidden treat in a hallway and tell her to "find it/hunt it up". She can only go down the hallway(keep it short by not using the entire hallway length) so that she will succeed. After she has learned this, you can transition to outside training, again, with a light wind blowing the scent of the treat towards her from a very short distance. Finding the treat will instantly reward her for going out for the blind command and since she can already smell it and wants to get it, she will comply with command for blind retreive.
    Again, start very short and easy set ups to insure she succeeds then build from there.

    Good luck. Go slow, maintain control over her and reward your girl for getting it right.
    Michael
    Michael M.Hidden Content

  3. #3
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    Are you following a training program or has she been on a training program? I wouldn't worry about blinds yet it seems like she's at the very basics. I'd suggest getting the Lardy tapes and starting from the very beginning with her. Like michael said don't set her up to fail, very basic retrieves.

    Here's a link to the Lardy flow chart of how your dog should progress in the yard vs in the field. I'd start at the very basics with your dog and focus on here, sit (until told otherwise), heel, and whistle training.

    https://www.totalretriever.com/images...rtDownload.pdf

  4. #4
    Puppy Curtis Davis's Avatar
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    Thanks for the advice. I will look into the Lardy. If I can figure out how I will post a pic of her pedigree and see what you guys think. I dont know lab blood lines like I do beagles.

  5. #5
    Puppy Curtis Davis's Avatar
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    Here is her pedigree.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -1433387209248-jpg  

  6. #6
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    That is a very nice pedigree. She should have plenty of go. From your first post I see a few things that need to be addressed. Both the going early and jumping around are unsteadyness. Sit needs to mean sit. You need to inforce whats allowed. Put her on a short lead and don't let har leave early. Practice obedience for a few minutes before you start running marks. On blind retrieves it is a totally trained behaviour. Dogs don't do this on their own, no matter how well bred. You need to teach each part in steps it is a process over several months.

  7. #7
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Dear Curtis...

    This dog's pedigree is very, very solid. Don't know how you got your hands on her, but you're a lucky guy. She should have all the right stuff. I think your first priority, before you try to formalize retrieving skills, is to get her solid on her obedience. Sounds like she knows several of the commands. It's a matter of getting her to follow them with some precision. This doesn't mean you don't let her retrieve. Just don't get worried about a finesse. If she's happy bringing stuff to you, make a big deal about it when she does.

    This dog is worth your time and worth doing it right. Training a good retriever is not a solo endeavor. Can you get with a retriever club where there are people who have maybe put a title or two on a dog? You'll find they are usually VERY pleased to have someone throw birds for their dog and they'll return the favor by helping you with yours.

  8. #8
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    Your dog has a very good pedigree and you should work with her. It will not happen over night. As others have said sound obedience is the foundation for making a retriever so keep reinforcing the commands she knows until she is rock solid. I would keep her retrieving sessions short. Throw her 3 or 4 then do some obedience work and put her up. Do several short sessions a day rather than throwing repeated marks that get her high and spitting the bumper so you will throw it again. Use a long line at first so that she has to come back to you, let her hold the bumper when she come to you and give her lots of praise. Even though she is 3 you need to treat her like a puppy as this is all new learning for her. As for blinds, there is a definite progression for teaching them. The key here is teaching. You need to work as a team. She will learn that when you send her and she follows direction there will be a reward at the end (the retrieve). If she is true to her pedigree then the retrieve will be the only reward she needs.

  9. #9
    Puppy Curtis Davis's Avatar
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    I appreciate all the positive feed back. Like I said earlier I dont know bloodlines on labs. I run beagles. But when I saw all the FC in front of the names I new she was well bred. She is starting to listen to me a little bit better. I guess the new has wore off everything.

  10. #10
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    Good luck.
    Last edited by ZEKESMAN; 06-06-2015 at 11:46 AM.

 



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