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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    Dumbbell introduction

    OK, so Scout and I need to work on introducing him to the obedience dumbbell. He got given one at class last week, so each night before dinner, he is sitting in front of me, smiling, all happy because its DINNER TIME!!!!!, and I show him the dumbbell, and kind of play with it, and then hold it between my palms and place it into his open mouth and say "hold", mostly he fidgets it with his tongue (and I am still holding it lightly between my palms so he can't drop it), then as i'm taking it out of his mouth I say "give".

    What do I do to really show him I want him to hold on to it, not chew it, not spin it around in his mouth, not drop it, just hold it there till i say give? and then of course teaching him to take it, not me putting it into his mouth.

    I don't want it to be a bad thing he has to hold on to, rather a fun thing he gets to hold on to, if that makes any sense? And we're just starting working toward the Novice Intermediate level.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    I have used a combination of resources to first teach the Hold. If the dog knows what Stay means, it should be easy because a Hold is a Stay for the Mouth....
    Now that all said, it depends on your training philosophy, but mine is clear and simple. I show them what I want, and reward that behavior. I generally start w/ a gloved finger in their mouth, and show them what I want. I then progress to other objects, and I do a variety of objects to not make the pup sour on any certain one. Dumbbell is easiest imo. Paint roller, phone remote (yep...), metal articles, a chunk of wood, bumpers, you name it....
    My newest pup was Holding beautifully at 3 mos, and had a decent formal retrieve (just to front, no finish) at 17 wks.
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  4. #3
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    The dumb bell is not something I would try on my own (unless I were uber experienced). Lots of dogs have issues with it due to improper training. If your instructor can't help you, I would suggesting finding one who can. Sometimes retriever (hunting) trainers have great ideas, especially when they are familiar with working with retrievers. This is something we are still working on. It's been months. My biggest mistake was in not doing it when Linus was a little puppy. It's harder the older they are. Good luck!

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  6. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I taught hold first. Paint roller wasn't well accepted, too fuzzy I think. I used his leash folded up which I give him to carry out to the car when we are driving somewhere. I think since he already associated the folded leash with the car ride it made it easier. What's your dumbbell made of? Several people told me dogs often like the wood ones better.

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    Wood (ime) is an invite for chewing for most dogs and the wood dumbbell is pretty irresistable!

    I don't for the life of me see where teaching a Hold is hard at any age if the dog even remotely knows the meaning of Stay. I've taught older dogs (6+ yrs), babies (Kanzi by far being the youngest-- above) and a number of dogs/breeds in between. A mini schnauzer that I had in a class was by far the hardest to teach as she could not transition from the sit to walking w/ the dumbbell... oh my she couldn't even Stand and Hold at first. Anyhow, Scoutpout, I have no idea what Novice Intermediate is in Canada, but if your dog knows Stay.... it should not be a big deal as long as you are patient, low key and willing to tell your dog NO-- Stay, and "show them" (close their muzzle for them around the dumbbell) when he needs to hear it.

    It does seem that people who wait for their dogs to "offer" the behavior (to click/ treat, etc) have a harder time w/ it. I start w/a very short (one - 3 seconds) Hold, then say Out, and treat and build from there. ABC's...

    After you get the Hold solid, and he can walk with it, etc, you can go onto the Take it/ Fetch. But generally within a few days, even the youngest puppy was opening her mouth to accept it. Of course mine like to work for food, and that helps.
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  10. #6
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    he likes to work for food, esp. GOOD food. Snowshoe, its the plastic one. Windycanyon, He does know Stay. CKC Novice intermediate CDI is an "optional" class between CD and CDX, it has Heel Free and Figure 8, Stand for Exam, Drop from Heel, Recall holding Dumbbell (gives dumbbell before the finish), Recall over High jump holding dumbbell (and gives it before the finish), Broadjump (but handler straight ahead, not at the side of the broadjump), with no group sits/downs (too bad, he does great with those). So you're saying you take the dumbbell and open their mouths and place it there, holding it there and/or their mouths closed while saying "hold" ? and just repeat that with differing objects till he gets the idea that "hold" means hold on to whatever is in my mouth until mom takes it or tells me to drop it or give it. BTW, Scout is now 7.5yrs old, and we haven't started the hunt test training, so I can only imagine that teaching "hold" is going to help there as well. right now i have to place it in his mouth (sometimes having to open his mouth), he will go get it and bring it if i toss it, and tonight, i tossed it, then sent him out from another room to find it.

    hmm, i wonder if he'd make the connection between holding his leash and "hold"...

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  12. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scoutpout View Post
    So you're saying you take the dumbbell and open their mouths and place it there, holding it there and/or their mouths closed while saying "hold" ? and just repeat that with differing objects till he gets the idea that "hold" means hold on to whatever is in my mouth until mom takes it or tells me to drop it or give it.
    That's pretty much what I do. I don't make a big deal out of it, just calmly offer it to them (most of the time they will just take it) and tell them to hold. If they drop it I say "no, I said HOLD) and give it back and tell them hold again. The key (in my opinion) is to start with very brief holds. Two or three seconds, then I take it and offer a treat, gradually increasing the length of time they have to hold it. Once they have the idea, if they refuse to open their mouths or deliberately drop it, I might correct by opening their mouths for them, or gently holding their jaw shut, but I usually don't have to do that very often.
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  14. #8
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    yup.....
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  15. #9
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I taught GIVE and TAKE before HOLD. Then it was TAKE (when actually I am giving the object to him) and almost immediately, at first, GIVE. I tried to establish that the object came back out of his mouth on my say so. I then prolonged the timing between Take and Give. I did say Hold before Give once we got to more than a nano second between Take and Give. I found it worked because he was waiting for the Give and when I said a different word he would stop and look at me like, "That's the wrong word, Mum. I found a clicker training session on this on the web and it was v e r y s l o w. Oban did much better with it when I sped the sessions up. I should go see if he remembers a single bit of it. Oh, and my dumbbell is plastic too, worked fine for us. One trainer said the critical part was making sure it was big enough one for the dog so it wouldn't pinch their lips. She started with one too wide till the idea was established.

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  17. #10
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    ok, wasn't sure if i was going to be messing him up by placing it in his mouth, he doesn't take it when its put in front of him, only a few times has he done that, and I try to get the word "take" spat out as he's done it. and no, we've never done clicker training, more the show what you want and then try and reward immediately if you get that action, and re-show or direct if not. I wonder if its big enough, it *just* fits in his mouth, it looks like what i've seen others look like, but he's got such loose floopy lips... when he's bringing it back for me, his natural response is to grab it by one of the ends and carry it that way. hmmm. and one of his reactions when its placed in his mouth is VERY much like what you get when you're teaching a young horse to accept a bit, its almost identical- the tongue pushing, the head raising, the jaw working.

 



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