Best way to stop a flying Lab

[alixb]

Hope tends to fly towards me when she is handing me the bumper. I really don't like it. I tried the knee up, a stop with my hands & a constant "no jump". I also make her sit once I have the bumper in my hand to calm her. Any other good tips are appreciated.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE SIDEWAYS PICTURE. I CAN'T SEEM TO TAKE IT OFF. BUT IF YOU TILT YOUR HEAD YOU WILL SEE HER PRETTY FACE

[POPTOP]

Interested in see responses too. While Archie is very good about not slamming into me he comes pretty close. Since hip surgery, I certainly don't want him misjudging and hitting me in the legs.

Sideways, right way, every way, Hope is a cutie, all ready for winter in her scarf.

[arentspowell]

A few ideas:

Have you tried turning away from her as she's flying toward you? I'm thinking that instead of slamming into the back of your legs she would probably go around to face you which would slow her down.

Does she have an "easy" command? Can't remember exactly how we taught it but Daisy knows "easy" means slow down/be gentle.

She's a real cutie in that picture

[alixb]

A few ideas:

Have you tried turning away from her as she's flying toward you? I'm thinking that instead of slamming into the back of your legs she would probably go around to face you which would slow her down.

Does she have an "easy" command? Can't remember exactly how we taught it but Daisy knows "easy" means slow down/be gentle.

She's a real cutie in that picture

hmmmm: never used easy before. She is by far the worst at the dog park. She looks like crazy woman at times. If we are walking in the woods or anywhere else she is fine. But throwing a bumper for her makes her nuts......me too.
She is a pretty girl isn't she. thanks for saying so.

[barry581]

She definitely is a pretty girl! What is you stood in front of something solid, a fence or wall?? Maybe that would slow her down.

[smartrock]

Does she actually slam into you? Mine race toward me then veer off at the last split second and dance around with whatever they have.

Maybe you can teach her a "Stop" command with a hand signal, like a traffic cop hand signal, for double reinforcement of the command. You'd have to teach it when the bumper is not involved. Work it into a Come, Stop, Sit routine when she's just walking or trotting toward you, then gradually build it into the retrieve. That doesn't solve your immediate problem immediately, but with some practice might.

Maybe some of the hunting people on here will tell us how they get dogs to bring back the bird, stop, and hand it to their person.

P.S. Love her photo. When they've got their ears down like that I always think they look like they think they're in trouble. What a sweet girl.

[Snowshoe]

What about teaching a SIT on recall? Teach FRONT, or SWING or CIRCLE? All three I can do with a hand signal or a verbal.

Different places use different words. For us SWING is move to heel position (which is left for me) from a FRONT by swinging the body around on the left. CIRCLE is move to heel from Front by circling behind me. My class actually used AROUND but that sounded too much like DOWN for Jet so I use Circle. Once these are understood from a stationary position I can hand signal them from a recall and the dog will not sit in front at all but go directly to heel by swinging or circling, whichever I've given the hand signal for. The hand signal is I just lift the left or right hand up, palm down, at my side. I have gotten some spectacular flying leaps into SWING to land right at heel and of course no one has ever been around to see them. LOL Holding the bumper or ball or stick all the while till I ask for GIVE.

You must be very careful to change up which you ask for and not make a pattern of it. OUr instructors warned dogs, most dogs, seem to prefer to Swing or Circle. I guess it means another throw comes faster that way. You can ruin your FRont and you might want to keep that for competitive obedience or just because you want to keep it.

[windycanyon]

Part of the reason for doing Force Fetch and all of that is just this. We train our dogs to either deliver at front in Sit position (for competition obed) or automatically at Heel w/ the bird or bumper. It's manners in the end.. and style.
If you can get a hold of SmartFetch by Evan Graham, he will walk you thru the process. I'm in the process of doing this w/ Ruby (9mos today), but it's never too late to add in a bit of obedience w/ these dogs.

[alixb]

Does she actually slam into you? Mine race toward me then veer off at the last split second and dance around with whatever they have.

Maybe you can teach her a "Stop" command with a hand signal, like a traffic cop hand signal, for double reinforcement of the command. You'd have to teach it when the bumper is not involved. Work it into a Come, Stop, Sit routine when she's just walking or trotting toward you, then gradually build it into the retrieve. That doesn't solve your immediate problem immediately, but with some practice might.


Maybe some of the hunting people on here will tell us how they get dogs to bring back the bird, stop, and hand it to their person.

P.S. Love her photo. When they've got their ears down like that I always think they look like they think they're in trouble. What a sweet girl.

she doesn't run into me but kind of flies on the last couple of strides. I don't know where she learned that because she is a trained hunting dog. I do the hands out stop, or knee up then I make her sit before I throw it again. Its just that & when we are at the park she bounces from side to side. she acts like a lunatic. I hope my trainer never see this. We are in obedience right now. PS I was in South Carolina this year ....Loved it.

[alixb]

What about teaching a SIT on recall? Teach FRONT, or SWING or CIRCLE? All three I can do with a hand signal or a verbal.

Different places use different words. For us SWING is move to heel position (which is left for me) from a FRONT by swinging the body around on the left. CIRCLE is move to heel from Front by circling behind me. My class actually used AROUND but that sounded too much like DOWN for Jet so I use Circle. Once these are understood from a stationary position I can hand signal them from a recall and the dog will not sit in front at all but go directly to heel by swinging or circling, whichever I've given the hand signal for. The hand signal is I just lift the left or right hand up, palm down, at my side. I have gotten some spectacular flying leaps into SWING to land right at heel and of course no one has ever been around to see them. LOL Holding the bumper or ball or stick all the while till I ask for GIVE.

You must be very careful to change up which you ask for and not make a pattern of it. OUr instructors warned dogs, most dogs, seem to prefer to Swing or Circle. I guess it means another throw comes faster that way. You can ruin your FRont and you might want to keep that for competitive obedience or just because you want to keep it.

this is great. I will ask my trainer about this. she is a trained hunting dog but I know very little about how she was trained. I did a day of field trials with her. She did really well. she placed the bird right in my hand. she also bounces from side to side if we are doing bumper play at the park. She acts like an idiot. I always make her sit before I throw again. I would love that behavior to go. I will try the circle or swing.