Chloe knows her limits

[Annette47]

We were proofing the retrieve on the flat in Open yesterday, by having other handlers stand out near where the dumbbell would land waving the dogs absolute favorite things on earth around. Dog after dog went out for the dumbbell and failed by going to the people/toys etc.

For Chloe, I gave someone one of her bumpers. She looked out, saw the dumbbell and the person waving HER bumper and refused to go out. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from going for the bumper instead of the dumbbell so instead refused to play the game, LOL.

It was funny, but I did have to correct her for the refused retrieve (several times as she was being VERY stubborn about it). The bumper is pretty much the ONLY thing on earth that would have triggered that - we’ve tried all the distractions that were getting the other dogs and she has ignored all of them, even people waving food around.

[Jeff]

LOL, Mom hat so unfair. Don't bring my bumper to class.

I so remember this with Hemi too. Some things are so hard. Hemi's Kryptonite was someone rolled a tennis ball on the floor.

[barry581]

Such a cruel mom!!!

[POPTOP]

That's tough!

[Snowshoe]

It's a good thing you are smart enough to keep up to her. That would completely befuddle me.

[Scoutpout]

When some things are going to be too tempting for Scout, he refuses to look! turns his head, tucks it under, looks up to the sky, he says he's not going to fall for that one! looks like Chloe is saying the same thing!

[Labradorks]

We do the same thing, except differently without traditional corrections. Punishment for my dog would just slow him down and create additional conflict, poisoning the exercise for him. He has a tendency to get "stuck" anyway. So, training him to have more energy about the exercise in the face of conflict is a better path for us.

Linus' achilles heel is treats/food. So, we'll place treats in a container he cannot easily get into near the dumbbell (of course, we started with the food away far away and eventually touching the dumbbell) and if he makes the wrong choice, I go and snatch the dumbbell myself (like in a "ha! I got it!" way) and don't let him finish the exercise. I also show him the rewards that I have in my hand and tease him with it, light-heartedly ("oh, too bad, so sad!"), even pretending to eat them myself as we are walking back to our set-up. He knows the drill now and if there is an item out there that causes conflict he is faster to run out and faster to retrieve the item, even hopping away from it like it's a hot potato on the turn around! Once he is successful, I let him eat some of what is in the bag/container. He's built up to full distance with three food items (closed containers) in a semi-circle around the dumbbell and two people including one with her foot on the dumbbell and some toys/balls in his path. It's a real confidence booster for him! You can see in the picture below our dumbbell proofing pics from a couple months ago when the food container was further from the dumbbell. The bottom right corner is him hopping away from the conflict. It's pretty hilarious. He tries so hard!

Do you do the proofing/exercise differentiation exercise where you put out a go out target (if you're still using a target) with a glove partway and ask for a retrieve (dog just retrieves and ignores the target) or a go out (dog ignores the glove)? That one is hard! We have 100% compliance at about 12 feet so far. It helps me clean up my handling, that's for sure!

[Annette47]

Do you do the proofing/exercise differentiation exercise where you put out a go out target (if you're still using a target) with a glove partway and ask for a retrieve (dog just retrieves and ignores the target) or a go out (dog ignores the glove)? That one is hard! We have 100% compliance at about 12 feet so far. It helps me clean up my handling, that's for sure!

We’ve never used a target other than the stanchion, which is of course always there for glove 2, so they learn from the beginning to ignore the stanchion if there is a glove there (not that they never get confused, just that practicing that starts early). We don’t send them on go-outs with glove 2 there, but do practice go-outs with gloves 1 and 3 in place sometimes. When we do that, we first send them for a glove, then for a go-out so they learn the difference. Chloe is up to the advanced version where we toss a glove into the corner and send her for it a few times in a row then toss the glove and send her on a go-out. That she can do no problem, even when I use a bumper instead of a glove (although she HATES that because she really, really wants the bumper).

The issue with the dumbbell vs bumper is she knew it was a dumbbell retrieve, but knew she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from retrieving the bumper instead - a level of self-awareness I found both impressive and amusing at the same time. She can (with difficulty) ignore the bumper on most exercises, but apparently not when it involves a retrieve, LOL. I do use traditional corrections (in this case an ear pinch) with her, but only when she knows the exercise and is choosing not to do it, such as in this case. It doesn’t bother her in the slightest.

[Annette47]

When some things are going to be too tempting for Scout, he refuses to look! turns his head, tucks it under, looks up to the sky, he says he's not going to fall for that one! looks like Chloe is saying the same thing!

Yes, that’s her exactly!

[Labradorks]

The issue with the dumbbell vs bumper is she knew it was a dumbbell retrieve, but knew she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from retrieving the bumper instead - a level of self-awareness I found both impressive and amusing at the same time. She can (with difficulty) ignore the bumper on most exercises, but apparently not when it involves a retrieve, LOL. I do use traditional corrections (in this case an ear pinch) with her, but only when she knows the exercise and is choosing not to do it, such as in this case. It doesn’t bother her in the slightest.

My friend's soft Malanois does this too, refusing to go as there is too much conflict. Talk about a soft dog! She is handler, dog, people AND environment sensitive. So, we just moved the conflict away and moved it closer as she gains confidence. She is getting better and better all the time, but she an interesting dog! Half the time she is extremely intense and the other half she is soft as butter.