pet gundog question

[ips]

I see your point. Maybe I am too soft, I like all the females in my life to be happy. Lol.

[trekmoor]

A sitting delivery looks nice but can cause problems. I'm thinking "gundog" problems here and not pet dog .....but ..... requiring a dog to sit to present a retrieve means the dog has to think about sitting before it even reaches you. This worries some dogs causing them to slow down too much on the return or maybe even to show anxiety by becoming hard mouthed.

Gundog work very often takes place in very muddy fields, or in a few inches of standing water or where brambles and "pointy" branches are all over the ground . Dogs do not like sitting in such places any more than you would so the sit either slows right down or becomes a crouch or ceases to exist.

Although I do give my dogs fun retrieves these are few and far between . Sometimes 2 months go by without a dog having a fun retrieve. The reason is simple. To a trained dog ALL retrieves are fun ! I use retrieves as a reward for other forms of work and doing that would not work if my dogs did not think retrieving .....any kind of retrieving .....was fun.

If you insist on doing run-in retrieves then consider doing them only in certain places , like on the short grass of a local park.

Wullie

[ips]

Thank you wullie

Ps
No need for park I have a couple of acres fields

[trekmoor]

If you use the same fields for both "fun" run-in retrieves and for controlled retrieves requiring steadiness you may end up with a very confused dog.

Wullie

[newf]

I agree with Eastie and Wullie. Consistency is the essence of dog training. Granted, dogs are situational and are adept at picking up things like being allowed on the couch sometimes and sometimes not. However, you may find yourself having to speak to your dog more often because of the changing priviledge that suits your whim.

Your dog enjoys retrieving so having to be released is not taking the pleasure out unless you are intimidating (I know you are not). A few people that own retrievers around me allow them to break cause it gives them pleasure and not necessarily for the dog's.

Then again, he is your dog and you know what you wish to do with him. However, I would consider it unfair to be hard on him when the situation changes and you suddenly want rock steadiness. This behaviour can be difficult enough to attain even with consistency if the excitement is high.

[David]

Train the dog to be steady and release it on its name. The dog will do what works to get the retrieve and if that means waiting until it hear's its name then so be it. If you want the dog to run in then just say its name while the object is in the air.

[Judy]

I've had dogs which were steady on dummies and game but would hurl themselves after tennis balls and toys. Great if you are on your own but not much fun if its some other dog's toy or a ball or frisbee game on the beach.

[ips]

If you use the same fields for both "fun" run-in retrieves and for controlled retrieves requiring steadiness you may end up with a very confused dog.

Wullie

Yes I see that, so better to have just one area / field were play is allowed and everywere else steadiness is required.

[ips]

I agree with Eastie and Wullie. Consistency is the essence of dog training. Granted, dogs are situational and are adept at picking up things like being allowed on the couch sometimes and sometimes not. However, you may find yourself having to speak to your dog more often because of the changing priviledge that suits your whim.

Your dog enjoys retrieving so having to be released is not taking the pleasure out unless you are intimidating (I know you are not). A few people that own retrievers around me allow them to break cause it gives them pleasure and not necessarily for the dog's.

Then again, he is your dog and you know what you wish to do with him. However, I would consider it unfair to be hard on him when the situation changes and you suddenly want rock steadiness. This behaviour can be difficult enough to attain even with consistency if the excitement is high.

Yes, I must admit I think it is going to be very tough indeed for a novice such as myself to get her steady sometimes and run in other times, hence the post really.
Having read all the usefull replies I think the answer to the original question is "yes but it will take some doing and prob very hard for a novice to achieve" I think I need to decide on steady all the time or just not even bother with steadiness but as it is (as far as I know) a very major part of gun dog training then I suppose it will have to be done.

[ips]

Train the dog to be steady and release it on its name. The dog will do what works to get the retrieve and if that means waiting until it hear's its name then so be it. If you want the dog to run in then just say its name while the object is in the air.

This makes sense and is simplistic (which I like)

PS
my problem is that in my mind I think I am taking the fun away from the retrieve by making her wait, having said that she does seem to really enjoy the discipline of "training"

I have friends who are gundog trainers / handlers but none live close to me. Its a shame I don't have someone close who can give me some informal pointers and a structured plan as this is all getting very confusing.