Gundog Training Forum

I use a narrow path as the first step in teaching the "back" command. It makes things much easier for the dog as there is nowhere else for them to go. "Retrieving lane" does sound better than "the wee pad [path] te the wood"!

The lane can also have obstacles, such as a fence, wall or ditch so the dog learns to go over any on its way to a retrieve .Jan

Here is a picture of what i've been using as a lane.....
Willow has a habit of running up the side. but there is a tree to my left, so she has to turn to me at the last minute.

How often do you use it?

Cjaus! What a fantastic bit of ground you have access to for training! You have made at least one person extremely jealous!

I had a few fields to train in before one farmer decided to put sheep in his field, another ploughed his for wheat and the last wee field I had access to has just been ploughed and sowed out too!

Anyway, retrieving lane, I only use it till I am fairly sure that the dog knows what is expected of it. After which, I will restart the training in more open ground.

My local council does a rather nice "line" in retrieve lanes. My area has huge tracts of land that are just left as rough grass and weeds. The council has men on mowing machines go through the grass to make tracks for folk to walk along. In a couple of places the mowing machine drivers have got a bit creative and have made sort of roundabouts with roads leading off to the opposing points of the compass from the 30 feet wide "roundabout." I can either send a dog along one of the "roads" from heel or sit it in the centre of the roundabout while I go down one of the roads leading off it and I can then direct the dog "right" ...."left" or back from there.

The council has made a far better job of designing those "roundabouts" than it has of the ones in the town. I get lost at least twice a week trying to find my way in town !
If the object of a retrieve lane is to prevent a dog dodging around you then it needs a fence or a wall on either side of it. If all it is wanted for is to help guide a dog along a straight line to a dummy then just about any grass lane or dirt track does fine. I do have access to a purpose built retrieve lane but I never use it. I'd rather just train a dog to come to me when called without dodging around me.

Wullie