Memory retrieves
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:32 pm
Memory retrieves :- I love 'em and more importantly so do dogs ! This type of retrieve is one I do a lot of ,it is capable of being done with many variations thrown in which help to either train the dog or just to keep it really interested. I got Dax the cocker about 6 weeks ago I think. He was doing little 20 yards marked retrieves when I got him . I started almost at once on encouraging him to do memory retrieves. He will now go at least 100 yards over fairly open land for one and at least 50 yards through thick woodlands with rabbit scents for one. The memory retrieve is a doddle to teach , no steadiness is needed , just walk the dog away on a lead.
Very young pups can very quickly learn to go long distances for a memory. Buck ,my G.S.P. , was going over 200 yards on grasslands by 4 1/2 months old. He loved these retrieves and he still does ,I use them as a reward for him.
The seekback is an unsighted memory retrieve. Most dogs learn this easily too provided the handler has gone back to short grass and short distances when first teaching them. They are part of the progression from Memory Retrieve - Unsighted Memory Retrieve {Seekback} - Blind Retrieve.
You are not training someone elses dog for them for money so there is no need for you to pressurise your dog to reach the Blind Retrieve standard quickly.
I really do take my time over this sort of training and I have my dogs happily doing memory retrieves and seekbacks for many months - perhaps even a year before I start them on blinds.
The sequence I use is - short distances over short grass -- - increasingly long distances over short grass - short distance in longer grass - longer distances in longer grass. Then I start all over again with short distances in woodland.
When I begin to do "Seekbacks" I follow the same sequence. Very often both with memory retrieves and with seekbacks , when I turn to send the pup for the dummy , that dummy is sticking up like a sair thumb ! It is a visible and desirable object to the pup. It becomes less visible ,to begin with, not due to any cover but to increasing distances. The pup very quickly cuts down on those distances by running towards where you have pointed and towards where it saw the dummy fall. It then has the dummy in its sights again and keeps on going straight for it.
Take one puppy, add one lead and one dummy , I prefer a small lightweight one to begin with then take the cake mixture to the local park or footie pitch. Short grass is definetly advisable. Play with the pup ,let it run in for a few very short distance dummies - 10 to 20 feet is far enough to throw the dummy.
Now when you are ready to start ,make a great "stage production" of the way in which you make the throw. The way in which you throw should closely resemble the way in which you will eventually send your pup for the dummy and much,much later on how you will send your dog for a blind retrieve. I really do make a feature of the way in which I set a pup up for memories . It is essential that your dog believes you when it is later sent for a "true" blind retrieve. I keep the pup on the lead and to begin with I do not even sit it - that can be easily added once the pup understands what is wanted . The pup should feel that this exercise is fun and is not part of an obedience training exercise.
I crouch ,bending at the knees and at the waist ,then with the pup held on the lead on my left I use my right hand and arm in a piston like movement while holding the dummy right in its middle - a bit like a choo-choo train (showing my age here !) Then after two or three piston movements made to get the pups attention and to "wind it up " I release the dummy. It will only go a few feet - but that is o.k. I will now have given the pup several cue signals. I will have pointed the toe of my forward leg - I point with my right leg, towards where the target - the dummy, will land when I throw it. I will have semi - crouched or perhaps even fully crouched with a small dog breed or with a puppy. I will have used the "choo - choo" or piston signal . I now add a further verbal cue to this - I tell the dog rather excitedly to "Watchhhhhhhhhhh " using a drawn out "ch" sound at the end of the word. Remember all this this is done just prior to me lobbing the dummy a few feet.
Now the pup is walked away from the retrieve while still on the lead. It is very likely that the pup will turn and pull backwards towards the dummy as it is led away - mine all do ! Do not in any way correct the pup for doing this . This is not any kind of obedience exercise ! When the pup looks back as you walk away tell it once more in an excited voice to "Watchhhhhhhh !"
Turn at 20 -30 feet not yards and make ready to send your pup for the dummy. It will be sticking out like a sair thumb, to use an old Scottish expression. The grass is very short and so is the "send" distance, a pup should easily see it lying there for to begin with the memory retrieve is a visual thing and scent has nothing to do with it.
At this point I would like to digress slightly. There is a common misconception that a blind retrieve is most easily done if the wind is blowing straight from the dummy towards the dog. This is only true at very short distances. It is actually far easier to send a hunting breed for a longer distance blind retrieve if the dog is sent for it on a tail wind----- a wind that is blowing up the backside of you and your dog.
My reason for saying that is because hunting dogs are both encouraged and trained to always quarter into the wind. This makes sending a hunting dog straight into the wind a bit of a stop -start affair sometimes and that is putting it mildly ! Even some pretty experienced gundog trainers keep talking about "making it easier for the dog by sending it straight into the wind." I can pretty much guarantee that the same dog would be much easier to send out 100 yards on a tail wind than on a face wind. .........END OF DIGRESSSION .
I now repeat all of the cues given when I lobbed the dummy . I step forward on my right leg and point my toe at the dummy. I crouch , I now very gently remove the lead as I use the piston movement and tell my pup to "Watchhhhhh !" Very often - more often than not - my pup runs in before I have got any further. In no way is it corrected for doing this ! I just start all over again but keep a little firmer hold on the pup this time ! I eventually get to the stage where I can get all of the cues in before I send the pup rather than have it just run in. I never correct a run in at this stage of training. The pup is not at fault , it is simply demonstrating enthusiasm and that is what I want above all else.
A pup usually easily gets this ridiculously easy dummy with no problems. Next time I will walk away 10 feet further before sending the puppy back for the dummy. From there it is just a gradually increasing progression of increasing the walk - away distance. Do not move off short grass into cover for a good long time. The whole idea of doing this exercise is not to teach a pup to hunt. It is to teach it to believe that a retrieve will definetly be out there in the direction that you have "choo - chood !" .............and to teach it to run in a straight line in the direction indicated. Once things are going well - do not get slipshod about the way in which you cue your dog ! You will need all the help you can get when sending your dog for a real blind under real shooting conditions.
As I have already said, most dogs really love this exercise . From their point of view it will be a definite find and they will be able to really stretch their legs - really run while going out - and out - and out for it. More difficult elements can be added to the basic memory later - such as running and swimming straight over water ........yes I do walk my dogs right through rivers up to my hips ! ......But I do it in summertime ! "Sensible" fences are also crossed and woods are walked through. I think you will be amazed at what even a young pup will burst a gut trying to do to complete a memory retrieve.
Very young pups can very quickly learn to go long distances for a memory. Buck ,my G.S.P. , was going over 200 yards on grasslands by 4 1/2 months old. He loved these retrieves and he still does ,I use them as a reward for him.
The seekback is an unsighted memory retrieve. Most dogs learn this easily too provided the handler has gone back to short grass and short distances when first teaching them. They are part of the progression from Memory Retrieve - Unsighted Memory Retrieve {Seekback} - Blind Retrieve.
You are not training someone elses dog for them for money so there is no need for you to pressurise your dog to reach the Blind Retrieve standard quickly.
I really do take my time over this sort of training and I have my dogs happily doing memory retrieves and seekbacks for many months - perhaps even a year before I start them on blinds.
The sequence I use is - short distances over short grass -- - increasingly long distances over short grass - short distance in longer grass - longer distances in longer grass. Then I start all over again with short distances in woodland.
When I begin to do "Seekbacks" I follow the same sequence. Very often both with memory retrieves and with seekbacks , when I turn to send the pup for the dummy , that dummy is sticking up like a sair thumb ! It is a visible and desirable object to the pup. It becomes less visible ,to begin with, not due to any cover but to increasing distances. The pup very quickly cuts down on those distances by running towards where you have pointed and towards where it saw the dummy fall. It then has the dummy in its sights again and keeps on going straight for it.
Take one puppy, add one lead and one dummy , I prefer a small lightweight one to begin with then take the cake mixture to the local park or footie pitch. Short grass is definetly advisable. Play with the pup ,let it run in for a few very short distance dummies - 10 to 20 feet is far enough to throw the dummy.
Now when you are ready to start ,make a great "stage production" of the way in which you make the throw. The way in which you throw should closely resemble the way in which you will eventually send your pup for the dummy and much,much later on how you will send your dog for a blind retrieve. I really do make a feature of the way in which I set a pup up for memories . It is essential that your dog believes you when it is later sent for a "true" blind retrieve. I keep the pup on the lead and to begin with I do not even sit it - that can be easily added once the pup understands what is wanted . The pup should feel that this exercise is fun and is not part of an obedience training exercise.
I crouch ,bending at the knees and at the waist ,then with the pup held on the lead on my left I use my right hand and arm in a piston like movement while holding the dummy right in its middle - a bit like a choo-choo train (showing my age here !) Then after two or three piston movements made to get the pups attention and to "wind it up " I release the dummy. It will only go a few feet - but that is o.k. I will now have given the pup several cue signals. I will have pointed the toe of my forward leg - I point with my right leg, towards where the target - the dummy, will land when I throw it. I will have semi - crouched or perhaps even fully crouched with a small dog breed or with a puppy. I will have used the "choo - choo" or piston signal . I now add a further verbal cue to this - I tell the dog rather excitedly to "Watchhhhhhhhhhh " using a drawn out "ch" sound at the end of the word. Remember all this this is done just prior to me lobbing the dummy a few feet.
Now the pup is walked away from the retrieve while still on the lead. It is very likely that the pup will turn and pull backwards towards the dummy as it is led away - mine all do ! Do not in any way correct the pup for doing this . This is not any kind of obedience exercise ! When the pup looks back as you walk away tell it once more in an excited voice to "Watchhhhhhhh !"
Turn at 20 -30 feet not yards and make ready to send your pup for the dummy. It will be sticking out like a sair thumb, to use an old Scottish expression. The grass is very short and so is the "send" distance, a pup should easily see it lying there for to begin with the memory retrieve is a visual thing and scent has nothing to do with it.
At this point I would like to digress slightly. There is a common misconception that a blind retrieve is most easily done if the wind is blowing straight from the dummy towards the dog. This is only true at very short distances. It is actually far easier to send a hunting breed for a longer distance blind retrieve if the dog is sent for it on a tail wind----- a wind that is blowing up the backside of you and your dog.
My reason for saying that is because hunting dogs are both encouraged and trained to always quarter into the wind. This makes sending a hunting dog straight into the wind a bit of a stop -start affair sometimes and that is putting it mildly ! Even some pretty experienced gundog trainers keep talking about "making it easier for the dog by sending it straight into the wind." I can pretty much guarantee that the same dog would be much easier to send out 100 yards on a tail wind than on a face wind. .........END OF DIGRESSSION .
I now repeat all of the cues given when I lobbed the dummy . I step forward on my right leg and point my toe at the dummy. I crouch , I now very gently remove the lead as I use the piston movement and tell my pup to "Watchhhhhh !" Very often - more often than not - my pup runs in before I have got any further. In no way is it corrected for doing this ! I just start all over again but keep a little firmer hold on the pup this time ! I eventually get to the stage where I can get all of the cues in before I send the pup rather than have it just run in. I never correct a run in at this stage of training. The pup is not at fault , it is simply demonstrating enthusiasm and that is what I want above all else.
A pup usually easily gets this ridiculously easy dummy with no problems. Next time I will walk away 10 feet further before sending the puppy back for the dummy. From there it is just a gradually increasing progression of increasing the walk - away distance. Do not move off short grass into cover for a good long time. The whole idea of doing this exercise is not to teach a pup to hunt. It is to teach it to believe that a retrieve will definetly be out there in the direction that you have "choo - chood !" .............and to teach it to run in a straight line in the direction indicated. Once things are going well - do not get slipshod about the way in which you cue your dog ! You will need all the help you can get when sending your dog for a real blind under real shooting conditions.
As I have already said, most dogs really love this exercise . From their point of view it will be a definite find and they will be able to really stretch their legs - really run while going out - and out - and out for it. More difficult elements can be added to the basic memory later - such as running and swimming straight over water ........yes I do walk my dogs right through rivers up to my hips ! ......But I do it in summertime ! "Sensible" fences are also crossed and woods are walked through. I think you will be amazed at what even a young pup will burst a gut trying to do to complete a memory retrieve.