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Subject: Re: [working-gundog] more stuff on retrieving

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cwalt

MH
Posts:180

08/29/2008 10:51 AM
Sonia Skinner wrote: >> write about anything that occurs to me... Perhaps we should go back to >> Marg's request: how do you ceremonially greet your dogs on a delivery to >> hand and accept their offering? >> Cj >> > > Yes, lets do that. Bet we don't! > ~~~~~~~~~~~~ You lose the bet. The whole point about retrieving isn't sending the dog out, it's bringing the dog back. From the dog's viewpoint dropping the dummy in front of the handler is a solicitation to play. If the dog is uncertain about the handler's mood it's always safer to invite playing than to make a mistake in delivering. That's an anthropomorphic view of dog behavior that shouldn't be asserted by an ethologist but "it's something like that". I've always felt more secure about competitive events if I provide the dog with a ceremonial, and therefore desirable, finish to the delivery after a retrieve. I like the dog to come directly towards me and sit and raise its head to present the game. That's sometimes a difficult training task with a soft dog that doesn't want to raise its head to face you. One of the solutions with non-retrieving dogs is to slap your chest and have the dog leap up, plant its front feet on your chest and present the retrieved game to you face to face. That sounds strange but it's a perfectly respectable way to present if you don't mind mud all over you. I know a fellow who breeds pointers that don't like to retrieve, he trains all his dogs to deliver by jumping up on him and none of his dogs are ever reluctant to present the retrieved bird. This method 'pumps-up the dog's eagerness to deliver. Now strict retriever trainers are aghast at that practice but with versatile dogs of European background it's an acceptable delivery method. You might consider this method with reluctant dogs, especially since it can be easier to transition an eager delivery to chest to a sit and present than to train an unwilling dog to sit and present the trophy to you. Now if you've considered the paws to chest delivery you can contemplate a presentation ceremony as an alternative. The presentation ceremony is a two way ritual that requires two participants to interact. As the dog approaches I lower myself to one knee and smile at the dog while avoiding direct eye contact, my hands are held out to the sides in a welcoming gesture. Ideally the dog approaches close enough so that when I kneel the dog sits facing me. The easy way to do this is to extend my right hand in a low, but gently rising, lift that places my fingertips under the tip of the dog's chin. This action serves two purposes, it gently raises the dog's face to mine and helps to keep the dog's mouth closed on the dummy or bird. As I gently lift I also press slightly away from me and this helps the dog to sit. With a real smile, and avoiding staring at the dog, I ask the dog to 'give' and lower my finger tips so that the dog's jaw can relax and the trophy can roll into my palm. Then I move my other hand to the dog's shoulder and stroke gently while thanking the dog. This little coordinated ceremonial delivery has helped a number of hesitant dogs to deliver positively over the years and I have found no better ceremonial to shape a delivery to hand. I have a lot more to say about shaping the delivery to hand as a technique to polish retrieving all the way back to the initial 'fetch' command if you are interested. Cj

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