Anything a dog puts in their mouth is special, at least to your pet it is. Consequently it makes sense that the initial step in coaching your canine to retrieve would be to get your dog psyched to show you his "Treasure". All your canine must do to master this step is come back with his treasure. The main focus here is on the Bring, not the Give.
You will need to line up various toys and goodies. Should your K9 be dog is too treat targeted and will not leave your side if there's a treat on the scene, you have to leave food rewards out of the equation all together. For that reason, in this case your overwhelming excitement and love will be you dog's reward. You can begin with gently throwing a toy a couple of feet away from you. Each time your dog brings the toy back to you, shower him with praise but do not take the toy away from him. As your dog catches on and comes jogging back to you beaming contentedly, state to him "Bring". Patience plus repetition is vital so your dog can easily learn this. In the event you discover your dog is just not understanding this, then maybe your wonderful furry friend is still playing keep away? If that's the case, try going into a small area in your house, such as perhaps a bathroom. Lightly toss the toy. The second your dog picks it up, start praising or giving him a treat. Continue this game until finally your dog's point of view shifts. As soon as your dog arrives, toy in mouth, praise along with petting him heartily, or maybe give him his favorite treat, leaving the object in his mouth. A different option may be to toss him a different toy. If your dog ignores you whenever he obtains the toy, you could try running from him once he has picked the toy up. In case he still will not bring it back, pretend to eat a bit of his treat. When he brings the toy back over to you, praise him and lavish him with love but do not reach for the toy at this time. Once your dog gets the hang of this and is bringing you the toy with the "Bring" command, you are then all set for the "Give" command.
Relinquishing an a toy is the trickiest portion of the retrieve, specifically if you have chased your canine for items in the past. A little something to always remember is, when you run after a dog to get a special toy or other object, you happen to be communicating "Prize jealousy", of which what ever the dog has, must have value since you really want it back. Be patient, be consistent, never lose your temper, your dog is simply trying to outsmart you. A graceful retreat is not failing.
The next step will then be the "Give" command. Do not ever chase your dog in order to get him to give up the toy, as an alternative, teach the "Give" command and remember to always be patient and consistant.
With your dog's favorite toy or treats in close proximity, call your canine over, show him the toy, and praise him as soon as he takes it. With a treat in hand state "Give" Praise him and reward him the instant he picks it up, look at him and say "Give" while you reward the release. To signal the "Give" order, open your palm and hold it in front of your dog's mouth. Chances are you'll discover that your dog releases the toy as soon as you approach or tosses the toy on the ground near you. Although this is satisfactory when starting out, you ultimately will want to be more selective with your rewards.
Deliveries are to be made mouth to hand. This is one way to form this specific behavior. Once more call your dog over to you from exactly the same place you started off from the first time. Present your dog the toy and state "Give" as you extend your hand under your dog's mouth. Should your dog tosses it on the floor, ignore the result and start over from the beginning once again, praise and reward him the moment the toy drops into your hand. Remember to always be patient and consistent. Make use of this process over and over again until eventually your dog learns it.
Author Resource:
The Kong Dog Toy is rough and tough, just like your dog!
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")