The video clip above show my young dog Lu performing an energetic send away and retrieve. She drops the ball on the way back but her enthusiam and energy show just how much she loves to work. 

I often think of retrieving as a finished article. When you think about it retrieving incorporates the searching carrying, holding and releasing of the target object.

This article will concentrate on the carrying and releasing of an object.

There are many natural retrievers who will happily carry a rolled up sock or a toys from around 5 or 6 weeks old.

There are other breeds who will happily carry an object but don’t have the natural scenting ability to seek out lost objects.

Whenever possible, I prefer to enhance and shape a natural behaviour. If the dog has any inclination to carry objects, place him on a training line, throw the object within range so he doesn’t get jerked on the line, wait until he picks up the object and start to walk swiftly in the opposite direction. Praise him for walking with you with the object in his mouth. Stop and gently reel in the training line and offer him lots of praise when he is beside you.

To remove the object from his mouth,  I stand with the dog at my side. I place one hand under his bottom jaw and gently remove the object from his mouth with other hand. I find that dogs are more willing to relinquish the object using this method as there is no confrontation or eye contact. Always reward the dog for releasing the object.

These sessions have to be fun. I would suggest playing with a puppy for a minute or two three or four times a day. If you dealing with an older dog, start with 3 or 4 retrieves per session. Try and make these high energy sessions and offer lots of praise.

The important aspect of this training method is to ensure that you are in control at all times. The training line ensures that he cant grab the object and “high tail” it across the park and play “you cant catch me” with you.

Don’t be tempted to start begging him to bring the object back to you. By swiftly walking in the opposite direction once he has lifted the object, you are inciting the carrying motion. The dog has no option but to follow you. He may drop the object in the process but that’s no big deal. Please don’t be tempted to encourage him to go back and pick it up. Reel him in towards you, don’t praise him, just walk towards the object. If he sees the object, run and picks it up, that’s fine, just start walking in the opposite direction and praise him for following you.  You can gradually decrease the amount you have to walk after the dog picks up the object until you can stand in a stationary position and send the dog for the object.

Please remember that you are associating the carrying of the object with a pleasurable response and you are conditioning the dog to comply with your requests. The dog needs to work out what gets him loads of praise. The penny will drop once he realises that running towards the object, picking it up and running towards you is fun and gets him loads of praise.

When you can perform this consistently, you can start to ask the dog to wait a few seconds after the object has been thrown before he is released to retrieve. I find it easier if someone else throws the object and you concentrate on keeping the dog under control.

Once he is accustomed to waiting a few seconds before he is released, you can associate a word with send him to retrieve it. I use “find it” when I’m sending my dogs to search for a blind item. I use “out” when I’m releasing them to retrieve a visible object. The command is irrelevant, the association between the command and the action is paramount.

The next step is to associate a command with the release of the object from the dogs mouth. I issue the command “drop it” as the dog lightens his grip of the object. I don’t issue the command and drag the object out of his mouth as this actually encourages him to grip the object rather that release it.

Next step is to encourage the dog to wait a few seconds before he releases the object. This is easy and forms the foundation of the hold command. To initiate the hold, I simply wait a few seconds before I place my right hand under the dogs jaw. Gradually increase the delay in him returning to you and the release of the object.

Don’t worry if the dog returns to you and drops the object at your feet. He is simply attempting to accelerate the delivery of his reward. Don’t issue any praise, just pick up the object, walk a few steps then repeat the exercise. Make a fuss of him when he holds the object in his mouth and releases it when you place you hand over his jaw.

From this point on, you can shape the behaviour to get the dog to carry the paper home from the newsagents or carry a lunchbox to his dad when he’s working in the garden etc.

I constantly ask Oscar to carry empty plastic bottles out to the rubbish bin for me. I ask him to carry his towel to the washing basket and he loves carry the shopping bags from the car into the house.  I have my retrieve broken down to a send away, a pick up, a carry, a hold and a release. I can use each command in isolation. I use the pick it up command to ask the dog to pick up an object in the house for me. I can also ask them to hold an object for me. The combinations and uses for the retrieve components are endless. Get your dog involved in everyday household tasks. It great fun for the dog.

Here is a short clip of Lu performing a blind retrieve over a fence.  Enjoy ........