THE RIGHT START

By Alice Woodyard

Many puppy owners are familiar with using food treats to teach a puppy things like "Sit," "Here," and "Down."  There are some other places where food can be useful in early training of retriever pups.   Here are some ideas.

RETURNING WITH A RETRIEVE OBJECT

When throwing things for a young pup to retrieve, I give food treats to encourage him to return to me.  Getting a treat when he gets to me with a retrieve object puts something more in it for the pup in addition to the petting and praise that you will, of course, be using when he retrieves.  With many pups, a treat for coming to you with his "prize" can avoid the "keep-away" syndrome from getting a foot hold with your youngster.  

Important:  After the pup eats the treat, he can have his object back to hold onto if he wants it.  I never "steal" the retrieve object from an unwilling pup who has just come to me, since this practice discouraging returning to me.  (See the SIDEBAR: Puppy Refuses to Release Retrieve Objects-So What?)

Treats vs. Ropes.  I prefer using treats to encourage a return with the object rather than using a rope on the pup to haul or yank him to me and "correct him for not coming."  A light line on the puppy is useful to keep him from leaving the area entirely with his "prize" and developing the habit of gnawing on it in some "lair" he's decided is a good hiding place, but that's actually a different use. It's "management" rather than "obedience training."  

To use a dragging line (about 20 feet long or so, and NO LOOP OR KNOT in the end) for management during retrieve practice, you get the puppy to come to you by some other means.  When he's close to you, you take hold of the dragging line so that he can't totally take off again.  You might even follow him briefly as he carries his "prize," rather than making him follow you the moment you have a hold of the line.  Again, think "management" rather than "obedience."  You don't want him lying down and gnawing on what he's retrieved, but as long as he's on his feet and moving he can't do that.

I don't want any aspect of the retrieving experience to be Not Fun for a puppy, and being hauled or yanked around by the neck while trying desperately to cling to the retrieve object which is so important to him is very upsetting to a youngster with high retrieve desire.  I choose times other than during the retrieving game to get into the "You must come when you're called" issue.  My philosophy is to keep retrieving and obedience separate when they're very young, and structure the former sessions to keep the puppy out of trouble rather than "correcting" him for errors.

But He Has to Drop the Object to Eat the Treat!  Sure he does.  I know I'm reinforcing dropping the object by rewarding him for returning, but I don't care, since I know that later in his life a formal retrieve training program will ensure that he holds onto what he's carrying and that he'll deliver to hand as an obedience matter.  Also, the puppies I work with usually have so much desire to possess the retrieve object that dropping it isn't a major concern.  They only drop it when they have to in order to eat the goodie.  So they're not dropping it out in the field.  They are doing the essence of "retrieving," which is bringing an object to a person, even when tiny puppies.  Extending the retrieve behavior to include "delivery to hand" can and will be dealt with later.  (This observation is based on an assumption that, like the vast majority of retriever trainers, you will be using some kind of formal retrieve training ["force fetch" or whatever program you like] later on, and won't be relying totally on puppy habits to get your delivery to hand.)

THE "OUT AND BACK" GAME

I've used a double treat method to develop a habit of "run out/run back" that seems to help many puppies learn a habit that carries over to retrieving sessions.  This way, I get the return I need in a puppy retrieve session, and no food is actually needed during the retrieving session, or only rarely.  

"Run out/run back" is simple to teach, and requires a food dish (a large visible one) and an assistant with treats.  I hold the pup and have him watch the assistant drop the goodie in the bowl and then step away from the bowl.  I release the pup to go get the treat.  When you introduce this, your assistant and the food dish should be only a yard or two away from the puppy until he catches on.  Then you can lengthen it out.  Be sure the puppy can see the dish all the way out, so a lawn or smooth dirt area is the best place for this training.

As soon as the puppy eats the treat, you should be right behind him offering another treat and attracting him to return to you with excited praise.  The pups quickly learn that this is a big game of rush out and rush back, and you don't need to be right behind the puppy with the treat.  You should be some distance away when you call the puppy.  Now he is developing the habit of returning to where ever he was sent from, and with huge enthusiasm.

Besides making retrieve practice sessions go more smoothly with a young puppy, the run out/run back habit is helpful if you want someone else to run him so you can do the throwing.  It avoids a confused puppy who tries to return the object to you, the thrower, instead of his "handler."

The complete article can be found in the Fall 2002 issue.