Teaching the motivational retrieve, part 1
MOTIVATIONAL RETRIEVE? Oh, no; not another article by some soft trainer who thinks a PLAY retrieve is all I need to compete! Before you close the page down in disgust, let me tell you that this is about a totally different type of retrieval training; a non play-based, no force, step-by-step TRAINED retrieve that comes with an escape clause (you can always force-train later if you fail with this method - you are burning no bridges).
No, I’m not bashing the forced retrieve. But it has some drawbacks, especially for the less experienced trainer. Those of you who are willing to consider a less blood-and-guts, stake-em-out approach, or those with a soft dog or a student who is unsure about doing a forced retrieve may find some food for thought here. And this offers another tactic for otherwise motivational trainers who have had no alternative to force for teaching a precise, reliable retrieve.
For a long time, there have been two basic ways to train the retrieve: you can try to build a play retrieve, or you can do a forced retrieve. Both methods have disadvantages; the play retrieve is often sloppy, imprecise, and unreliable and only works on certain dogs. The forced retrieve can be a brutal procedure if done poorly, needs to be performed by an expert with experience and good timing, and often backfires if not done correctly, producing a nervous, hesitant dog who hates the dumbbell.
There is another way to do it. You can train the retrieve step-by-step using motivational training just as you would for heeling or recalls, using a clicker and positive reinforcement.
Does it work?
Yes. When I was first investigating the possibility of teaching the retrieve this way, I needed a test subject that I wouldn’t ruin for competition should this method fail. I chose a client’s pet lab mix. Her name was Maggie and she had no prey drive whatsoever. When she first saw the dumbbell, she turned her head away and walked out of the room. I spent the first four training sessions trying in vain to teach her to take the dumbbell in her mouth, and I was about ready to declare the experiment a failure when she caught on to the idea. It was all uphill from there. Maggie became, in a very short period of time, an excellent, reliable, and precise retriever. She never refused retrieves, mouthed the dumbbell, ran away, or had any of the typical problems.
From there I went on to other pet dogs, and finally after getting really good results with them, I introduced this technique to some of my competition clients, including a very hard GSD with low food drive and a young Lab who wanted to play keep-away. I have been very pleased with it and so have my clients. Hunting dog trainers who work with soft breeds such as English Setters may also want to look into this as an alternative to force-breaking.
The basics of clicker training
You break your desired behavior (in this case, the retrieve) down into small steps (i.e., taking the dumbbell, holding the dumbbell, walking with the dumbbell, etc.) and start with the most basic step. As the dog gains an understanding of the first step, you slowly introduce extra requirements until you have trained the finished exercise. You are building your behavior (the retrieve) one brick at a time, so to speak.
The very first step is to teach your dog what the clicker means. (By the way, any short, distinct noise can be used; while they are very convenient, there is no special magic in a clicker).
You will need to teach the dog that when it hears the clicker, a positive reinforcement will follow shortly. This process is referred to as conditioning the dog to the clicker . In this article I will be referring to the reinforcement as a treat, and this is the easiest reinforcement to use in training, but other reinforcements such as balls or tugs can be used.
In order to condition the dog to the clicker, you will need a HUNGRY dog, a clicker, and some TASTY treats. Chopped hot dogs, roast beef, or cheese will work much better than dry dog biscuits. Simply click, then toss the dog a treat. Repeat this a number of times (15-20), then end the session. After four or five sessions the dog will know that click means treat. Then you are ready to begin training.
The first step: taking the dumbbell
Take a dish of treats, a clicker, and a LIGHTWEIGHT dumbbell into your living room, or your training field on a quiet day. I stress a lightweight dumbbell because it is easier for the dog to initially learn to hold and pick up than a heavy Schutzhund dumbbell. You can get lightweight AKC-style dumbbells at major pet stores or through obedience supply catalogs.
Not to worry, graduating to a heavier Schutzhund dumbbell is merely another brick in that behavior you are building.
Sit down and present the dumbbell to your dog, using no commands. He will probably sniff it. The instant he does, C&T (click and then give a treat). This interest in the dumbbell is your first brick. Present the dumbbell to the dog again and C&T if he sniffs it or bumps it with his nose. After your dog does this several times successfully, start clicking (remember, a click is always followed by a treat) only when your dog touches the bar of the dumbbell. Voila! You have just added a new requirement, another brick.
When the dog will touch the bar of the dumbbell for a click and a treat and has been reinforced for this several times in a row, it s time to get him to start taking it in his mouth. There are several ways to do this. If your dog is very mouthy sometimes it will work to simply present the dumbbell and wait while the dog touches it with his nose, and the dog, frustrated at not getting a treat, will mouth or grab the dumbbell, at which point you should click and reinforce with a jackpot (a large handful of treats).
If this doesn t work, rub hot dog, chicken fat, or a similar tasty substance on the bar of the dumbbell, wave it around in front of the dog for a few moments to get him excited, and then stop and wait for the dog to mouth the dumbbell. The first few times, he doesn t even have to take it all the way into his mouth; if he licks it or opens his mouth slightly, C&T!
If neither of these approaches gets results, there is another tactic that takes more time, but usually works. You will want to take the dog that is used to getting a treat for every nose bump of the dumbbell, and put that action on variable reinforcement . That means that he must learn to touch the dumbbell TWO times for one C&T. Simply let him touch the dumbbell as usual, but don t C&T. A moment later, he will touch the dumbbell again; at this point, C&T. Once the dog will touch the dumbbell twice for a click, have him start doing it three times.
When your dog will touch the dumbbell three times for one C&T, he is on a variable reinforcement schedule. This means he knows that if he keeps trying, he is likely to be reinforced at some point. If you STOP reinforcing the behavior (bumping the dumbbell) he will keep trying and become very frustrated. The dog will try even harder for a short period of time. This is called an extinction burst. During an extinction burst the dog will usually bark, move around, act crazy, and BITE THE DUMBBELL. Click and give the dog a jackpot when he does so.
When you have the dog mouthing the dumbbell (at this point, the dog will only be putting his mouth on it very loosely, not actually holding it; DO NOT let go of the dumbbell at any point as the dog will drop it), practice holding the dumbbell behind your back for a moment, then presenting it to the dog. When the dog mouths it, C&T. When your dog will mouth the dumbbell fairly quickly when you present it, it s time to move on and add another brick.
Your next goal is to get your dog to close his mouth on the dumbbell more firmly and for a SLIGHTLY longer period of time. Remember, you are working on take the dumbbell , not hold on to this thing until hell freezes over cause I said so! You will NOT actually be letting go of the dumbbell at this time.
Present the dumbbell and let the dog take it in his mouth, but instead of clicking the instant he takes it, wait for a split second. If the dog maintains his hold on the dumbbell, C&T. If he spits it out (he probably will!), simply wait for him to take it again, then C&T.
Repeat this sequence a number of times, jackpotting each time the dog holds on for a second longer than usual. Once the dog will grip the dumbbell and hold it for a few seconds, add another brick; allow a little of the weight of the dumbbell to fall on the dog s mouth. Very gradually let the dog hold more of the weight of the dumbbell until you are still holding it, but the dog is bearing most of the weight.
Once you reach this point, you have completed the single most time consuming step in teaching the clicker retrieve . Part Two of this article contains a slightly less detailed training plan for the rest of the steps involved; part Three covers troubleshooting any problems which may arise during training.
Recommended reading on motivational training:
Don t Shoot the Dog! By Karen Pryor. Probably the best book ever written on the effective use of positive reinforcement. Inexpensive and a must read.
Clicker Training for Dogs, by Karen Pryor. A very inspiring and well-written booklet explaining the basics of clicker training.
Excel-erated Learning by Pamela J. Reid, Ph.D. A scientific and thorough book on all aspects of canine learning. Explains operant conditioning and classical conditioning and how to use them effectively. Not strictly a motivational training book, it covers everything from clicker training to punishment and negative reinforcement clearly and objectively.
Schutzhund Obedience: Training in Drive by Dildei and Booth. The original book on motivational Schutzhund training, it is an excellent guide to one type of motivational training and well worth reading.
For fuller reviews of books cited above, visit the Training Books section.
This article written and copyrighted (1998) by Jessi Clark-White. All rights are reserved, and this article may not be duplicated in any manner without written permission from the author. Previously published in DogSports Magazine.
