Teaching the motivational retrieve, part three
Parts One and Two covered how to teach a perfect retrieve on a series of simple, foolproof steps which work for all trainers and all dogs, regardless of breed or temperament
Hah! Back in the real world here, we all know that dogs don t read training plans. It s very pleasant if an article or a book has a terrific section on How to Teach Rover X Exercise in Only Five Minutes , but what to do when dear Rover doesn t respond as planned?
The miracle solution is well, okay, I don t have one! But I can answer some common questions and address some of the problems that can arise when teaching the clicker retrieve.
Q: I d like to try this, but someone tried to teach my dog the forced retrieve once, and my dog hates the dumbbell. How can I teach him the retrieve when he runs away as soon as I bring out the dumbbell?
A: All right, fess up. It was you who tried to teach him the retrieve, right? Now that we ve settled that little issue, you are obviously going to have to teach your dog to like his dumbbell (no, NOT by taping his mouth shut around it, please!). Try this instead. When you get ready to feed your dog, put his bowl down. Place his dumbbell inside it. Then pour his food into the bowl on top of the dumbbell.
Another nifty trick involves a dumbbell, two pieces of string, and a hot dog. Tie the hot dog firmly to the dumbbell and throw it down on the floor. Leave it there until the dog gets up the nerve to eat the hot dog (if the hot dog starts to turn green, try again the next day with a new one). When your dog has decided that he likes the dumbbell, start training the retrieve.
Q: I didn t have any trouble teaching my dog to take the dumbbell; in fact, he grabbed it out of my hand and proceeded to play keepaway for 16 minutes. What now?
A: When he finally brings it to you, beat him. NOT!! Remember - never correct a dog for bringing you a stolen object. With that watchword in mind, use the following measures to convince the pooch that dumbbell does not equal dog toy . First, find something that the dog does not find quite so attractive to use as a dumbbell. Sometimes switching to a heavier dumbbell will do the trick. If not, try getting some thin, flexible sheet metal and wrapping it around the bar of the dumbbell so that the biting surface is metal, which dogs don t usually care for. You may have to paint the ends of the dumbbell with pepper sauce so that he doesn t grab them instead.
Second, tie a long rope to the dumbbell (retractable Flexi style dog leads work great) and hold onto the end. If your dog starts to take off for greener pastures, use the line to pop the dumbbell out of his mouth (gently be careful not to injure any teeth), and take it away, ending the game for the time being.
Q: My dog sometimes picks the dumbbell up by the end. Anything I can do about that, or is it just an Upper Mongolian Fishhound trait?
A: That s a moot point, because your breed can t learn to retrieve if it doesn t exist. But if you had a GSD, you could correct this problem by simply failing to reinforce him when he retrieved the dumbbell by the end. If he never gers rewarded for it, he ll stop doing it after a while (like when you finally quit trying to start the lawnmower by hitting the OFF switch!). This technique is useful for correcting many of the problems that the dog may have.
Q: I knew this dog was worthless, and now I have unassailable proof. Half the time, he (gasp) drops his dumbbell! Know where I could sell him?
A: The pound will take him, for a $15.00 fee. If you don t want to spend the money, apply the tactic listed above for teaching the dog not to pick up his dumbbell by the end. Maybe you ll decide to keep him after all.
Q: I know there s nothing that can be done about MY problem. I ve always had problems with mouthing or chewing on the dumbbell.
A: You chew on dumbbells? How fascinating! Maybe a psychologist could help. If your dog had this problem, I d give you the same advice as the owner of the Upper Mongolian Fishhound.
Q: What do I do when the dog quits in the middle of a retrieve, having decided that for the time being a mythical flea behind his ear is a matter of far higher priority?
A: If the dog stops to scratch or becomes simply mildly distracted, simply help him re-focus on the dumbbell and complete the retrieve. Do not reward that repetition of the exercise; just take the dumbbell without emotion and throw it again. If he retrieves correctly this time, reward him! If the dog becomes completely distracted (i.e., spots the neighbor s cat and responds to the call of the wild), snatch the dumbbell up and end the session by putting your dog back in the house, crate, or kennel.
After your dog has learned to retrieve correctly under ideal conditions, it s time to start the distraction-proofing process. As with any other exercise, the dog must be gradually trained to per form under increasingly difficult circumstances well BEFORE trial day.
If you have experience in motivational training, you are doubtless familiar with the process of exposing the dog to a mild distraction, rewarding him for completing the exercise, then adding a somewhat stronger distraction, rewarding the dog for completing the exercise, and so on.
If not, I recommend the motivational training classic Schutzhund Obedience: Training in Drive, by Dildei and Booth.
Q: This is all very well and good, but anyone with the brains of a tropical fish must realize that I can t feed my dog in a trial, and my hot dog bill matches my charge card payments. What now?
A: Start buying generic hot dogs (sorry, Oscar Meyer). Purchasing case lots can also be helpful, as can going in with other trainers and sharing a truckload. But on the positive side, the retrieve can become self-reinforcing (in other words, the dog does it just for fun). Even if your dog was not a natural retriever to start with, he may start enjoying it now that he knows the game. It may even get to the point where you can use the chance to retrieve as a reinforcement for good performance of another exercise. But once the dog is trained, start reinforcing only the REALLY good retrieves with food. The rest of the time use reinforcers such as enthusiastic praise or the opportunity to perform another favorite exercise. One useful exercise is the Keep Going Drill .
Over the course of several training sessions, notice what your typical rate of reinforcement is. For example, let s say that (on average) you praise your dog for two retrieves and reinforce a third with food. This means that the dog is retrieving three times for one food reward, and being encouraged to keep going with praise.
So, prepare a large jackpot (two finely chopped hot dogs would work well) and head for the training field. Act a little more nervous and reserved than usual. Get the dog out and do FOUR retrieves, praising each one minimally. When the dog completes the fourth retrieve, explode with praise, dance around the field, and feed him the entire serving of hot dogs bit by bit as you do so. End the session there and go home. Train normally for a couple of sessions, once again making sure that you reinforce only the really good retrieves, and then you can do another Keep Going Drill. Try five retrieves this time.
This practice conditions the dog to keep going even if he has to perform for an unusually long time with no reinforcement, because the jackpot that follows is well worth waiting for. Just make sure you don t do this every session.
Well, I hope this article has given you something to think about. While a motivational retrieve may not be the right choice for everyone, it is a positive and effective option for those who want to use it. Retrieving can be trained motivationally just as successfully as heeling, recalls, and other exercises. We just aren t used to the concept, and trying a new technique can be scary because the retrieve is an important exercise. Just remember that you are not burning any bridges. If you should decide that this doesn t work for you, you can fall back on any of the traditional training options with no harm done.
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.
