# Practicing alone



## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

Hello all! Remy is a dog with a very high bird drive. However, when we are practicing alone with bumpers I just can't seem to get him to focus the way that he does when out in the field at training days. Any Advice? He is not retrieving blinds yet... What do you do to practice marks?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Will he do a sit-stay long enough for you to walk out in the field and throw the bumper from out there? 
What are you trying to get him to look out at? A pole? A bucket? or just a pile of bumpers?


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Can you give us a little information? What exactly is he doing that is showing a lack of focus?


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I am very much a newbie at this so please pardon my flaws in terms, etc. I have been practicing his recall by basically playing fetch with the bumpers at short distances while on the long line. This was recommended to me by someone in the club I just joined. If I throw out a tennis ball he's crazy about it... but using bumpers he does't seem to care. I'll throw them out and he'll run out all excited but then sniff them and not bring them back...


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Are you making him wait before sending? If you are I wouldn't at this stage. You want to build a very strong desire for the bumper. Maybe back up and just focus on playing.

How good is his recall without the bumper around distractions? Are you working on that independently?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

also, he's just now getting over teething. What kind of bumpers are you using? Are they hard plastic, or soft?


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

I am making him wait before sending... so I think I will go ahead and back up and allow him to fetch instantly. Also, we are using plastic bumpers. He does seem more enthused about the cloth but I've been encouraged to switch to plastic. His recall is normally pretty good but we found at training last weekend that as soon as he gets a bird in his mouth I'm not at all interesting to him!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Given a choice of bumpers or birds, any sane golden will take the bird


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

ashleylp said:


> I am making him wait before sending... so I think I will go ahead and back up and allow him to fetch instantly. Also, we are using plastic bumpers. He does seem more enthused about the cloth but I've been encouraged to switch to plastic. His recall is normally pretty good but we found at training last weekend that as soon as he gets a bird in his mouth I'm not at all interesting to him!


Back up in the waiting for sending. Retrieving and chasing something has to be fun for the dog. If you can get your hands on a Jackie Mertens video. Get it. Make a big deal out of the bumper. Tease him with it, make him want to go get it. Retrieving now should be a fun game and bringing it back to you is a good thing. Get to the serious stuff later. You have to build the desire to retrieve and coming back to you with it is a good thing..

If you teach Here with the long line teach it separately from retrieving until he knows recall means recall separate from the bumper. Then if you have too, put the retrieve in it. Recall may be not solid enough.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

I'll add keep retrieving items soft while the pup is teething, his mouth is sore. (Hard plastic bumpers are not easy to pick up or carry when your mouth hurts.) 

Working on steadiness can wait for now. Get the pup to GO first. (I usually hold puppies back only long enough for the bumper to hit the ground.) 

Canvas bumpers or paint rollers are the most common retrieve items for teething puppies.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

Before throwing out any suggestions, how old is Remy? What training have you given him? Is he through formal Basics? Any Transitional work?

EvanG


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## ashleylp (Jul 23, 2011)

Remy is just about 8 months old and we have just recently gotten into hunt. He has been out to three training days with the club we joined and has ran singles there with much success. We are working on obedience and we are just now going off leash with heeling. The club members sEem to think that he is a promising dog. Like I mentioned I am very new to this and dot know much of what I'm doing. I did just get the obedience disc of smart works, though! The club told us to continue to work on obedience and to add in "hold" and work on recall... So that is where we are at!


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

There are several ways to get real birds, and I strongly suggest making every effort to get and keep on hand at least 6 pigeons, which you can freeze for repeated use. In the freezer, real birds tend to collect moisture. That will keep them from lasting very long. The bet way to combat moisture is to put each individual bird in a small brown paper lunch sack, and twist it shut before placing your birds in the freezer. They'll last literally for several months if you keep them re-frozen.

Nothing will intensify thier desire like marks on real birds! You can hand throw them, or you can tie out an unsteady dog while you walk out to throw them. Keep them in little or no cover for a while.

EvanG


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I know many people in Texas that have started following Bill Hillmann's training system and are thrilled with the results. It might be worth checking out his DVD's. My obedience instructor drives out to his place daily to train her golden with him.


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