# so first day of training...



## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

I got one of those canvas drag things? and some duck scent, and put a little bit of the duck scent on the canvas drag ( thats what the store called them), then we played fetch for ten minutes, she loved it!!!! she went after it everytime and brought it back, now she dropped it when she brought it back, and from what ive heard she is supposed to sit and hold it untill i take it from her, should i worry about that right now or keep working with her on getting it and bringing it back? 
i want to keep the training short and fun, so I will play fetch with her again for 10 minutes tonight. another question, ive heard you are supposed to put duck scent on it and drag it through the ground and hide it in a bush, then have her go after it and bring it back, when should i start this?
should i just play fetch and get her excited about the canvas drag for the next few days or should i work on other stuff?
thanks!!!


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Don't worry about sitting and holding just yet. For now, you know you have a retriever that loves to do just that! The dragging thingy is more for the pointers and flushers which you can eventually start, but you want to concentrate on marking falls (watching where bumpers are thrown and going for them). Don't get carried away with the scent either, I myself have never used it (I have some though). If you do too much dragging your dog will rely on her nose vs. her eyes. 

One BIG thing is you want to stop the training when she is having a great time. Keep her wanting more. 3-4 throws to start. Hold her with a buckle collar just long enough to watch the fall then release her with her name (she'll learn that this means to fetch) to get the bumper. Hope this helps.


----------



## acquila (Dec 24, 2008)

thanks!!!! the thing i got is the same thing thats in your profile pic, i think its called a drag but i'm not sure, and I'm throwing it up really high, and she is keeping her eyes on it untill it lands, then she runs to get it.


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

In field work, it's called a bumper I guess because it resembles a boat bumper. They come in all shapes and sizes. To start with I would use only white or half white, half black. You want it to be very visible, which also brings up the fact that you want to be doing retrieves in very flat and little or no cover (heavy cover would make it hard to see the bumper after its thrown). You want your dog to have success every time in the beginning.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

my bumpers are on order....can't wait.....


----------



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> my bumpers are on order....can't wait.....


Yay! You are going to have so much fun!


----------



## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Women are known to have large shoe collections, me, I have can't resist buying bumpers when I see them for a good price. I could probably outfit the whole county with bumpers! D has told me he thinks I have enough. (Never!)


----------

