# Back Cast?



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

my trainer is adamant that you teach turning in both directions, at your command (back cast left, back cast right). 
The dog is never going to sit exactly squared with the bird (after all, if she was you wouldn't be stopping her!) so you will want her to veer a little to one side or the other.
More importantly, there might be something you want her to avoid (like the area of the last fall) so you want to turn her away from it rather than toward it.
I'd go with your group and teach both ways. At some point down the road, you'll be really glad that you did.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

You need both, left and right back casts. 
When teaching three handed casting it helps to work on combinations in one session Right back and Right Overs for example. This way you get the dog turning in the correct direction for that session. The next session work on Left backs and Left Overs. When they demonstrate proficiency with each direction you can begin to mix lefts and rights in the same session.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

Per the late Rex Carr, it's called "Two-hands Back", and I teach it during the first basic handling drill, which is know as "3-handed Casting". It looks like this.





 
What follows is Mini-T, and it's done in the same place, at the same distances, and still on a rope for low pressure control. These drills immediately preceed Single T and Double T. Are you familiar with any of this?

EvanG


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

No, I am totally new and learning as I go. It is nice to have an experience group help guide me and point out when I make mistakes  Like I said in the other thread, I intend on picking up a retriever drill book but just haven't yet.

SwampCollie--thanks for the tip, I think that will help a lot. I've been really using my body to try and emphasize correct directions but its not so fun.

---------------------------------

Any thoughts on using 'out' instead of 'back'? I already taught her back means to back-up so I need a new word. The only one I can think of is 'out' however, I worry about that sounding too much like 'Scout.'


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

you might try "get back". 
Different sound.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

GoldenSail said:


> No, I am totally new and learning as I go. It is nice to have an experience group help guide me and point out when I make mistakes  Like I said in the other thread, I intend on picking up a retriever drill book but just haven't yet.
> 
> SwampCollie--thanks for the tip, I think that will help a lot. I've been really using my body to try and emphasize correct directions but its not so fun.
> 
> ...


First of all, dogs don't speak English, so the word you use has no impact until you train the dog to associate the command (word) with a distinct act. "Back" is a sport-wide standard. What makes it work is quality training. But we're ahead of the process for the dog in question. Any working retriever needs a full set of solid Basics. This is what I'm talking about.


*The components of Basics in order*​ 


1) “Here”​2) “Heel & Sit”
3) “Hold”; automatically evolves to Walking “Hold, Heel, Sit”
4) “Fetch”; ear pinch, which evolves into Walking “Fetch” & “Fetch-no-fetch”, e-collar conditioning to “Fetch”
5) Pile work, including Mini-pile, Nine bumper pile; AKA Force to pile
6) 3-handed casting; teaching the 3 basic casts – “Back” and both “Over’s”, including 2-hands _“Back”_
7) Mini tee; includes collar conditioning to all basic commands, transferring to the _go, stop, cast _functions in micro dimension as preparation for the Single tee. *Also includes De-bolting*
8) Single tee
9) Double tee
10)Water tee with Swim-by

First things first. The most complete book on Basics & Transition is Smartwork for Retrievers; Basics & Transition. You can see it HERE

EvanG


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