# Retriever not retrieving?



## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

Hi everyone,

I'm sad today, and a bit jealous. I met up with my friend who has a chocolate lab that retrieves anything he wants. He throws something, snaps his fingers, and off she goes. He said that in order for me to teach Barkley to retrieve, I should have started a long time ago. 
Well, Barkley is still a puppy, isn't he. I mean, he is nine months. He sits, stays, lies down, waits, comes when called, commands which I practice with him everyday. He recently started to walk off the leash. 
However, I want him to learn to retrieve other items besides his ball, like my keys, a stick, my shoes, his leash, and of course my favorite, the TV remote  . 
But I'm sad because I feel my friend might be right, its too late. Is it?


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Of course not! http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Sidney didn't even do full retrieves outdoors until he was almost a year old... and now he'll retrieve anything we throw and all the things we've given a name to... (everyone of his toys has a 'name' as well as the Frisbee and tennis balls).

...And Barkley is still a puppy and will remain one for at least another year... so whenever he completely understands how the retrieve game is suppose to work, the rest is nothing more than giving unique names to items you want him to retrieve... dogs are like humans, they never stop learning.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Yeah....and despite the saying, You can teach an old dog new tricks...


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## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

That makes me feel better. There's still hope. I guess its going to take some time.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

no problem at that age...retrieving is my dogs primary function.. up to about 7 or 8 months its just a game.. at that point it is formalized and becomes their life.. so you are at the exact age..


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Its not to late!!!I just recently adopted Houdini( a rescue) He is 15 months old and the people who had him before didnt spend any time with him let alone feed him... I got him 6 weeks ago and he loves to retrieve things.... by watching him you would have thought hes been doing this a very long time...Maggie my 10 month old has been doing for a while ,there are times she is real good about bringing it to me and dropping it... other times its a game to her... Keep working on it.... He will get it..


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

RickGibbs said:


> Yeah....and despite the saying, You can teach an old dog new tricks...


I think that saying really applies to people like Greg and me...


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

nah.. I learned a new trick just the other day...


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

I don't believe it's ever too late to train, goldens are very smart dogs and pick up quickly. While some may be better at retrieving, most still can and do retrieve....or at least they should because that is the breed.

Go for it....and when ya get it, hope you get some pics.


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## Paul B (Jan 2, 2006)

Hmm... I think I need to increase the training aspect with Harvey again because he's still not retrieving either.

He can do a bit, but most of the time he'll go get it, bring it back, and then run off with it again before you can take it. He just wants to play Tug all the time. Or he wants me to chase him. :uhoh: 

Having said that, if we visit the lake, he will go in after a stick, swim back and drop it on the bank for me. All before shaking off and soaking me of course!  

Still, despite him now being a year old, I reckon he's still learning, and its not too late for him to 'get it' yet.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

ok guys.. here is the poop.. how you teach a formal trained retrieve.. 
first of all, your dog needs to come when called.. that is vital..lots of people that say their dog wont retrieve really mean their dog wont come to them when called.. and also in the real trained retrieve, they need to know to come to heel..but that is not so important for what most of you are looking for..
1. teach "hold".. take the item.. a rolled up sock or paint roller both work well for this.. put the item in their mouth and command hold.. if they drop it..put it right back in and command hold..pushing up on their lower jaw.. stay with this until they do hold and dont drop the item.. hold is a command..
2. teach "fetch".. take the item you have been working with.... command "fetch".. then put it in their mouth.. most of them will soon reach for the item.. keep at this until when you say fetch, they are grabbing it out of your hand.. then put it on the ground.. command fetch... when they are grabbing it off the ground, then you are well on your way..
3. put the dog on leash... lay several of the items you have been using..like several rolled up socks on the ground ...lead the dog around and on about every other one point at it and command fetch.. when they are doing that, you about have it..
4. now.. put the item at a distance.. a few yards.. dog off leash.. at heel.. line him up so he is facing and can see the object.. command fetch.. he should be going for it.. if not..get closer.. keep at it until he is going out to 50 yards or further when you command..
5. now you can switch to other items.. the remote or whatever.. 
6. in doing this, you are switching it from a game to a command.. he must go get the item ...
7. now.. when he brings it back..keep telling him to hold.. i bring my dog to heel, but you dont really need to.. he needs to hold it until you take it or command "drop"..


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## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

Paul B said:


> Hmm... He can do a bit, but most of the time he'll go get it, bring it back, and then run off with it again before you can take it.


:lol: Sounds like Barkley to me. He does this to my six year old. My son goes nuts, just when he thinks that Barkley is coming near him with the ball, he gets so exited, and then Barkley looks at him and turns around.


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## bailey75 (Feb 7, 2006)

Bailey is 7 months now and she's not been great at retrieving, we've been trying to get her to do it since we had her (been 5 months now). We throw the ball and say "fetch" which she does wonderfully but then just forgets to bring it back to us and takes it to her seat and continues to chew/play with it.

But yesterday I think I had a break through with her - I threw the ball said "fetch" (she does wait for me to say "fetch", she doesn't just run and get it) and she came running back towards me and dropped it near(ish) to my feet, we repeated this several times.

It has just taken a little time for her to understand what exactly it is we wanted her to do, but this has all come at the same time we have seen her mature a little more - for us it's just been an age thing!


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## davebeech (Feb 11, 2006)

Paul B said:


> He can do a bit, but most of the time he'll go get it, bring it back, and then run off with it again before you can take it. He just wants to play Tug all the time. Or he wants me to chase him. :uhoh:
> .


That's Tom !!! he just loves the chase me bit routine, like this morning, he decided to have a roll in some horse muck, I'm shouting NO !! OUT !! he darts off then darts back in again then does it all over again, if anybody had seen us they'd have thought "what a plonka" I'm sure he only does it tease me ??


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## krbshappy71 (Dec 30, 2005)

Thank you for this thread!! I was searching the forums for help with this. Josie will fetch and retrieve a ball or toy in the house with the other dogs but when outside off-leash just chases the other dogs instead, rarely bringing back the ball herself. If she even got the ball, she would sometimes just drop it to tackle whichever dog came up to her. So thought I should take her out alone so we could have a good fetch session without the other dogs since she seems to need so much more exercise than they do. She brought it back ONCE and then proceeded to lope after the ball, not even pick it up, sniff sniff sniff around "ooh whats this...hmmm..." and eventually would not even go after the ball. Sounds to me like I didn't truly have the basics down with her on Fetch, I think I moved too fast, darn! Great thread, going to work with her on making it a command.


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