# Need to learn how to HOLD quickly



## AcesWild (Nov 29, 2008)

Are you getting paid for pre-training?

You can try putting the toy in the mouth holding under the chin and saying hold, remove hand click and treat after she drops it. How much time do you have...two days?


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

How much duration does she have on a motionless stay?
If she understand the concept of stay and dont move a muscle...then you can likely get a photoshoot hold in a day or two...

Train at mealtime....
She takes 'it'....dish comes toward her ...she drops it dish moves away..she takes..dish moves toward her...she drops it...dish moves away..
Simplistic....but do you get what I mean?
Becuase it is a photo shoot.....you can offer a signal & verbal 'stay' or 'hold'

What will she be asked to hold? Do you need to desensitize for metal or glass in addition to teaching the hold?

Will she be sitting or standing....
Sometimes teaching one or the other creates a wrinkle....


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## AcesWild (Nov 29, 2008)

Do you know what distance from murphy you need to be? (Distance is always the hardest thing for me)


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

I have until Saturday maybe Sunday. I don't know yet exactly what she needs to hold. She can do a Sit/Stay long enough and I would be behind the photographer.

It will be a toy of some sort....they want her to preferably sit but a down is also ok. Or a stand too. I will try with her dinner tonight.

thanks alot!


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## Kohanagold (Nov 5, 2008)

Place it in her mouth and tell her "hold" with your hand under her chin. Then stroke her and tell her "good hold". If she goofs around with it, tell her "no. hold." and then "good hold". Then tell her "give" or whatever the "give it to me" command is and then give her the treat when you have it in your hand. Then start making her hold for longer and longer. Then, as she is starting to understand, take your hand away from her chin and stop stroking her. Instead, take a step back and tell her "good hold" very calmly. Then step back to her and tell her good hold, and stroke her and tell her "give" (or whatever). Now 2 steps back. Then 3, and so on. If she drops it, very quickly tell her "no" (I use "uh") and then tell her "hold" as you put it back in her mouth, and then tell her again, with your hand on her mouth and pointing her head up so she looks you right in the eye, "hold" and then step back again. Keep it low key though because the moment there is excitement and she thinks she's going to play, it all goes out the window. Good luck, BJ


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

My only caution is that you may loose that perky, happy, Golden 'look' if you rush it too fast. If she percieves HOLD as a boring exercise or one that she doesnt love to do...you (or the photographer) may be disspointed in her expression
Becareful and pay attention to her attitude.....
Keep her attitude up even if you cant get the duration you hope for....


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Thanks BJ! Sounds very helpful. You are right about keeping it low key.....I get it. I can't wait to get home tonight to work with her!

Pam


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## Allie (Nov 30, 2008)

Kohanagold said:


> Place it in her mouth and tell her "hold" with your hand under her chin. Then stroke her and tell her "good hold". If she goofs around with it, tell her "no. hold." and then "good hold". Then tell her "give" or whatever the "give it to me" command is and then give her the treat when you have it in your hand. Then start making her hold for longer and longer. Then, as she is starting to understand, take your hand away from her chin and stop stroking her. Instead, take a step back and tell her "good hold" very calmly. Then step back to her and tell her good hold, and stroke her and tell her "give" (or whatever). Now 2 steps back. Then 3, and so on. If she drops it, very quickly tell her "no" (I use "uh") and then tell her "hold" as you put it back in her mouth, and then tell her again, with your hand on her mouth and pointing her head up so she looks you right in the eye, "hold" and then step back again. Keep it low key though because the moment there is excitement and she thinks she's going to play, it all goes out the window. Good luck, BJ


This method worked for me. And she maintained the happy Golden look while holding it.


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## Kohanagold (Nov 5, 2008)

pb1221 said:


> Thanks BJ! Sounds very helpful. You are right about keeping it low key.....I get it. I can't wait to get home tonight to work with her!
> 
> Pam


You're very welcome! It should actually go fairly quickly. If you just need a picture, it shouldn't take long because you dont need her to hold it long before you get your picture. I taught Sydney to hold, and she was very unreliable with how long she'd hold for (although you can keep repeating it to them while you get the picture), but I managed to get her to hold for long enough to get this picture.

Paige, on the other hand, I want an obedience hold, but taught her the same way. Let us know how it goes! BJ


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## MyBaileyGirl (Jun 11, 2008)

How'd Murphy do with the practicing last night? Kohanagold that picture of Paige is precious!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

This is so interesting. My dogs have always held whatever it is naturally until I taught "Drop it" Then they release. Since I can't bend over and pick whatever it is off the ground I taught them to hand it to me . If the frisbee accidentally falls out out of their mouths when they run up excited , they pick it up and rehand it to me.

It's just so interesting to me how goldens learn and how we teach them affects what they learn.
Good luck with the shoot!


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Murphy did not do as well as I had hoped last night. She is so super food motivated that all she thinks of is dropping what is in her mouth to get the treat. So I tried to place my hand under her mouth but that did no good. I then held her mouth shut-I know,I probably shouldn't have done that and she clearly did not like that one bit.

We practiced for probably 10 minutes-I didn't want to stress her and by the end she was picking up the toy on her own but then dropping it.

I think we might have to cancel the job as much as I would love her to be on a toy package

That picture of Paige is very cute!


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

AcesWild said:


> Are you getting paid for pre-training?
> 
> You can try putting the toy in the mouth holding under the chin and saying hold, remove hand click and treat after she drops it. How much time do you have...two days?


 
No - click and treat while she's holding the object - not after she drops it. The click marks the behavior you want! You don't want her to drop it (that's the anti-hold!).
Erica


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## Kohanagold (Nov 5, 2008)

pb1221 said:


> Murphy did not do as well as I had hoped last night. She is so super food motivated that all she thinks of is dropping what is in her mouth to get the treat. So I tried to place my hand under her mouth but that did no good. I then held her mouth shut-I know,I probably shouldn't have done that and she clearly did not like that one bit.
> 
> We practiced for probably 10 minutes-I didn't want to stress her and by the end she was picking up the toy on her own but then dropping it.
> 
> ...


Its okay to hold her mouth and repeat the command. Okay... change of plan. Dont bring out the food, and see if that helps. If you have to hold her mouth, that's fine though... tell her again what you want (hold) and pet her. Dont put a ton of pressure on her mouth and as she calms down and relaxes, slowly let up on the pressure on her mouth, telling her what a smart girl she is and good hold. Do you need her to pick it up on her own? If so, then it sounds like at least you are making progress. But truthfully, asking her to pick it up herself actually complicates it. If you want her to understand what "hold" means, you need to place it in her mouth for her. Having her pick it up on her own, you need a different command (fetch, take it, get it, whatever). When you put the entire thing together and are teaching her, then you can tell her to go pick it up, then hold it, bring it, give it, whatever. You want to shape each part separately. If you tell her "take it" as you physically put in in her mouth for her, then "hold it" and offer the praise, and "give it", she will have a handle on the take/hold/give sequence. Then I think you can add in the retrieving part. 

LOL. Yes, I was very pleased with that picture, but its actually Sydney. She only held that wand long enough for me to get a picture and that was fine for me. Paige, on the other hand, I want a more consistant hold and one that lasts long enough for doing obedience exercises and using a dumbbell. But both were taught the same way.... I just wasn't as persistant with Sydney because all I wanted was a picture of her in her halloween costume. Thanks for the compliments.

Good luck, and hopefully that helps some, BJ


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

MurphyTeller said:


> No - click and treat while she's holding the object - not after she drops it. The click marks the behavior you want! You don't want her to drop it (that's the anti-hold!).
> Erica


Haha! I started to write the exact same post as you, based on the following:

_*remove hand click and treat after she drops it.*_

But then I re-read it and am pretty sure it should be "remove hand, click, and treat after she drops it" as in, remove your hand, click while it's still in her mouth - which will make her drop it - and then treat.

Oh what a difference a comma makes! :wave:


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

BTW, don't be discouraged. A reliable hold for a duration often takes a while to train. There will be other jobs!


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## pb1221 (Nov 21, 2006)

Thanks BJ and Quiz....She already knows fetch, take it, give, etc. It's the hold that is new for her. We did not get the job this time anyway which was a relief! Now I have more time to train her properly how to sit and hold onto an object. I'm sure she will be called for other jobs and next time we will be ready!

thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it:wavey:


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Haha! I started to write the exact same post as you, based on the following:
> 
> _*remove hand click and treat after she drops it.*_
> 
> ...


 
LOL - when I am starting a new crop of students I ALWAYS say "clickntreat" when discussing this concept to a new student...always one word and breath  

Oh, one more thing - if it were me (and I know we're late on this - the photo shoot was yesterday I think) and I was teaching a hold I would take whatever steps I needed to take to have the dumbbell (or object) landed in my hand instead of dropping to the floor after I marked the hold...

Erica


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