Dog won't focus outside

[BRUUUCE]

My 7.5 month lab will not focus on retrieving outside. Frozen pigeons turn him on and retrieving a dummy in the water does too. He just has no focus with tennis ball or dummies. Inside, he is abnoxiously obsessed withered the tennis ball. Is he just too young? Any advice? I've started him on the table with force fetching this week.

[DoubleBarrel GunDogs]

Keep in mind that he's still a pup, and attention span is normally very short. There are naturally more distractions outdoors as well.

Has he been introduced to live birds and the gun? What have you done so far concerning yard work? Kennel, sit, here and heel? Is the dog collar conditioned, and do you intend to use an e-collar in the force fetch process? Finally, are you or have you considered following a proven training method? Establishing a good training sequence will help you and your pup considerably.

Nate

[BRUUUCE]

Yes. All of the above. Any tips?

[4dabirds]

If you are force fetching the dog stop play fetching with the dog until you are finished. Every repetition of the wrong thing is a lesson of the wrong thing. If the dog is allowed to blow you off on a retrieve you are traing that very thing into the dog. Finish the force retrieve following a professional program step by step and you should be fine. Stick to force fetch leaving any other training until you are done . Expect six weeks doing three five minute sessions a day.

[Del Lolo]

It almost seems that you aren't following any particular training program.
Are you?

I think that any training (other than obedience) should be stopped while you are FF,
but strict obedience is needed prior to FF.

[whoadog]

He just has no focus with tennis ball or dummies

What do you mean? Will he not complete the retrieve? Fails to mark?

Inside, he is abnoxiously obsessed withered the tennis ball.

Again, what do you mean? Does he bring you the ball and ask for a fetch? Or, does he want the ball with him all the time?

[Trekmoor]

I think I might try giving him no retrieves at all inside the house for a few days and no tennis balls to play with either. Outdoors I would probably keep him on a lead for those same few days until he "brews up" for lack of the exercise he sounds like he usually gets. Then I'd take the pup to the most boring outdoor place I could think of, maybe a large quiet car park or maybe a short grass public park. Anywhere that is pretty boring to a pup after the first few sniffs.

Then I'd try retrieving again , maybe with a tennis ball or maybe with an old stuffed smelly sock stuffed with rags and then tied to resemble a dummy. The lighter weight and softer feel to such a dummy could trigger a retrieve response ......and I would let and even encourage the pup to run-in.
I cannot help at all if your retrieve is based on F.F. ..... I don't know nearly enough about it.
Bill T.

[BRUUUCE]

It almost seems that you aren't following any particular training program.

I'm using Tom Dokkens retriever training.
Dog is progressing very well. Inside, I can throw the tennis ball and he will bring it back everytime. Outside, I throw a dummy or tennis ball and he runs up to it, sniffs it, and then becomes distracted. If I play keep away with him, he will temporarily become interested. Again, in the water, there is no problem.

So how do I get him to focus outside? Maybe he's too young. I imagine after I'm finished with ff I won't have a problem.

Routine: twice daily. Ob with choke chain and e collar- he's real solid and were almost ready to drop the choke chain and lead. Then I do ff on table - we started 5 days ago.

I like to "play" afterwards to reward him. I also like to play midday with no training. This is where the problem comes in.

I live in the woods. There are many new smells everyday from deer, bear, fox, squirrel, birds, etc. I think he gets distracted by these smells.

[BRUUUCE]

Again, what do you mean? Does he bring you the ball and ask for a fetch? Or, does he want the ball with him all the time?

He brings the ball and asks for fetch.

[crackerd]

A 7-1/2 month-old Lab retrieving inside. Unless you call the Superdome home, what the h*ll are you thinking?

Don't think Dokken recommends it either, then again maybe he shoots those rubber duckies of his in the bathtub...

You live in the woods, find a field, farm field or athletic field (or a Wally World parking lot off-hours) - wherever, anywhere but indoors - and ditch the tennis balls too.

MG

[4dabirds]

If you are force fetching the dog will focus when you are done. Stop any other retrieves until you are done with ff. Every time you do this the dog is given the option. The reason for force fetch is to give the dog no option. Admit that your dog does not have a big desire to retrieve and it needs to be force fetched. When your dog is given the choice of smelling the yard or retrieving the yard wins. It is all about the motivation of the dog and working with what you have.

[Del Lolo]

It almost seems that you aren't following any particular training program.
Are you?

[BRUUUCE]

Thanks, 4dabirds, this is solid advice. I appreciate your positive comments. Do you Agee with others here that I should NEVER again throw the tennis ball for fun ( after ff is completed)?

[polmaise]

Keep in mind that he's still a pup, and attention span is normally very short. There are naturally more distractions outdoors as well.

Has he been introduced to live birds and the gun? What have you done so far concerning yard work? Kennel, sit, here and heel? Is the dog collar conditioned, and do you intend to use an e-collar in the force fetch process? Finally, are you or have you considered following a proven training method? Establishing a good training sequence will help you and your pup considerably.

Nate

IS the dog 'collar conditioned'?...?..Keep in mind It's just a pup?...and keep in mind that the 'quotes' from the collar experts say that 'The dog must have the basics of obedience and training', already in place?.to use the ''Tool''?- Sorry I don't usually use that word, but You do)...before ''Collar'' training ,or Proven training method is used?...I must have read Lardy, and more Importantly 'Farmer' all wrong!Doh!...Back to the drawing board for me!...I'll look real hard for where a 7 month old pup has been collar conditioned ready for force fetch process !..

[DoubleBarrel GunDogs]

Keep in mind that he's still a pup, and attention span is normally very short. There are naturally more distractions outdoors as well.

Has he been introduced to live birds and the gun? What have you done so far concerning yard work? Kennel, sit, here and heel? Is the dog collar conditioned, and do you intend to use an e-collar in the force fetch process? Finally, are you or have you considered following a proven training method? Establishing a good training sequence will help you and your pup considerably.

Nate

IS the dog 'collar conditioned'?...?..Keep in mind It's just a pup?...and keep in mind that the 'quotes' from the collar experts say that 'The dog must have the basics of obedience and training', already in place?.to use the ''Tool''?- Sorry I don't usually use that word, but You do)...before ''Collar'' training ,or Proven training method is used?...I must have read Lardy, and more Importantly 'Farmer' all wrong!Doh!...Back to the drawing board for me!...I'll look real hard for where a 7 month old pup has been collar conditioned ready for force fetch process !..

The main reason I asked the poster these questions is that I suspected some important steps were being bypassed or that a hasty decision to perform the ff process too soon was being made. I still suspect this is the case. I'm willing to ask questions, give posters the benefit of the doubt and encourage them to reveal more information about their situation. Before offering advise.

Nate

[DoubleBarrel GunDogs]

It almost seems that you aren't following any particular training program.

I'm using Tom Dokkens retriever training.
Dog is progressing very well. Inside, I can throw the tennis ball and he will bring it back everytime. Outside, I throw a dummy or tennis ball and he runs up to it, sniffs it, and then becomes distracted. If I play keep away with him, he will temporarily become interested. Again, in the water, there is no problem.

I agree with some of the other posters. Drop the tennis ball play for now. If your working on the ff with a particular program, focus on that. Don't use the lets see what happens approach to ff training. You should already know the next step, and proceed to the next benchmark.

So how do I get him to focus outside? Maybe he's too young. I imagine after I'm finished with ff I won't have a problem.

If this question is concerning retrieves, you shouldn't be introducing any distractions until the ff is completed.

Routine: twice daily. Ob with choke chain and e collar- he's real solid and were almost ready to drop the choke chain and lead. Then I do ff on table - we started 5 days ago.

You need to allow at least 6 weeks for the ff process (with most programs). Don't rush things. Follow the sequence of your chosen program, and don't deviate from it or you'll invite failure.

I like to "play" afterwards to reward him. I also like to play midday with no training. This is where the problem comes in.

The problem is this: He should not be doing any retrieving apart from your ff program, if this is the case. Not until the program is completed.

I live in the woods. There are many new smells everyday from deer, bear, fox, squirrel, birds, etc. I think he gets distracted by these smells.

He should be allowed to explore. That's how pups learn about the world around them.

Nate

[4dabirds]

Thanks, 4dabirds, this is solid advice. I appreciate your positive comments. Do you Agee with others here that I should NEVER again throw the tennis ball for fun ( after ff is completed)?

What tends to happen with dogs , because of their innate sense of using cues to survive as well as get reward, every thing you do in training as well as in play gets ingrained in the dogs behavior. If the level of expectation is to have a dog that retrieves to hand every time without fail in an expedient manner, the tennis ball play may have given the dog cues that are contrary to this. If you are allowing the dog to retrieve the tennis ball some of the time then thats what the dog will do. Once you are into the force fetch regimen fully it would be best to use objects that carry no baggage such as the tennis ball. After force fetch I let my dogs use balls as play items around the house and stuck to training tools for retrieve work. Also I never let the dog play with any training dummies so that the cue is always consistent. The thing is to not send a mixed signal. Consistency is the most important thing when training a dog . The force retrieve training is very specific and what is most important about it is it gives you a mechanism to correct the dog when it is not in compliance . If you want to use a ball in training you could introduce a baseball or lacrosse ball during the force fetch program so the dog has a different cue, but always keep these items as training tools and never let the dog play with them. This is not to say you could not use the tennis ball in the force fetch program, its just that it would be confusing to the dog and unfair as it would take more pressure on the dog with the tennis ball.