Is he ready for force fetch?

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idahomarine
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Is he ready for force fetch?

Post by idahomarine » Sun Mar 19, 2017 10:29 pm

I have a Vizsla/Brittany mix (3/4 V and ¼ Brittany) that turned 2 in January. We didn’t get out much his first season, but we made it out about 20 times this year (I’m lucky enough to live 13 minutes from public land). I got him to fetch by throwing a bumper in the garage, but as a novice I didn’t demand that he deliver it to hand and he's sloppy now. After reading up on it, I decided to force fetch him. I wanted to last summer and started, but ran out of time and he didn’t seem to be handling it well. I was following the toe pinch method by George Hickox. He would hold well, but I could never get him to reach for the dowel or bumper and he would get very stressed during the sessions. I ended up quitting because hunting season started and I figured it was better to let a young dog get out in the field rather than have him miss the first 3-4 weeks perfecting his backyard fetch.

Anyway, last hunting season he probably retrieved 50-60 birds (mainly waterfowl, but a few grouse and doves as well). He has great prey drive and no issues with the gun. He’s also great on his basic obedience so long as I have the collar on him, and still pretty good without it. However, last year I started hunting some smaller bodies of water and he developed an issue with his retrieves. If a bird landed in the water or on the near bank, he would bring it back (although not to hand). However, if the bird landed on the far bank, he would swim over, walk up to the bird, and then swim back without it (sometimes he would pick it up and drop it off at the far bank).

I’d like to try force fetching again. These are my questions:

1) Do you think that part of the problem the first time was that the dog was too young?
2) If the answer to the first one was yes, is 2 a good age for a Vizla? I read that a lot of folks start their dogs at under a year, but those all seem to be labs. As I understand it, pointing dogs shouldn’t get a ton of negative correction until they have a good season under their belt.
3) I’ve watched the George Hickox video as well as the Freddy King series on Youtube. I don’t have the money to buy Evan “Graham’s Smart Fetch” and won’t until hunting season.
a. Is anyone familiar with either of the programs I have access to and if so, what are your opinions?
b. If not, are there any other youtube series that you would recommend?
4) Understanding that all dogs are different, is two months usually enough time to finish if I work with him daily? My dog is a pretty quick study and the more we hunt and work together, the better we understand each other.
5) Should I use the same command for fetch that I used before? I tell him to 'find it' now and he goes looking for a bumper or downed bird. I'd like to use the term "fetch" from here on out, but don't want to create any problems.

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Tooling
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Re: Is he ready for force fetch?

Post by Tooling » Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:38 am

Without diving into the particulars of your previous attempt, it sounds as if your dog did a pretty good job of training you (no offense intended).

Smart Fetch worked very well for me and patient persistence paid off to the extent that I am quite satisfied. (first time I had formally force fetched)

Have a look at Smart Fetch and then just approach it anew if the program appeals to you. There are about a buzillion posts surrounding this subject that will be found through the search function, including questions surrounding Smart Fetch.

Good luck

*Edited to add: There is pressure involved and your going to have to accept that. Thing is, pressure is not a code word for pain, but rather, just needs to be uncomfortable for the dog to the extent they would like for the pressure to end. An upside to this is that the dog will learn to cope with pressure much better b/c ultimately they come to understand that it's just a matter of conforming to your command, nothing more. As time progresses the dog begins to understand in very clear terms what it is that they are required to do. If you've done your part in forging a trusting relationship with the dog, this new found respect for your command coupled with the dogs inherent desire to please is the recipe that turns your dog into a champ. Don't forget to mix in some fun and plenty of addaboys'. Never lose your temper and lash out at the dog..persistent patience is the key...the dog remains in control of the pressure button and it's your job to show him how to turn it off..it's really that simple.
Last edited by Tooling on Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:57 am, edited 2 times in total.

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deseeker
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Re: Is he ready for force fetch?

Post by deseeker » Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:58 am

Ethan Pippitt does a pretty good job of training force fetch on utube. Go to bing or google and type in-- force fetch standing stone kennel. Take the videos in order, don't go to the next video until he has the last one down pat. It's free so you aren't out money if you don't like it. Good luck :D

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idahomarine
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Re: Is he ready for force fetch?

Post by idahomarine » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:41 pm

So I feel a bit silly, but I found "Smart Fetch" online for $19.99. At first, I thought that I had to buy the complete $350 package and that just wasn't going to happen. Anyway, I ordered a copy and it should be here soon. I put him back on the table tonight. Last time, he would get stressed and start to whimper before I even applied pressure. Tonight he started off about the same, but we worked on "hold" with the paint roller and he did great.

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