Has anyone tried cheese stick retrieving?
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:06 pm
I know it sounds funny, but I have made good progress with Cassi on it. I just started doing it so I will let you know how well it works.
What am I trying to accomplish? Well Cassi has started to take an interest in the birds a little too much and the last few retrieves she started to chomp the birds up. I think she even ate the quail head on her last quail. I need to address this right away. I have already started FF with her and even gotten her to hold odd objects like the wooden stick with tinfoil wrapped around it, a leather work glove, a wrench, etc... But, I really want to get something she would try to eat other than using birds. So, I started use frozen cheese strings. I make her hold them and I don't let her chew them. It is interesting because as the cheese stick starts to thaw she wants to lick and nibble on it more. I only do about 3 or 4 retrieves with it and I put her on the check cord in case she tried to not come back I can pull her in. I tell her to hold it and sometimes need to put my hand under her mouth to keep her from chewing it. I then tell her to drop and I reward her with praise and a different kind of treat. I never give her the cheese stick in the end of the session.
Anyhow, so far it has worked for me so I thought I would share it with you all. I'll let you know how she progresses with the birds. ....and I thought Weims had a soft mouth.
What am I trying to accomplish? Well Cassi has started to take an interest in the birds a little too much and the last few retrieves she started to chomp the birds up. I think she even ate the quail head on her last quail. I need to address this right away. I have already started FF with her and even gotten her to hold odd objects like the wooden stick with tinfoil wrapped around it, a leather work glove, a wrench, etc... But, I really want to get something she would try to eat other than using birds. So, I started use frozen cheese strings. I make her hold them and I don't let her chew them. It is interesting because as the cheese stick starts to thaw she wants to lick and nibble on it more. I only do about 3 or 4 retrieves with it and I put her on the check cord in case she tried to not come back I can pull her in. I tell her to hold it and sometimes need to put my hand under her mouth to keep her from chewing it. I then tell her to drop and I reward her with praise and a different kind of treat. I never give her the cheese stick in the end of the session.
Anyhow, so far it has worked for me so I thought I would share it with you all. I'll let you know how she progresses with the birds. ....and I thought Weims had a soft mouth.