Retrieves from water.

[SlubberOnlyInATentCapacity]

Still fart arsing about on my own with lab's training. Still enjoying it, as is she. Is just for fun (currently) as can't get to classes atm.

So the other day was wasting time researching field trial marking and spotted that if your dog is retrieving from the water it has to retrieve and present AND THEN it can shake.

I presume there is a practical reason with retrieving game too as you don't want the dog to shake with a bird in its mouth.

Now how on earth do you train that, not to shake?

I would dearly love to know, not for trailing, but for for a wet trouser avoidance strategy. Currently I can only get a no-shake retrieve if I virtually pounce on her when she exits the water. If I don't it's retrieve, present....oh no hang on....shake...yes that's better.... and present.

[soggy]

from what I have read that is how you do it. You wait really close to the waters edge so you can get the dog to present the item before it shakes.
Maybe if you get her to sit first then take the item. Then run like hell away from dog shouting 'you can shake now!'

lolol @ running the hell away. A technique I have attempted before but only results in wet dog running after me and then shaking when I stop.

I do get her to sit already, well I attempt a sit and present with all retrieves dry and wet. The present is still very much a work in progress, it's coming. However when she's wet the sit-present is the most perfunctory of things. Sit-shake-sit. It's all over so quickly and then I have a lab who is ever so proud of herself, but with a wet owner.

moist bump

from memory, and bits of common sense: two things are key - firstly ensuring that the sit command is very good - and is firmly understood as meaning "sit and stay sitting until I tell you different". she should be able to do this for long periods of time. as soon as the dog gets back to you with the game/dummy/ball/whatever tell her to sit - she can't shake whilst sitting.

the second thing is to teach the shake command - as it's a natural behaviour this isn't hugely difficult - when she shakes of her own accord (not when sitting or under other instructions) say "shake" (or "shake your booty" or whatever takes your fancy...). she will associate the action and the word.

put these two things together and you should be able to get her to shake on command.

I think the key thing to get a dog to not to something is to think in terms of getting them to do somethine else that is incompatible with doing the thing they want. iyswim. that's why the sit command is so masively useful. it can be used for "stop chasing that cat" "stop eating that fox poo" "don't you dare shake"

thanks for your post hatwoman. yy totally get sit to override shake. Problem arises as she knows she is meant to sit, and she wants to sit, because sit and present means dummy/ball gets thrown again, but there is a labrador 'oh I appear to be sopping wet I must shake (my booty)' brain short circuit and when that stops she sits down again.

I can't quite figure out how to get in to the short circuit and keep the sit going, and reward her for that.

Like the shake cue on it's own though (do I have to shake my booty as the non verbal cue signal?). Will start that.

hmm yes I read your post properly after I'd posted . would getting her to lie down work?

It might. it's worth a try

Presenting without shaking is a slow old thing to teach.

It splits into a couple of things to start with. One is teaching the dog to shake on command - so every time she shakes, give her the shake command, whatever you decide it's going to be. Eventually she will shake on command and then it's a simple exercise to teach her not to shake until you tell her to.

At the same time, practice steadiness around water and water retrieves. Steadiness to water appears to be one of the hardest things a labrador has to get its head around - the natural instinct is to hurtle headfirst into water as fast as possible, so same as on land steadiness, the dog has to work out that it can only retrieve what it's sent for. Not all and sundry.

I do that by tying a few dummies to light rope and flinging them all onto water. Then I pull in the ones I fancy and send the dog for one of the others. It also helps to train 2 up with water so that one dog can be sent while another has to wait.

Delivery starts really close to the water's edge to try and prevent dropping or shaking and as control builds, move an inch further away and so on.

By working on water steadiness, you will also achieve a dog who actually listens to you around water and can then be persuaded not to shake until you tell it to.

And yes - the point is to protect the game from a hefty booty shake .

ah haaaaa

Genius.

We are doing lots of steadiness work on land, with me fetching plenty and getting her to wait, but on water she knows she's onto a winner as I ain't launching myself into the river to get the dummy.

Put it on a rope! Of course.

So is the 'proper' shake command "shake" and what is the associated bum hand signal that goes with it?