My choc. lab is very timid and doesnt really like the idea of force fetching. tried backing off on it and trying it again but she is even more timid. any suggestions?

Age?

7 months

Might not be as timid or as soft as you think. The dog might have you all ready trained that when he/she whimpers or whines; you release the pressure... even though you haven't gotten the desired result of the command.

Have you gone through force hold yet?

What program are you following?

been trying the force hold and she has nothing to do with it. shell run into her dog house to avoid it. tried ear pinch and i guess im not pinching the right spot cause it dont phase her.

Not really following any program

When I have to correct my dog with an ear pinch it is at the TIP of the ear and I have 1 thumbnail that is usually a bit longer than the other. Pinch the tip until you get a response. From What I have seen that brings results to my dog was Force until they get a bumper in mouth then release. You are getting them to TURN OFF the pressure.

My dog had a scar on the inside of her ear after force fetch. I was young (14) and probably didn't go about it the proper way, but she was smart and it didn't take very many sessions and that bitch would fetch ANYTHING. Pinch harder, lol.

Force fetch really came in handy when teaching her to get me beer.

well that explains alot i was pinching at the bottom right by her head bearing down as hard as i could and would get any responce. ill have to see when i get home how much effort the tip of the ear takes.

thanks guys

The experience you are describing is not all that unusual. What makes it difficult in
deciding the proper approach is figuring out "why". It's not simple and almost impossible
to analyze via the Internet. Therefore, here is a list of things you might think about.

1. (probably the most important) A pup needs to have solid OB skills in place before
starting FF. This includes proper responses to pressure. For example, if you say "sit"
and tap the pup's butt with a heeling stick, do they respond correctly vs. cower, shy
or spook? Do they come to you willing and happy with a "here" command?

2. A pup is ready for FF when hold is solid. This means can you do a completed session
of OB with a bumper in the pup's mouth while exposed to external distractions without
any holding issues (the whole time)?

If the above are not in place, go back and work on these (for several days). Not only
that but during FF continue to provide OB lessons every day. Keep all lessons "up
beat" and fun. If you come across like a hardcore, drill sargent......you can "loose" a
recruit.

3. If the pup "get's away from you", sit is not solid enough plus you must have a better
grip on the collar. In fact, the pup should have a leash on in case they do try to escape.
They must learn there is no "getting away".

4. Avoidance includes any number of techiques intended to get out of dealing with
pressure. They include laying down, whinning, rolling, thrashing, standing up, lunging,
biting and/or "shutting down" (better known as "clamming").

When things don't go well it is best to not take any behaviors personally. If
he pup is unhappy, you must emotionally go the other way...remain low key, be
heerul and pleasant....even if you have to fake it. Which means don't escalate the
situation. Present him with the right "stuff". Be persistantly consistent. Dogs will
eed off our emotions.

A soft or sensitive (those are not the same thing) pup especially needs to know
how to turn pressure off in OB. If they don't have this skill in place when you
start the force phase, negative avoidance coping mechanisms will kick in. Basically,
with no positive coping skills in place........you're going to get mostly negatives.

With some pups, FF is more like FFF which means Force Fetch with Finesse.

Given the above, how would you describe your pup's situation?

Sits great. come is pretty good. Haven't had any luck with hold command. fetches decent. So i need to go back and focus on hold and go from there. thanks a bunch

worked with her this morning hold is doing better but not great. plus i need a longer thumbnail!

you can also fold the ear back and use the buckle on the collar instead of the thumb nail as well

i was meaning that the come command is only said once and sometimes she takes her sweet time which drives me nuts. Sit is mainly done but snapping my fingers when shes close by, but can tell her to sit at any distance and she does it.

Fetch and hold has been wonderful. its like someone flipped on a light switch

On holding it took one session and she realized what i wanted. i was going about the wrong way.

My next feat is getting her to retrieve multiples. she just sits by the second one just looking at me like shes confused.

Thanks everyone for your input it has helped out a bunch

Don't ya love it when a plan comes together.

i dont feel like im going in circles now!