Holding the bumper question....

[quackquack]

My lab has an extremely soft mouth. I guess almost too soft in that she drops the bumper when she returns. I need some methods to get her to hold the bumper.

Thanks in advance

[Damn_It_Boy]

My lab has an extremely soft mouth. I guess almost too soft in that she drops the bumper when she returns. I need some methods to get her to hold the bumper.

Thanks in advance

Force fetched?

Collar Conditioned? If so, fetch-nick-fetch.

[GulfCoast]

If the dog is not FF, I would get Evan Graham's "Smartfetch" book and DVD, and start there. Or, find a good pro to FF the dog. If CC/FF, then I would do a refresher like DIB posted.

[Drakeshead]

Hold conditioning:

There is no "force" in hold conditioning, just enforcing hold. You can use a table or ground, it is your choice.

Place bumper in pup/dogs mouth (ensure you lift up on top jowl/pull down on bottom jowl to ensure that part of lip/jowl is not between teeth and bumper) and say "Hold" while at the same time pushing up on pup/dogs bottom jaw. If pup/dog starts to drop say "NO! HOLD!". You can put your thump in the V of the bottom jaw and push up to enforce the "hold" while at the same time stating "hold". After pup/dog begins to hold, even if only for a few seconds, pet pup/dog on the head and say "Good". Let pup/dog know what he/she is doing is a good thing.

You can do this with a hammer handled that has been cut in half, wooden dowel, bumper, it is your choice. Some folks start with a wooded dowel/hammer handle so the pup/dog does not associate the bumper to be a bad thing.

It may take several days or weeks, depending on pup/dog, of 10-15 minute short lessons to get "hold" down. Once "hold" has been accomplished sitting, then you will want to move to "hold at heel". Pup/dog should hold bumper/item until told to give/drop. Keep it short, fun and lots of praise.

While you are working on "hold" I would stop throwing retrieves until you get this part down. You can do a short toss at the end of the session as a "fun" retrieve, but you want to keep working towards a goal and allowing pup/dog to have a sloppy hold on a retrieve after you have been working 15 minutes on "hold" could have an adverse affect.

Before you can move to FF (force fetch), you need to get hold conditioning down first and set in stone before moving to FF if you are going to go in that direction. Even if you do not go the FF route pup/dog still needs to have a grasp of "hold".

Just my .02.