Force Holding Training Tips
Force holding and force fetching should be done with all retrievers. You should start once the Retrievers have their adult teeth. At this point the Retriever is normally mature enough to with stand the pressure and has not yet learned how to chew or eat birds. It is not a cruel and horrible process, but a process that takes your Retriever to the next level of training. Force holding and force fetching takes approximately 5 weeks to complete. Some Retrievers take less time some take longer.
I use a table for force holding and the first steps of force fetching. The first step in force holding is: Place the bumper in the Retrievers mouth and command hold. The first day or two he will probably gag and attempt to spit it out. A gentle tap under the jaw after placing the bumper in the Retrievers mouth will reinforce your command. Continue this until your retriever holds the bumper without spitting it out. I personally do not do more than seven holds per session.
Once the Retriever is holding the bumper without spitting it out and I can back away from him. I have the retriever jump down from the table then load back up with the bumper still in his mouth. When he can do this without dropping the bumper I move on to force fetching.
No one who has successfully done this has ever said they regretted having done it. Learn it from someone who has done it on a number of dogs successfully. They can tell you the normal pitfalls to avoid.
More training tips...
Force Fetching Tips |
Walking Force Fetch Tips