# Force fetch POLL



## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

I am trying to avoid force fetch training. I have been training Rojo to fetch in a hallway in the house with a paint roller and phesent feathers attached. Seems to work ok. I would like to know others experince with retreving?


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## Mischa (Feb 17, 2010)

Our girl is hit and miss with a tennis ball. She'll bring it back a few times but gets bored quickly.
We were worried about this and told our field trainer. She laughed and said: "she'll fetch".

Turns out they just need the right motivation. 
Our trainer had me toss a dead pigeon about 20' out in a pond over and over as she shot a starters pistol. Mischa brought it right back to my ear to ear smile, every time. 

Yours probably knows that it's working with a paint roller, and is ready for some real birds. 8)


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Zigzag,
My professional trainer "force fetched" Bailey at 2 years old after he had run puppy and derby stakes to the end of his puppyhood.

What I have read is that a "force fetch" trained dog will retrieve because it understands the negative enforcement of not doing it and along with the positive enforcement of your joy when he does.

The "force fetch" trained dog will not get to that stage where "I don't feel like it" attitude that will come from just positive enforcement. 

Bailey wanted to retrieve the bird, but when he got half way back to me with a dead lifeless bird wanted to drop it and continue the hunt for "live birds." Why not? He had more fun hunting than bringing a heavy weight back to me. I could go get the bird while he went on hunting.

Nothing I could do with just positive encouragement could overcome the desire to continue hunting. When Bailey is in hunting mode he will not eat or drink, unless very thirsty. Then he will just take enough water to keep going.

Vizslas are not retrievers but pointers. This is their main job. 

Now at 3 1/2 I can use the training collar to enforce the retrieve if he thinks he can just drop it and leave. But I waited for 1 1/2 years and many birds before I tried this. I never want to associate a correction with his joy of the hunt.

Hope that makes sense. Something we are still working on. So much to learn and understand.

RBD


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

RBD it makes alot of sense. I'm still trying to figure out my dog. He has alot of retrieve in him, picks up sticks all the time. I think he hunts sticks. So maybe the retrieve will come EZ.


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