Very helpful. My service dog is very reluctant to put things in his mouth. When I first got him, I didn't need things to be picked up, so he wasn't trained to pick things up. Now I do need things picked up for me, and I'm trying to train him for it as he was originally trained for medical alert, and mobility but my illness has progressed to where I now drop things. So far, he's learning how to tug so he can help with my gloves, and to pick up items that are dropped. His breed isn't a mouthy breed (he's a coonhound) so he's been harder to train for retrieving than when I had my golden. Good part of his breed though, is he's completely disinterested in anyone but me, unlike my golden who was a constant people pleaser. Every breed has their pros and cons.
Wow thanks for the quick response! I'm disabled myself and don't have the thousands to spend on formal training with someone and your help has been invaluable! I definitely will check out the blog, thanks again. Meg
Try training a 'follow' cue which means heeling but in behind you but no sniffing. Start without distractions, then add things to sniff. There is a video on this topic. Try a search on my channel.
Thanks!!! I really enjoy all your videos; they're very helpful! I love the fact that you're so attuned to the dogs' cues (like tail wagging as an indication of playfulness in this video, and the head-shaking in the 'fine tuning the take' video). It helps me to be aware of them too!
Did you figure this out? Starting with a softer object might help with the crushing. Then gradually move to harder objects that the dog has to be more careful with.
Would you happen to have a suggestion for a service dog that sniffs merchandise/shelves? I cue a heel when we're shopping and so she leaves shelves alone. But when we're in a store that doesn't have the room for a heel, sniffing shelves becomes a problem. Especially if it's so crowded that we actually can't walk by without brushing up against things. I would tell her to leave it before she does it but I can't do it that fast and telling her after seems to chain a sniff then leave it.
Thank you for this, it has been extremely helpful. It took a little while but my dog takes and gives all different kinds of objects now. So thank you again for making this video!
@kcjg1234 Her mom was a border collie, dad was possibly a pointer or dalmatian or some similar mix. She exhibits many pointer type behaviors from holding a point, being birdy and rabbity, good stamina, a ground-eating run, loves physical contact (leans), can be somewhat aloof to strangers, fleshy foot pads etc.
+Small Paws Big Hearts The hold an be taught in many ways. I suggest for a quick fix to try cuing a stay when the dog takes it. A small tug or lift also helps. If your dog knows a chin with duration, you can mix that in with a the take as well to get your hold.
+Donna Hill (Clicker Training Dogs) Thank you SOOO much for replying!!! What do you mean "a chin with duration"? So far both dogs will take (only specific ones, Bear will only respond to the bone and Elly will only respond to the Frisbee). They take it and drop it immediately. If I play fetch with them, they can bring the toy over to me (Bear likes to drop it half way), but I can't figure out how to apply the "hold" command to it. Not sure if this might be helpful at all. If it is not helpful, then I will work with them with the method you have demonstrated here. Once again, thank you for your time and videos!!! :D
+Small Paws Big Hearts Teach them a chin on your hand as a variation on the nose touch with duration. Once you get to 10 sec of that, then cue take the object, and cue the chin. Start back at once second and build your way up. Fade your hand under the chin and you have a hold!
@alexehilary Use shaping. Start by holding the object and mark and reward any interaction with the object. Go back and look for my other videos on this topic.
@xxOakleyrulesxx Sorry I missed this! Lucy is food obsessed. The trick is to find one that is of low interest that they can focus. For Lucy, most days its Cheerios. Try canned mushrooms, lettuce, cucumber etc. Experiment and you will find something. My Golden could work for lettuce.
I absolutely love your video and that it is fully accessible to me is a big plus! :-) I am visually impaired and hope to owner train my own guide/medical alert/psychiatric service dog.
Check out our blogs and some of our early classes. I am in the process of making audio files for them so you can listen to them, then just watch the videos.
Hi Donna, I'm hoping you can help me with a small hitch: I'm working with my Aussie puppy on back-chaining retrieve ("force fetch", as they like to call it in the hunting world). She's almost got it down and we're at the point where she'll reliably retrieve any object, bring it back, and won't drop it unless I give her the signal to. Sometimes I have her in front position, other times I have her finish with a flip or wrap into heel. Here's the hitch - every time I extend my hand and give her the "out" command - she'll paw at my hand, thinking I'm asking for a handshake or high five, while simultaneously releasing the dumbbell. I want her to "out" the object into my hand rather than simply dropping it on the ground - how can I get her to stop pawing when I reach out to receive the object? Please let me know if you have any advice!
Start rewarding only the best 80% of retrieves. Pick one criterion (speed, precision etc) and look for that. Then switch to another criterion. Then vary what you use (food, toys, chasing you between retrieves, environmental reinforcers so the dog never knows what he might get. Eventually, the dog will come to enjoy the retrieve itself.
Check out my blog s it takes you through the process. Basically, have a bin full of a variety of objects fro your dog to learn how to pick up and retrieve. Google vancouver island assistance dogs and then do a search for retrieve.
Also, Lucy can be 'sharky' when she's aroused (she is highly food-motivated) so I have to be more consciously aware about what is going on for her and how I deliver the treat. If a dog that wasn't so excited about the task, I'd try throwing the treats to see if it generated more interest.
This and several of the other videos have been SO helpful! My english lab is 3 and a half and knows basic mobility work like counter balancing but after only 1 day working on this he can do very basic retrieval skills! Thanks so much! My one question is how do you train the dog to retrieve anything that you need picked up? Thanks again. Meg
Wonderful tutorial! Lucy is a very quick learner! Is there a reason why you throw her treat on the floor instead of having her take it from your hand? I know you do that to reposition her some times but I was just curious! I am looking forward to your "hold" video as I can get Ricky to take and give but he doesn't want to hold anything for very long and can't walk and hold at the same time - LOL!
@Rickyagility I wasn't thinking about what I was doing! LOL! Bad trainer! Partly it was to get her to move away from the object at first. I changed to hand delivering when I noticed she was increasing her arousal level, partly due to the more toy-like object and partly because I was throwing the treat.
I have an assistance dog that has just begun his training. We are still in the basics right now, but he's a brilliant boy and catching on quickly. Right now he is only 14 weeks, still teething quite a bit, so we haven't moved past sit, down, wait, and touch yet. When would be the best time to progress to things like take and give? I've just found your videos, and they are so wonderfully informative! Love them!
Sorry to be so slow in replying Stephanie. I usually start before the teething period and stop during it so the dog doesn't associate pain with the retrieve. You can restart once all the adult teeth are in, around 6-7mos for most dogs.
What do you do if they're not offering duration of holding the object for you to shape on? Like if they bite and release very quickly each time and don't build on their behavior?
I have a specific question about my dog. She is at the point where she is reliably picking up the object and will hold it sometimes up to about seven seconds. She drops when I click but she also drops at any movement of my hand toward her mouth and the ball in it. How do I get her to hold onto it until I click or say "thank you"?
Thank you so much for this video! I'm working on training this with my puppy. I have a question about the "give" though. Is it only a give if she actively drops it in my hand, or is it a give if she's barely holding it in her mouth and letting me take it with no problems? It's not a problem for me either way, since the only two reasons I would need this are to retrieve a bag of medication, and to fetch a bottle of water in order to take said medication. I don't have mobility issues that keep me from picking things up, but psychiatric issues that make actively getting medication difficult. But... yeah. She's 14 weeks and coming along great, just wondering about this aspect of it. :)
Typically when you click the dog should drop it. But it sounds like your dog has picked up a different cue to let go, your hand. This is actually preferred for a service dog as there are some things, like your medication, that you don't want accidentally dropped to the floor. It is up to you to define what you mean by give! So if it works for you, it works for the dog.
You could also probably get some kind of rubber hose by the foot at hardware stores or just cut the end off of one you already have and put a hose repair end back on so its still functional. Clear tubing comes in all kinds of sizes but sometimes it doesn't straighten very well, but you could just put a bamboo plant steak or other stick inside to keep it straight. If you do the garden hose thing, make sure you buy the right size of hose end and when you put in in the hose, soaking it in really hot water so it will stretch better helps as does leaving it in the hot sun all day.) Just don't use PVC as I think it's not safe for dogs to have in their mouths.
@misskatemonsterful She likely has a supersittiion about the postion of your hands when she holds it. I'd go back and retrain it from the ebginning, making sure you move your hands inot different positions so she learns that it is the clikc or the cue that is the clue to drop it, not the postion of your hands. D
So my dog takes it but then she runs off and tries chewing on whatever it is. She normally isn't a big chewer but she does it so much that I can't get her to actually give it to me. Any advice?
Start training in a small room, use a low value item for your dog (not a toy) and click as soon as she picks it up. Using a higher value treat also helps to start. Once she is reliably staying nearby, start working in the corner of a larger room, then away from the corner as long a she is successful.
Depends on why you are teaching it.If the dog is hand biter, dropping might be a better choice to start. If you want a hand-delivered retrieve, teach give to hand is better right from the start.
I could really use your help, I am training my assistance dog to pick up things for me. He will not mouth anything. He has never picked up anything ever and doesn't even play with toys. I have gotten to where he will open his mouth and take rope from my hand, but he does not hold it and just drops it. I know he can do this, he will hold low value large bones in his mouth but nothing that's not food. Help! I will gladly send you $ for your advice!!
Hi, How are you doing with this? I have an online retrieve class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy that starts today. I offer many suggestions to teach a hold.
What if your dog either: 1. Doesn't give a hoot about the object 2. Gives too many hoots about the object and disregards your treat reinforcement. I have tried literally 3 dozen items from toys to every day items with zero success.
Most likely the value of your treat is too high or too low to compete with the object. Start with a low value item and a medium to low value treat. That combo usually works to get a dog interested in working but not too excited.
I'm sure this video helped lots of people, but it didn't help me. (I mean this in the nicest way possible). My dog won't take it unless it is moving. I tried to use a leash and he wouldn't take it. So I put peanut utter on it and he only licked it. :( is there a way to fix that problem?
Hi Lucille did you ever succeed in this? You have to shape the take and hold. Start with a new object that your dog does not associate with retrieving. Click for any interaction at first, you might have to move it around a little to start, then fade the movement.
My dog will touch any object I give her but refuses to put anything in her mouth. I am training to be a balance dog due to a brain injury and would like to at least teach her how to pick up the leash when dropped.
Try holding just above her head and see if she will reach for it, or smearing a small amount of something yummy on a wooden bar and see if she will lick it, then grab it.
It's truly amzing how quickly dogs work out what get's them a treat!
Just like humans work for money! LOL!
Very helpful. My service dog is very reluctant to put things in his mouth. When I first got him, I didn't need things to be picked up, so he wasn't trained to pick things up. Now I do need things picked up for me, and I'm trying to train him for it as he was originally trained for medical alert, and mobility but my illness has progressed to where I now drop things. So far, he's learning how to tug so he can help with my gloves, and to pick up items that are dropped. His breed isn't a mouthy breed (he's a coonhound) so he's been harder to train for retrieving than when I had my golden. Good part of his breed though, is he's completely disinterested in anyone but me, unlike my golden who was a constant people pleaser. Every breed has their pros and cons.
So glad you are ebing successful. I love the hounds! Grew up with bassets and beagles mixes.
Wow thanks for the quick response! I'm disabled myself and don't have the thousands to spend on formal training with someone and your help has been invaluable! I definitely will check out the blog, thanks again.
Meg
Glad to be of help! Just ask if you have questions!
Nice job well done very fantastic
Try training a 'follow' cue which means heeling but in behind you but no sniffing. Start without distractions, then add things to sniff. There is a video on this topic. Try a search on my channel.
Thanks!!! I really enjoy all your videos; they're very helpful! I love the fact that you're so attuned to the dogs' cues (like tail wagging as an indication of playfulness in this video, and the head-shaking in the 'fine tuning the take' video). It helps me to be aware of them too!
I am having the issue where the dogs try to crush the object. They have a strong chew reflex! I love your videos and find them super helpful overall!
Did you figure this out? Starting with a softer object might help with the crushing. Then gradually move to harder objects that the dog has to be more careful with.
Thanks for posting the great video! I have been looking for a good tutorial on this set of behaviors and yours was very clear and helpful!
I am going to start teaching Roxy this seeing I have mobility problems. Thanks for the tutorial.
Is she now a service dog
Would you happen to have a suggestion for a service dog that sniffs merchandise/shelves? I cue a heel when we're shopping and so she leaves shelves alone. But when we're in a store that doesn't have the room for a heel, sniffing shelves becomes a problem. Especially if it's so crowded that we actually can't walk by without brushing up against things. I would tell her to leave it before she does it but I can't do it that fast and telling her after seems to chain a sniff then leave it.
Thank you for this, it has been extremely helpful. It took a little while but my dog takes and gives all different kinds of objects now. So thank you again for making this video!
Awesome!
Thank you! This is a fantastic idea!
So helpful!
it's such a fun to watch this dog!
@kcjg1234 Her mom was a border collie, dad was possibly a pointer or dalmatian or some similar mix. She exhibits many pointer type behaviors from holding a point, being birdy and rabbity, good stamina, a ground-eating run, loves physical contact (leans), can be somewhat aloof to strangers, fleshy foot pads etc.
Great video!!! Thank you. It is really helpful. I can't find the video on extending the "hold" (which is what I am struggling with at the moment).
+Small Paws Big Hearts The hold an be taught in many ways. I suggest for a quick fix to try cuing a stay when the dog takes it. A small tug or lift also helps. If your dog knows a chin with duration, you can mix that in with a the take as well to get your hold.
+Donna Hill (Clicker Training Dogs) Thank you SOOO much for replying!!! What do you mean "a chin with duration"? So far both dogs will take (only specific ones, Bear will only respond to the bone and Elly will only respond to the Frisbee). They take it and drop it immediately.
If I play fetch with them, they can bring the toy over to me (Bear likes to drop it half way), but I can't figure out how to apply the "hold" command to it. Not sure if this might be helpful at all. If it is not helpful, then I will work with them with the method you have demonstrated here.
Once again, thank you for your time and videos!!! :D
+Small Paws Big Hearts Teach them a chin on your hand as a variation on the nose touch with duration. Once you get to 10 sec of that, then cue take the object, and cue the chin. Start back at once second and build your way up. Fade your hand under the chin and you have a hold!
@alexehilary Use shaping. Start by holding the object and mark and reward any interaction with the object. Go back and look for my other videos on this topic.
Brilliant, thank you Donna
@xxOakleyrulesxx Sorry I missed this! Lucy is food obsessed. The trick is to find one that is of low interest that they can focus. For Lucy, most days its Cheerios. Try canned mushrooms, lettuce, cucumber etc. Experiment and you will find something. My Golden could work for lettuce.
I absolutely love your video and that it is fully accessible to me is a big plus! :-) I am visually impaired and hope to owner train my own guide/medical alert/psychiatric service dog.
Check out our blogs and some of our early classes. I am in the process of making audio files for them so you can listen to them, then just watch the videos.
Hi Donna, I'm hoping you can help me with a small hitch: I'm working with my Aussie puppy on back-chaining retrieve ("force fetch", as they like to call it in the hunting world). She's almost got it down and we're at the point where she'll reliably retrieve any object, bring it back, and won't drop it unless I give her the signal to. Sometimes I have her in front position, other times I have her finish with a flip or wrap into heel. Here's the hitch - every time I extend my hand and give her the "out" command - she'll paw at my hand, thinking I'm asking for a handshake or high five, while simultaneously releasing the dumbbell. I want her to "out" the object into my hand rather than simply dropping it on the ground - how can I get her to stop pawing when I reach out to receive the object? Please let me know if you have any advice!
This video was so helpful! I have a question: how do you wean the dog off treats and still get the desired behavior with only your commands?
Start rewarding only the best 80% of retrieves. Pick one criterion (speed, precision etc) and look for that. Then switch to another criterion. Then vary what you use (food, toys, chasing you between retrieves, environmental reinforcers so the dog never knows what he might get. Eventually, the dog will come to enjoy the retrieve itself.
THIS IS SOOO GREAT thanks so much
Check out my blog s it takes you through the process. Basically, have a bin full of a variety of objects fro your dog to learn how to pick up and retrieve. Google vancouver island assistance dogs and then do a search for retrieve.
Thank you for posting this great video!
This is Great thanks for this :)
awesome video ! ! ! :)
Have you posted a video for 'hold' objects yet?
Also, Lucy can be 'sharky' when she's aroused (she is highly food-motivated) so I have to be more consciously aware about what is going on for her and how I deliver the treat. If a dog that wasn't so excited about the task, I'd try throwing the treats to see if it generated more interest.
Thank you again!
This and several of the other videos have been SO helpful! My english lab is 3 and a half and knows basic mobility work like counter balancing but after only 1 day working on this he can do very basic retrieval skills! Thanks so much! My one question is how do you train the dog to retrieve anything that you need picked up? Thanks again.
Meg
Your tutorials are always excellent. Great help! thanks! :-D
Wonderful tutorial! Lucy is a very quick learner! Is there a reason why you throw her treat on the floor instead of having her take it from your hand? I know you do that to reposition her some times but I was just curious! I am looking forward to your "hold" video as I can get Ricky to take and give but he doesn't want to hold anything for very long and can't walk and hold at the same time - LOL!
Great video!
You make it look so easy... ;-)
Great tutorial, thanks!
great video i love your tutorials!! they are great !
Try asking for two bites. One of them will be longer and you can shape that. See Barbara Handelman's or Sue Ailsby's 2 Grab method.
@Rickyagility I wasn't thinking about what I was doing! LOL! Bad trainer! Partly it was to get her to move away from the object at first. I changed to hand delivering when I noticed she was increasing her arousal level, partly due to the more toy-like object and partly because I was throwing the treat.
I have an assistance dog that has just begun his training. We are still in the basics right now, but he's a brilliant boy and catching on quickly. Right now he is only 14 weeks, still teething quite a bit, so we haven't moved past sit, down, wait, and touch yet. When would be the best time to progress to things like take and give? I've just found your videos, and they are so wonderfully informative! Love them!
Sorry to be so slow in replying Stephanie. I usually start before the teething period and stop during it so the dog doesn't associate pain with the retrieve. You can restart once all the adult teeth are in, around 6-7mos for most dogs.
I can't get my dog to put anything in her mouth! Please help!
How do you train a dog to retrieve from a different room? And how to train dog to retrieve while the dog is napping or distracted with a toy?
What do you do if they're not offering duration of holding the object for you to shape on? Like if they bite and release very quickly each time and don't build on their behavior?
I have a specific question about my dog. She is at the point where she is reliably picking up the object and will hold it sometimes up to about seven seconds. She drops when I click but she also drops at any movement of my hand toward her mouth and the ball in it. How do I get her to hold onto it until I click or say "thank you"?
for my border collie is easy to take object .How can I teach to my own hybrid?is a dog that does not have the instinct to take.how can I do with food?
Thank you so much for this video! I'm working on training this with my puppy. I have a question about the "give" though. Is it only a give if she actively drops it in my hand, or is it a give if she's barely holding it in her mouth and letting me take it with no problems? It's not a problem for me either way, since the only two reasons I would need this are to retrieve a bag of medication, and to fetch a bottle of water in order to take said medication. I don't have mobility issues that keep me from picking things up, but psychiatric issues that make actively getting medication difficult. But... yeah. She's 14 weeks and coming along great, just wondering about this aspect of it. :)
Typically when you click the dog should drop it. But it sounds like your dog has picked up a different cue to let go, your hand. This is actually preferred for a service dog as there are some things, like your medication, that you don't want accidentally dropped to the floor. It is up to you to define what you mean by give! So if it works for you, it works for the dog.
Thank you!
@ServiceDogPartner She is a chow hound for sure!
where can you get the rubber hoses you mentioned in this video?
+Bethany George Try a second hand store or a garage sale. I just cut up an old garden hose!
It's an old gardenhose that leaked so I cut it up. Try garage sales and second hand stores.
You could also probably get some kind of rubber hose by the foot at hardware stores or just cut the end off of one you already have and put a hose repair end back on so its still functional. Clear tubing comes in all kinds of sizes but sometimes it doesn't straighten very well, but you could just put a bamboo plant steak or other stick inside to keep it straight. If you do the garden hose thing, make sure you buy the right size of hose end and when you put in in the hose, soaking it in really hot water so it will stretch better helps as does leaving it in the hot sun all day.) Just don't use PVC as I think it's not safe for dogs to have in their mouths.
¡¡Good girls!! :))
@misskatemonsterful She likely has a supersittiion about the postion of your hands when she holds it. I'd go back and retrain it from the ebginning, making sure you move your hands inot different positions so she learns that it is the clikc or the cue that is the clue to drop it, not the postion of your hands. D
So my dog takes it but then she runs off and tries chewing on whatever it is. She normally isn't a big chewer but she does it so much that I can't get her to actually give it to me. Any advice?
Start training in a small room, use a low value item for your dog (not a toy) and click as soon as she picks it up. Using a higher value treat also helps to start. Once she is reliably staying nearby, start working in the corner of a larger room, then away from the corner as long a she is successful.
Alternatively, you could hold onto the object and teach her to take and give without you ever letting go.
Donna Hill Would this teach dog to give to hand or just to drop it.
Depends on why you are teaching it.If the dog is hand biter, dropping might be a better choice to start. If you want a hand-delivered retrieve, teach give to hand is better right from the start.
Use a back-chained retrieve. I have a class starting online today at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy that shows you how!
I could really use your help, I am training my assistance dog to pick up things for me. He will not mouth anything. He has never picked up anything ever and doesn't even play with toys. I have gotten to where he will open his mouth and take rope from my hand, but he does not hold it and just drops it. I know he can do this, he will hold low value large bones in his mouth but nothing that's not food. Help! I will gladly send you $ for your advice!!
Hi, How are you doing with this? I have an online retrieve class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy that starts today. I offer many suggestions to teach a hold.
Is clicker training necessary? My SD responds well to "good [command]" or just "good" and clickers really bug me after awhile.
Marker words work fine. I like to use the clicker as they are more precise, especially wit dogs that are quick.
Clickers are a very good counter-conditioning tool too, if you need it. It's basically a "joy" shortcut.
What if your dog either:
1. Doesn't give a hoot about the object
2. Gives too many hoots about the object and disregards your treat reinforcement.
I have tried literally 3 dozen items from toys to every day items with zero success.
Most likely the value of your treat is too high or too low to compete with the object. Start with a low value item and a medium to low value treat. That combo usually works to get a dog interested in working but not too excited.
My dog gets confused when I say take and he thinks I'm telling him to shake. What is a better word to use in the place of take?
I use the word "yours"
I use "get it" or "take it."
I'm sure this video helped lots of people, but it didn't help me. (I mean this in the nicest way possible). My dog won't take it unless it is moving. I tried to use a leash and he wouldn't take it. So I put peanut utter on it and he only licked it. :( is there a way to fix that problem?
Lucille L.
Hi Lucille did you ever succeed in this? You have to shape the take and hold. Start with a new object that your dog does not associate with retrieving. Click for any interaction at first, you might have to move it around a little to start, then fade the movement.
@supernaturalbc2008 I can help find the video
My dog will touch any object I give her but refuses to put anything in her mouth. I am training to be a balance dog due to a brain injury and would like to at least teach her how to pick up the leash when dropped.
Try holding just above her head and see if she will reach for it, or smearing a small amount of something yummy on a wooden bar and see if she will lick it, then grab it.