For all you Genetic Buff's out there here is Tuvuk's Pedigree. The link provided below shows a more detailed version with his parents and grandparents UKC titles received. The certificate below will just show the titles received from the AKC hunt tests. Also the link below will allow you to view 5 generations that Tuvuk is made up of. I think it is very interesting to know where your dog comes from, and the potential that they may have due to years worth of breeding.
This drill is used to get some distance on your pup. At this point most of the retrieves that Tuvuk makes in a training session has been between 30-40 yards. With this drill we start to implement running straight lines and longer distances. One thing that I noticed while editing this video is the need for a drill prior to running to a pile. As a trainer you make mistakes and this was one that will be corrected in our next training session. The drill that should be done before this would be to put a pile of bumpers out about 10 yards and have Tuvuk on a leash. He is now force fetch trained and I will use this training to have him fetch a single bumper from the pile and immediately return to me. You will see him in this video playing what I call "Picking the basket." This means that he is picking a bumper up and then dropping it to pick up another. You do not want this to become a habit so I will post that drill in the next video.
Well we didn't name our kennel Arctic Kennel and Adventures for no reason. This video just shows you the challenges we face trying to train a dog for competition this summer. I have not been able to even work Tuvuk outside this week due to our crazy weather we have had the past several days. I thought I would just post this video for those of you who are following the blog thinking "Why haven't there been any video lately?" Hope you enjoy!
In this video you will see how we have continued our force fetch training. Since my last video I have not had a chance to take Tuvuk outside due to really cold temperatures for the past 2 weeks of anywhere from
-15 to -30 degrees. We are scheduled for a bad blizzard starting tonight "which has begun". What this video does not show you is how I have continued training with the E-Collar while working force fetch. The object of this pressure training is to make sure and not use this as a discipline tool, but instead as a tool that allows Tuvuk to understand how to turn the pressure off. I can't express how important it is to start your dog out using this collar properly. I have seen trainers and owners ruin a dog with a E-Collar by using it in the wrong context. Again the object of Force Fetching is for Tuvuk to fetch on command without hesitation. This will help out greatly when we continue on into advanced training sessions. I am very pleased at the progress he has made over the past 2-3 weeks, even with the challenges we face in the North. I can't wait for you to see him in his first hunt test this summer. We have a ton of work between now and then, but he has done a great job up till now. Again I hope you enjoy the video! Please comment if you have any questions about the training we have done so far. Yes at the end of the video my blinker on my truck was turned on by a mysterious dog that was in the truck. "Kiera"
This video will show the very start of how to force fetch a retriever. I know that you have heard me mention this concept several times over the past few months, but now you will get to see it in action. For the people who may not understand this drill, we force fetch a dog so that once competition and field trials begin the dog learns how to fetch on command. In a hunt test or field trial the dog is required to deliver the bird to the handlers hand. Many of you have probably seen a dog exit the water and immediately drop the bird at the shoreline. This command will teach the dog that when I say "Fetch" they will pick the bird back up immediately. If a dog is not force fetched you have a very high risk of failure to deliver the bird/bumper to the handler in an acceptable manner. If a dog drops the bird/bumper at the handlers feet and does not complete the retrieve they will be deducted points or failed for that test. There are many ways to force fetch a dog but this method seems to be my favorite. One thing that I do not have here is a table that is normally used to set the dog on, so they cannot get out of the pressure very easily. We usually would attach a leash to the dog and then to a bar or post above the dog so that they cannot lay-down or get away from the drill. Tuvuk has only done this drill twice and you will see the progress we have made. It normally takes about 3-5 sessions for the dog to learn how to get away from the pressure, and how this is done is by getting the bumper in his mouth. Hope you enjoy!!
Today I took Tuvuk out to work on the introduction to doubles. I mainly want him to start learning the concept of lining up for the retrieve by my body position. This is one of the first steps in teaching a blind retrieve. I want him to learn that he should run the line that my bodies position is in.
This is a video on the introduction of the E-Collar. Always remember that when you introduce a dog to the E-Collar, you know 100% that the dog knows the commands you are asking of him. Also I have been placing an E-Collar on him for the past 3-4 weeks with no stimulation being applied during training sessions. In order to get the best results, introduce this pressure with an up-beat attitude, and make this a somewhat enjoyable training session. This video has been cut down to just show how to apply pressure. I did not have enough time in the video to keep the parts when Tuvuk was just doing the commands without pressure. I wanted you mainly to see how he reacted to the pressure when it was applied. I know the video is not the best, but it is hard to get this training on video with a hand held camera. I am using the video glasses so I hope you don't get too dizzy. Toward the end, YouTube seems to have distorted the video, but I hope at least you get the drift. A couple things I did not show in the video was before and after the training session, I threw several fun-bumpers to keep Tuvuk's attitude positive. Hope you enjoy!
