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April 21, 2011

I am having a problem getting my dog to sit straight in front of me after he returns with the dumb bell. What can I do?

Full Question:
I am having a problem getting my dog to sit straight in front of me after he returns with the dumb bell. What can I do?
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
I assume that this question is dealing with the learning phase of training and not the proofing or conflict phase of training.



There are many solutions to this problem, but the very first thing to look at (and the only one I will address in this answer) is to see what way a dog turns when it goes to pick up the dumb bell. This is done during normal play with a dog. When I stand with my dog and throw a ball in front of me I will always watch to see if the dog runs and turns to the right or the left. Most dogs will turn the same direction 9 times out of 10. It's almost like being right or left handed.



When I know which way the dog will turn I can then toss the dumb bell to the left or right so when the dog turns it is coming back to me on a straight line. This makes it much easier to get a straight sit in front of the handler. Once the handler can determine exactly where to toss the dumb bell to get a straight line, the other problems often correct themselves.



This work is not to be confused with the use of "conflict training" at the end of the retrieve work. This is where the handler will toss the dumb bell way to the side (90 degrees to the direction he is standing) and expect the dog to return to the front with it. There are a complete set of tricks to use in this part of training to get a straight sit.

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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