I just received the new Flinks motivational retrieve video. It met all expectations and the presentation and narration quality are even better than the first video.

I was glad that Ed covered Bernhards approach to teaching the "sit in front" exercise.

However, I do wish that there was another "in-between video" that covered Flinks approach to other general obedience exercises.

Being new to the ball-string method, I find myself wondering how Flinks teaches the down (platz), come (heir) and finish portion of the heel commands.

I will start a new thread to address these obedience issues using the ball-string method (see Schutz/Competition obed.).

I should also mention that Flinks demonstrates new ways to reward with the ball and how to gradually link behaviors. These techniques could be helpful in any type of obedience.

In the Motivational Retrieve with Bernhard Flinks, Ed says that dogs that require a tug are not as clear-headed as dogs that can be trained with a ball. He then says for those that aren't clear what this means, to check his web site. I couldn't find it on the site, and being new to the sport, I wonder why a dog that requires a tug is less clear-headed than a dog that can be trained with a ball?

To respond to Dave first - I will be coming out with separate videos that I have filmed but have not yet edited with Bernhard on: Training the Recall and Front Position: Preparing Young Dogs for Protection Work: Problem Solving in Drive Building: Training the Blind Search: and then several tapes on protection training for Schutzhund.

I was at Bernhards seminar in NM last week and came back with 18 hours of raw footage, when I combine this with teh 60 to 70 hours of footage from all of his other seminars I have attended - this is a lot of training information to deseminate.

I need to add information to the web site on this issue of using a tug VS a ball. But the short version is that a dog that wants to fight with his handler has some issues with rank. These kinds of dogs are usually a little more hectic and need to be worked in a different way (which I show in the tape).

A dog that is clear in the head is a dog that has good nerves, usually a good grip (but not always), and is easier to train.

I am sponsoring a Bernhard Flinks Seminar in Elkhart Indiana on the weekend of June 8th and 9th. This seminar will focus more on training and preparing exercises for competition and less on the foundation of drive work. If you are interested I will post more on the seminar on my web iste in a few days.

I'll take a stab here although I might be wrong and anyone can feel free to correct me.

My guess is that a dog that requires a tug is going to expend more useful drive "unloading" into the tug than a dog that can achieve sufficient drive gratification by just having a ball popped into his mouth. Drive is kinda like gasoline... don't want to expend it needlessly.

Pete Felknor

Sorry Ed--you beat me to the answer! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ed Frawley replied:

I am sponsoring a Bernhard Flinks Seminar in Elkhart Indiana on the weekend of June 8th and 9th. This seminar will focus more on training and preparing exercises for competition and less on the foundation of drive work. If you are interested I will post more on the seminar on my web iste in a few days. Ed that is outstanding. Elkhart is just a few hours away. You can count me in!