|
The 'Back' command
Most retriever trainers
use the command ‘back’ when they send a dog out away
from them in a straight line. I have got into the
habit over the years of using the spaniel handler’s
‘get out’ and am will only confuse myself if I
switch now. But Lottie won’t care either way.
Lottie will need to learn two different types of
back command. One as a cast - remote from me - in
the same way as the simple left and right hand
signals she has learnt. The other is a ‘send’ where
she runs out from my side. I am going to begin
with sending her back before moving on to
casting her back.
Permanent blind
To
begin with, I placed a dummy at the foot of a
large oak tree, which is the nice and distinctive
landmark I have chosen for Lottie's first permanent
blind exercise. Then heeled her away from it
before sending.
To
send her, instead of simply releasing her on her
name as I have always done for ‘marks’, I lined her
up as follows. I sat her next to me and with a firm
‘hup’ and hand signal reminder to sit still, I took
a step forward in the direction of the dummy, and
gave another 'hup' reminder as I stretched out my
arm in the direction of the dummy. She went
out like a rocket as soon as I said ‘Get Out’ and
not before. No further encouragement was necessary.
This was just the same
as the many simple ‘go-back’ retrieves she has done
before, but with a new command and hand signal. We
then repeated five times and each time I sent Lottie
from a bit further back, until she was running out
about 60 yards to the exact same spot. I will do
this a few more times and then try sending her
'blind' (placing the dummy by the tree whilst she is
still in the car) . |
