retrieving outside

[coxw88]

I have a 5 month old female GSP she is retrieving good when we are inside the house. When we try to move things outside to the yard she gets really excited at first when she sees the retrieving dummy but when i toss it she runs over to it and smells it then walks away. Sometimes she will retrieve it once but after that she's done. Any ideas to keep her interested outside would be helpful.

[BellaSpinone]

We'll a formal trained retrieve is the answer. With puppies I clicker train them. In short you get a treat for brining back the bumper. I sit in a chair in a fenced in area with no other distractions going on. Give the pup a couple treats to load clicker then hold out bumper if pup so much as touches it with nose click and treat. There is a whole process for teaching. Mostly I am lucky with tossing bumper about six feet and wait out the pup to bring it back. At first just picking
it up gets a teat. Usually pups are bringing the bumper to me in the first training session.

I bet if you were to sit in a chair. Give your pup serval small pieces of hot dog. Then toss the bumper about six feet it will bring it back. Don't say a word and keep the treats in your closed hand. It may take five minutes bit it will bring the bumper to you. It may drop it short but that is ok. It will likely bump your hand wanting a treat. Just wait it out, it will figure it out. I quarter hot dogs lengthwise then chop in 1/4 " pieces. Do it before meal time ...

I follow smart fetch training method when it is time to get serious. Have found it goes much quicker and takes less pressure when they are clicker trained.

[DonF]

Don't force a 5mo old puppy. Just don't fool with it outside until she get's somewhat older. Test her every couple weeks or so to see if she's ready. Keep her on a cc and don't throw the dummy beyond reach of the cc. If she give's you one good one, call it quits for the day right there than try again the next day. Her mind is not on retrieving out side, sounds like she just wants to go see what is what, let her!

[EvanG]

Has this pup been retrieving real birds? That's what they live for. Bumpers are fine, but some dogs need feathers to get them going on retrieve - especially until they're mature enough to force fetch.

EvanG

[Big bloc]

I had the same problem with bumpers they are boring. After that I got a paint roller, went to the park and got some goose ,duck, pigeons feathers and used plastic ties to hold them on. Throw it in air and make sure that she knows that is your toy. Keep it fun. My dog is 2 now and I still have the paint roller she cant wait for me to throw it. Good luck

[Nutmeg247]

I'd just add that conceptually, outside is more distracting than indoors. So, you automatically are increasing difficulty in that regard. Initially, you need to then make retrieving more rewarding (food rewards, real birds, etc.) and/or easier (shorter distance, maybe relaxing other criteria) to get the same reliability. For me, I find that I encounter this more or less every time I raise one criteria for any behavior, retrieving or otherwise, and I am slowly working on how much adjustment to make and then how to "proof" behaviors.