Keeping the Fun in Retriever Training
Posted by Charlie JurneyWouldn't it be ace in the middle of a rough day if someone popped by and had a yarn that made all your worries vanish? Straight away your negative feelings would nick off and you'd be chuffed. Well, in retriever training, there's a thingo that can have that effect on your dog. We call them “fun bumpers,” and even though the idea's a piece of cake, they're bloody important.
The only rule with fun bumpers is that the dog must chase the bumper. I chuck fun bumpers in some fashion every day for each dog I’m training. With a young dog, this is how I start each session. I keep going until I see a positive attitude in the pup. After all, there's no point in tossing something for your dog to fetch if he's not keen.
In a dog with poor retrieving desire, this fun game can build his excitement. You can nurture motivation by teasing your dog with a bumper. As his interest in the object intensifies, toss it a few metres in front of him. If he doesn’t chase, repeat the process. I’ve seen this go on for weeks in an unmotivated student. Patience is the only way to solve the problem. I’ve yet to see a dog enjoy retrieving that had the process forced upon him.
Most dogs from good breeding don't need much motivation to fetch, but that doesn't mean fun bumpers aren't a handy tool at every stage of the training process. As anyone who's done a fair bit of retriever training knows, there's a bunch of rules you expect your dog to follow – steadiness, stopping on the whistle and taking hand signals, just to name a few. So it's important to chuck in a verbal command to set apart the fun bumper routine. I use the words, 'Hup, hup, hup,' before I lob the bumper as a verbal cue to the pup that he's about to have a good time. You can use any words you like, but keep it consistent. Before you know it, those words alone will get your dog all worked up with excitement.
Constant repetition of the fun bumper drills gives you an extra tool for training. Fun bumpers can be used to encourage a dog into the water for the first time. They can help adjust your pup's attitude if he seems confused or lacks confidence in a new situation. And they're great fun for you, too. I don't know anyone who doesn't crack a smile when their dog comes back with a wagging tail and a cheerful demeanour.
As the dog progresses, I used fun bumpers as a reward at the end of the training session. I always follow a job well done with a couple of fun bumper tosses before the dog goes back on the ute or into his kennel. This increases his desire to work in the next training session.
Everything I've explained so far has to do with motivation and reward. But this concept can work the other way: to punish a dog. Suppose your boss told you your pay depended on how you performed your job. Poor performance by your dog might mean he gets put back in the kennel without his pay of fun bumpers. Not giving him his fun bumpers at the end of a training session can be the greatest punishment in a dog's life if he has been properly trained with them
Always check your local and state regulations related to dog training and the use of game birds on private and public property.
Charlie Jurney
Piedmont, NC
Charlie Jurney has been training performance and hunting dogs for more than 30 years. During that time he's produced hundreds of titled dogs including Grand Hunting Retriever Champions, Hunting Retriever Champions, Master Hunters, Grand Master Hunting Retriever Champions, and Master Hunting Retrievers. His writings have been featured in The...
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