“Walkies” can be made in to nice training.

It’s nice to train the young dog and the result is best if you integrate it in to a walk so that you move in various areas as much as possible.

I take two small dummies with me as they fit into a jacket pocket. To train the dog to mark a retrieve and also to train getting directions to a blind retrieve, I do this:  I throw a dummy to be marked by Pontus, my 14 months old pup.

Throwing the marked retrieve.

As he goes off for the marked retrieve…..

Potus setting off to get the marked retrieve.

….I turn round and throw one out the other way while he is not looking.

Placing the unseen “blind” dummy.

Pontus then picks the marked one and delivers it back to me.

Picking up the marked dummy.

Return.

Delivering, “holding” nicely.

Then it is time to turn him round and send him for the blind retrieve.

Setting Pontus up for the direction.

….and off…

If all goes well, he doesn’t need stopping for further directions, but simply picks the dummy on the wind successfully.

Returning the dummy.

Happy dog.

The treats come out every time.

I “hunt” him and throw seen dummies or I sneak blind dummies in to the mix and hence we are moving in various places making the training as enjoyable as possible.

“Hunting” Pontus in to the wind.

I sit him down on the whistle and then throw a dummy for him to mark. The small dummies are not easy to find in the long grass, so it’s a good challenge.

Watching the dummy.

On a nice day, a swim in the river is fabulous training too.

Pontus likes his svimming.