Retrieving is something that pretty much most (not all) gundogs are expected to do, and is pretty complex at the highest level with lots of elements that require skill, thinking and control from your dog. However, it is something that you can observe very early in your puppy. What are we looking for?
At a basic level, we want these elements- a puppy that has a desire to run out to an item, pick it up, bring it back generally to you (we're not expecting hand delivery from the outset!), be happy to give it up, and then be ready to go again.
We can begin this process with all manner of objects- with very little puppies I like to start with something with a treat inside that they can't get into- for example, a toothbrush holder, a small purse, a lockable plastic tub- be creative! The idea is that bringing back the item to you becomes valuable to your puppy, as you can help them access the treat. This builds a drive back to you, to get the treat and go again. You can see me playing this game with baby Bisto below (10 weeks old).
We want to be harnessing these natural desires as early as possible, so lots of praise for picking up things (trying to avoid leaving out stuff we don't want them to pick up! We don't want to kill the desire because we are telling them off)- and lots of praise for bringing stuff back, right to us- and preferably not teaching them "drop"!
When do we start "formally" training a retrieve?
Most formal gundog training starts at around 6 months of age, and for me, should really feel like a fun continuation of everything we've been doing before that, building that desire to go out- pick up- come back- give up the thing- get ready; crucially with the same amount of energy coming back as they have going out! Once we have that, we can start to work on the more fine-tuning of the retrieve.
Another fun game to play around this: starting to throw the item further away- but still maintaining a link, so that my dog carries on building this association of human-item-reward:
Ultimately the act itself becomes rewarding for our dog (think of those ball-obsessed dogs you see in the park)- bringing the item back at speed is worthwhile because it "activates" the game again.
We can use lots of everyday situations and objects to help develop aspects of the retrieve too, and it often helps to work on elements individually. For example, working on hand delivery removed from the excitement of running out/ running back, can help our dogs stay in a thinking brain, and see value in the delivery aspect. I like to teach my dogs to "tidy up" their toys- in this video you can see Toffee and Bisto demonstrating steadiness both as the toys are thrown, and also whilst waiting for the other dog to "retrieve" the toy. You can see them problem-solving - working out how to get the toy back in the box; you can see them being rewarded for the delivery and you can see them taking direction. And they are tidying up their toys- a useful skill in itself!
Making a note (or even keeping a journal) of what bits of the retrieve your dog enjoys and which bits need work can also help you hone in on what needs work- and what to praise!
If you are struggling with aspects of your retrieve, why not book a 1:1 and we can look at what's going on together?
Happy training!
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