Is Your Dog a Retriever?
I was surprised to see a Blue Heeler cattle dog retrieving for our cameras during the production of Retrievers in the Field. I’m familiar with Labs retrieving, but wasn’t up on herding cattle dogs. Typically they are used as working dogs to round up cattle, sheep and other ranch animals. Retrieving is a whole other discipline.
I produced this clip while filming Retrievers in the Field shows how after proper training most dogs will retrieve if given enough incentive. The younger they are the better, but even older dogs can learn how to fetch and return it to you. Retrieving doesn’t have to mean picking up a bird in the field. It can be as fun as playing a game with a tennis ball in your backyard. But what you want is the dog to respond properly to the game, and return the object to you and deliver to hand when commanded.
To learn more about retrieving an object start by watching Standing Stone Kennels introduction to retrieving. They work primarily with field dogs that are natural retrievers, but their first lesson gives you an idea of how the process works. What I enjoyed about their process is how easy the steps are to follow. There’s much more to it, and way beyond the average person’s abilities, but understanding what is expected from the dog is a step in the right direction.
Want to learn more? Find a professional dog trainer in your area that can help you refine the process. It’s not an overnight thing. If your dog chases the object, but doesn’t bring it back to you… remember it takes time and technique to teach your dog the concept. Dogs love structure, and retrieving is a game they will do over and over again. At its core, it’s great exercise and a fun way to bond with your dog.
If you’ve ever wanted to see how smart and obedient a retriever can be plan to attend an AKC sporting event. These are across the country. The AKC Hunt Test is a combination of incredible canine eye-sight and physical strength and the ability for the dog to perservere in all types of outdoor conditions.
Not all dogs are considered “working dogs.” Some are couch potatoes. But with training and daily exercise any dog can be trained to retrieve.
St. Bernards get all the credit for snow rescues, and deservingly so. But it was a German Shepard named Bridget, who heroically became the first dog in North America to find a survivor in the worst mountain avalanche disaster in ski resort history.
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American Kennel Club offers loads of competitions for your dog. From obedience to field trials, and you and your dog will love it. However, because these are competitions people tend to be nervous, especially newcomers. One way to avoid the jitters is to unleash your inner-child.
Podcasts by dog trainers are reaching large audiences of listeners ready to take advice on any number of subjects. Robert Cabral interviews me about AKC Hunt Test programs nationwide.
This is a must-read for anyone that thinks their dog might have eaten a marijuana laced product.
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Ever wonder why Labs are America’s most popular dog year after year? It’s simple, they love being around people of all ages and genders. They are considered the very best family dog. But there’s more to learn about Labs than how sweet they can be around people.
This is one of my favorite video clips from Retrievers in the Field, filmed by outdoor videographer Rick Westphal of Westphal Productions.
Karen Pryor wrote a book that I've read many times called Don't Shoot the Dog. It is a training manual for dog owners that I encourage everyone to read at least once. Anyone with a love for animals will get something from her advice and story that they may not find elsewhere.
If you’ve never seen a working dog like a Retriever in action, you’re missing out on one of life’s biggest pleasures. Retrievers have been working with us as for eons, and their natural instincts to retrieve is simply amazing to watch.
Responsible dog owners love to hike outdoors with their four-legged companions and seldom is there a problem. But while our beautiful wilderness looks safe enough, the wild outdoors can become life-threatening in an instant.
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Ever since the days of Lassie on TV or the slobbering St. Bernard in the feature film Beethoven, dogs have been used in television and film production.
Cesar Millan’s story is well-known among dog lovers everywhere. In short, he illegally crossed the border between Mexico and the U.S. in his youth, worked low paying jobs to eat, slept in his car, and through some divine miracle (or destiny) he managed to become one of America’s most beloved television dog trainers.
Fetch is a game that every dog owner has played at some time in their life. The dog chases the dry rubber ball and returns it back to the thrower, somewhat more slimy than before. Simple. It’s a great game and most dogs happily play it.
Here's a lesson I learned early on. Everything we’ve read, seen or heard about retriever training is futile until we embrace the concept that dogs are creatures of habit.
Getting started in the retriever training game takes commitment, and obviously the right equipment. Experienced trainers are fully equipped to handle most training drill scenarios, which leaves 99 percent of others often puzzled by the choices that need to be made.
Larry Saavedra
Subject Matter Experts. Specializing in content for automotive and outdoor projects.
Any dog swims… kinda. While swimming doesn’t come naturally to all breeds like Bull dogs and Basset Hounds and some others, dogs do “dog paddle” in water. Whether or not they can swim across a pool is another thing, and before you tempt fate be sure to buy a doggy vest first just in case.