This seems to be working ok with our 11 week old lab. Just wanted to know, when is the right time to click with the recall. On the way out, the pick up, the way back or at the sit and drop.

Are you discussing a retrieve here or a recall?

Sorry, my mistake, should read retrieve.

The retrieve is quite complicated and is made up of many steps:

The dog at heel, marking the drop, waiting for the command, the "go out", the "pickup", the return, the "present", the release, the heel position!

I start with the dog between my feet in a chair (in the present position), I click for looking at dumbell in my hand, licking, taking then I will place dumbell on floor until i gradually end up throwing it etc etc.

The retrieve requires "shaping" so the answer to your question is that you will be clicking differing parts depending on what you are training at the time :)

If you back chain like this the dog is always going from the "unknown" to the "known" and this relieves any pressure.

HTH

Hi,
As tohme says, a proper retrieve is made up of different bits, but as your puppy is only 11 weeks, you won't actually be doing a proper formal retrieve yet! At that age, I wouldn't even make him sit and wait before going to the article - just let him go after it as soon as you throw it, then - presuming he is happy to pick it up - click as he runs back towards you. If he runs off at any time, put him on a long lead. I would also teach him the 'hold', because you don't actually want him to get into a habit of dropping the article as soon as he gets to you. Teach that separately, without the run-out - just give him the toy, click if he holds it in his mouth, then treat, and you'll gradually be able to build up the time he holds onto it. Good luck!
Hilda

Thanks Hilda. I will try clicking when she starts to come back. I had been clicking at the end of the process with some success.

If you are looking to compete in obedience then I wouldn't try teaching the formal retrieve until your pup has finished teething. Their gums can be very sore during the teething process and you might think they are refusing to hold, but infact it is hurting them.

There is nothing wrong with asking them to fetch something soft at this age and bring it back, but if you want to move onto more formal training later, keep it fun now without formal commands.

Sandra

Just a point as well - i agree with the back chaining, informal retreive etc advice above, but also be aware that when the pup returns to you, you can either click for dropping the article or toy, or for returning it to your hand. Either or both can be trained/retrained at any time....its just that my dog started off retrieving to hand when a pup, but i messed it up by clicking her when she dropped it so she was learning to drop rather than let me take it.

It's good advice to teach Hold separately :)

So consider what you may want in the future (but as i said, it is easy to re-train if necessary) and to make life easier, try to train for that.

Lindsay