How can I get my big pup (10 month flatcoat) to drop a ball or whatever has just been thrown for her?  She's very good at the retrieve, but won't give anything back to me.  Sometimes she will eventually if I give her a treat, usually have to do this if it is one of the kids trainers!  Is this the way to go, keep using treats for a while?  We also have Suki's Mum, and it is obviously far more fun to play with her Mum chasing her than bringing things back to me!

We used super high value treat - AKA a nice juicey bone - when she had something like a sock/toy. We offered her the bone in one hand and had the other hand closed at her eye level(like a fist) said 'drop' the split second she dropped to get the bone. This took about 3 times to do, and must have made an impression because with both the hand signal and the command drop, she'll drop anything around the house , and almost anything outside. (Except a grotty marsbar found over the fieild, which had to be removed from half way down the little minxs throat!)

When I play ball with Roxy I always take two balls.  Inevitably she always wants the one in my hand, so drops the one that's in her mouth.  May be woth a try with Suki.

We do the two balls thing with Jasper too - only thing that seems to work :rolleyes:

Personally I teach the 'give to hand' before I encourage my dogs to drop anything. I've found that it is easier to do it that way round. I practise sitting in the lounge with a small ball. I refuse to pick up anything dropped at my feet and only respond when the dog has the ball in it's mouth :) I sit with my legs open ( :D ) encouraging the dog to come right up to me. My dogs are so keen to have the ball thrown that they soon learn that a dropped ball gets no response. When they can give the ball (or toy) to my hand regularly, then I put a name to dropping and start to ask for that. But I never ask a dog to drop a toy if I am going to then pick it up and play with it. If you are doing/going to do any formal obedience training, dropping is never required, but giving to hand is :) :) :)

Daisy

It depends a bit whether you want a give into hand or a drop on the floor. A trainer I spoke to said his collie used to drop the ball on the floor for him to kick, and when he decided he wanted a 'give' it took AGES to train. I go for 'give' with mine, which usually involves me taking hold of ball in mouth and them releasing it as I say 'give', otherwise if I go for "drop into hand" between us we usually end up with it falling on the floor instead. :D  To get them to release I've just used either tasty treat or favourite toy as they let go and want that instead, putting the word 'give' to the release. Once they get used to giving, I phased out treats and the reward is having the ball thrown for them again. I have had more problems with the flatcoat though as he prefers to parade around smugly with something in his mouth than give it back. :rolleyes:

We don't get flatcoats to drop the article.   They have to retrieve it to your hand.   

If you're training the retrieve, the best idea is to train away from any other dogs, children etc who could turn everything into one big game of chase.

There is a thread on the behaviour list on Champdogs at the moment - if you have a look at it , it should help you quite a lot :-).

Jo

Casblaidd Flatcoated Retrievers

Thanks for the replies, lots of ideas.  The closed fist with the treat in worked really well this morning, so I think I'll try that with the 'give' command and see if she'll put things in my other hand.  wonderful if that will work too!

Sorry, thought we were talking about bringing a toy back as a pet rather than formal retrieving.