Before I go on with the newer behaviors that I started working on with Chispa over the weekend (at the show, ringside, because I wanted to do something other than just feed her for being cute…), I want to finish up with the Two Toy Game. Obviously I’ll continue to work on it, but this last step of three is really all that is required to continue building up a nice retrieve. Of course, having said that, my dogs are not retrieving champs by any stretch of the imagination – they have functional retrieves. Meaning to say, they’ll bring back a toy, often through a crowd of staring border collies, and drop it nearby. And, during training, they’ll bring back a toy to play with whatever OTHER toy I might have, or, continue playing with ME with the same toy.
I’m pretty sure I’ve already mentioned that I don’t do a lot of toy/ball throwing – playing fetch has just never seemed to me to be an efficient use of my time with my dogs. If they need exercise, we ALL walk, off leash if possible, and over varied terrain whenever possible. If they need mental stimulation, we play games together that don’t require a lot of space, or they play with food puzzles. And, of course, we do some agility. And, all too often, I see clients at workshops and seminars who have border collies who have learned to not come inside that magic “she’s gonna throw the ball” radius, and when I ask, “do you play a lot of fetch with your dog?” the answer is invariably yes 🙂
In any case, here it is, adding motion to that beginning retrieve!
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