Randomizing the recall and the finish exercises

We never recall the dog from the down and the running stand until it has perfectly mastered all four of the exercises in motion, and the come‑fore position as well. Even once we do begin recalling the animal from the down and the stand, we do not make a constant habit of it, because anticipation can still be a problem for us. If we are not careful, we will inadvertently untrain the exercises we have worked so hard to teach.

Instead, the dog is seldom recalled from the exercises in motion, and this is done completely randomly, so that the dog has no idea when it will be recalled and when not. Although the handler runs thirty or forty paces up the field, stops, turns and faces his dog as he would in a trial before giving the “Come!” command, most of the time he just returns to the dog and praises it.

Likewise, most of the time when we recall the dog formally (across a long distance and complete with a come‑fore) we do not finish the animal. Instead, we do most of our practice on the finish isolated from the recall.

All the pieces of the exercises in motion and the recalls are kept separate from each other and well polished in training; they are fitted together only during trials and during a few practice sessions leading up to the trials.

Obedience: Retrieves, Obstacles and Send Away

We Leave the two most difficult obedience exercises, the retrieves and the send away, for last.

GOAL 1: The dog will retrieve the dumbbell quickly and reliably and without tossing or chewing it.

It seems ironic that the retrieves are difficult, because we have insisted throughout this book that, for Schutzhund competition, one must have a dog that is a strong natural retriever. A dog like this will happily retrieve a heavy balk of timber, and certainly a light wooden dumbbell. It seems a simple thing to interest this dog in the dumbbell, and throw it and then send the animal after it while it is still rolling. A good retriever will certainly go and bring it back. The problem is the way the dog brings it back. Because the animal is motivated by prey drive and play, and because it is terribly happy and pleased with itself, the dog chews the dumbbell, rolls or tosses it in its mouth and maybe even drops it on the ground, the way it habitually does with its ball.

If, in trial, the dog plays like this with the dumbbell on each retrieve, it will lose twelve points in all. Assuming that the animal performed perfectly in all the other obedience exercises and did not lose another point (an unlikely prospect), it would still be down to an obedience score of eighty‑eight–far below the ninety‑six points required for an Excellent rating, and low enough to cost its handler a lot of trophies.

Therefore, most Schutzhund trainers teach their dogs a forced retrieve because, by making the retrieve an obligation instead of a game, it cures the dog of playing with the dumbbell.

Important Concepts for Meeting the Goal

1. Taking the dumbbell from the hand

2. Taking the dumbbell from the ground

3. Retrieving the dumbbell on the back tie

4. Retrieving the dumbbell free