Training a longer hold?

[SpringerLover]

Field people use the dog's name as a release cue. I used "go" for Bailey (and "away" for go-outs).

[release the hounds]

Originally Posted by Dizzy

What do people use as their retrieval cue word? I've never settled for one I like so tend to use go get it, and bring it here. Which is messy. I don't like 'fetch'.

for competition I use "bring" around the house and yard I just say "get it"

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

for competition I use "bring" around the house and yard I just say "get it"

Same here

[Shai]

Yeah for Field it's required you use their name but for agility I use their name as a head-check which are kind of opposite behaviors (charge away vs. check in) so I use Mira's nickname (Cheese) for field/formal retrieve and her normal call name (Mira) for agility and life.

For future dogs I will probably use an element of their registered name for field instead of a nickname, just to make for less explaining.

For Web and Kim I use "get it" for a formal retrieve, and "bring it" around the house.

[Beanie]

Originally Posted by Shai

Yeah for Field it's required you use their name but for agility I use their name as a head-check which are kind of opposite behaviors (charge away vs. check in) so I use Mira's nickname (Cheese) for field/formal retrieve and her normal call name (Mira) for agility and life.

For future dogs I will probably use an element of their registered name for field instead of a nickname, just to make for less explaining.

For Web and Kim I use "get it" for a formal retrieve, and "bring it" around the house.

I submit that for future dogs you should ALWAYS use "Cheese!" as their formal retrieve word.

[CharlieDog]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

for competition I use "bring" around the house and yard I just say "get it"

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

Same here

hahaha, I'm sensing a trend. This is what I use as well.

[stardogs]

Originally Posted by CharlieDog

hahaha, I'm sensing a trend. This is what I use as well.

Me, too! Though I may be changing "get it" as it's also our marker for "reward away from me", which is often a bite on the helper...

[Donna Hill]

It helps to adjust your definition of a 'hold'.
The dog is holding when he lifts an object off the ground.
The dog is doing a hold when she is carry it a distance.
The dog is doing a hold when she turns around with the object in her mouth.
By adding distance, you are adding duration, the dog just doesn't know it.
When the dog tugs an object, she is doing a hold.

So some simple ideas:
Cue a 'stay' once the dog has the object in her mouth. Fade the stay cue once she is holding for a few seconds.

Use a tug to train a hold. Fade the tug.

Get her to do two grabs for one. That is, use surfing the extinction burst. The dog will grab quickly the first time, the slightly longer the second. Repeat until the second hold is longer and longer an the dog blend the first grab with the second. This method requires good timing with the clicker. Once you get past 2 seconds, most dogs 'get it' using this approach. http://www.woofandwordpress.com/targetandretrieve.pdf

Next train in different positions so the dog truly 'gets' it. Train many different objects.

My guess is that you may be asking for too much duration too quickly. Are you using one second increments?
Check out my service dog retrieve videos. See them in the list on the link below my name.

[DJEtzel]

I started working on Frag with RL today and he is starting to pick it up great. We did a short session, I saw progress, and stopped, but I'm hoping to pick it back up tonight and not be disappointed.