OB630: Shaping a Fast and Furious Retrieve

Hold step 2: Combining grab and chin rest

Basics needed:

• Chin rest
• Grab
• Treat reward or Switch

Steps:

• Grab with light 2 finger pressure still holding object by ends (to get the dog used to feeling something under his chin)
• Grab with chin cue and 6 fingers under chin, holding the object by the ends with thumbs and forefingers
• Get 2 seconds of duration at this step
• Grab with finger pressure under chin letting go of object with thumbs and forefingers free
• Grab with initial finger pressure under chin and removing fingers from under chin
• Testing the grip. If the grip slips at this point, you've got some choices. You can work on it by applying some rocking downwards and upwards pressure with your thumbs and marking when you feel the dog gripping harder to combat the pressure or you can go on to the next step, toy reinforcement and work on the testing grip with more exciting reinforcement. When you are "testing the grip" it should be subtle so that you can't see it, but can feel it.

We’re going to use the chin rest to up your chances of getting calm holding rather than chewing.

I usually use food as a reward for this step, but if the dog needs a toy reward to encourage grasping harder, I don’t hesitate to switch to a ball or tug. At this point, I will always be playing with Switch in between each 5 repetition set to encourage arousal and hard gripping even if still shaping with food reward.

I let my dog offer a couple grabs, and then I put the holding object under my arm and ask for a couple chin rests, rewarding each grab and each chin rest.

Then I present the object again, holding it at each end with my thumb and first finger, and letting the other 3 fingers of each hand fan out underneath. When the dog grabs, I quickly bring my fingers up to touch the dog’s chin, and then just as quickly, cue the marker word. You are trying to get the dog used to the pressure of fingers under his chin while grabbing the object and get him through any initial startle response he may have. Most of the time I only touch 2 fingers initially, and then a couple repetitions later (assuming all is going well), stick all 3 fingers of each hand under the dog’s chin.

If you think it may help, you can use your chin verbal cue as well.

I then alternate chin rest without object, and chin rest with object until I get a Freeze type behavior on the chin rest with object repetition, the same freeze that you get with the plain chin rest.

Here are Rachel and Pele showing an excellent progression of grab, then chin rest, and then combining the two:

Their next step would be getting a 2 second duration "freeze" behavior before removing any thumbs or fingers.

Here are Debbie and Sarek showing this:

Once I get the freeze with the object in the dog's mouth and full chin rest under his chin, I start to remove my thumbs from either end. At this point, I can also stop alternating with the plain chin rest. If at any time, the grip softens or the dog starts to chew, I can go back to holding the magazine with my thumbs.

Here is Manchita and Stacey working through this step. Manchita is a Mexican Hairless, otherwise known as a Xoloitzcuintle. Here they are starting to remove her thumbs from the holding of the magazine. Notice how she still keeps her fingers under Manchita's chin with full chin rest.

When the dog is comfortable at this step, I would start to remove my "chin fingers" one by one.

Testing the grip:

At some point in this process, most dogs normally starts to chew, or chomp, or let the magazine fall out of his mouth, etc... I have a couple things I try at this point.

Wait out the chomping. Often the dog chews, and then gives still mouth, chews, and then still mouth. if I make sure that I only mark when the mouth is still, often the chewing/chomping goes away on it's own as the dog learns the behavior that pays is still mouth.

Re present the magazine. If the mouth is moving, I can often just take the magazine out of the dog's mouth, wait for attention and then present the magazine again. I generally do not do this unless I have a 2 second freeze with full chin rest, and I've tried waiting out the behavior of chomping.

Communicate that harder gripping is wanted by very gently pushing with one of my thumbs in either an upwards or downwards pressure. When I feel the dog grip harder in opposition reflex, I mark and reinforce. The idea is not to set the dog up to fail, but to communicate that harder gripping is valuable. You can also pull gently towards you IF that does not make the dog go into tugging mode.

Here is Baylie and I working through some testing of the grip. Notice my easy repetitions among the hard ones: