STEPS FOR TEACHING THE RETRIEVE 1.    The first step in teaching the retrieve is to make the object taste or smell  good. Rub some butter or hot dog on the dumbbell. When the dog licks or sniffs the dumbbell click/treat. Continue to reinforce two or three times either licking or sniffing. Do not reinforce bumping. RAISING CRITERIA Raising criteria means that you no longer click/treat for the same behavior. In order for the dog to obtain reinforcements he must work at a new level. This is done in very small increments. Usually when the dog no longer gets reinforced he exhibits some confusion. When this happens the dog begins to experiment, he may try different behaviors to see what works. During this little burst of activity be ready to reinforce the next level you have chosen. If at anytime the dog appears to backslide, back up to a lower level, click/treat a couple of times and proceed again. Each step is reinforced until you know, without a doubt, that it will happen again. 2.    Raise criteria. Click/treat when the dog touches it with his lips. At this point the dog knows that reinforcements are somehow connected to the dumbbell. 3.    Raise criteria. Click/treat for parting lips and touching with teeth. JACKPOTS Jackpots are bonuses. They are especially helpful when teaching something as complex as the retrieve. When your dog suddenly surpasses your expectations or masters something that has been especially difficult for the dog, giving a jackpot makes the event much more memorable. 4.    Raise criteria. Click/treat for any opening of the mouth. Jackpot for any attempt to take the dumbbell. 5.    Raise criteria. Click/treat for moving his mouth over it. Avoid "helping" the dog move his mouth over the dumbbell. Allow the dog to move toward the dumbbell himself. HE WILL. There maybe times when it appears that the dog is making little progress or loses interest. If your dog appears "bored," you may need to increase the amount of the reinforcement. Possibly it is simply not big enough. Knowing when to move to a new level and when to momentarily relax your standards is also important. If your expectations are so high that the dog cannot possibly meet them, he will quit working out of frustration. If the behavior falls apart, back up to a lower level, reinforce a couple of times and go on. On the other hand, if your dog is doing well, he could very easily become bored if held on the same level for too long. Be creative in your training. 6.    If the dog is moving his mouth over the dumbbell every time, you may add the signal "drop" or "give." Keep your hand under the dumbbell and add the signal as the dog drops it from his mouth. When you click the dog will drop it. Be generous with the bait. 7.    Raise criteria. Require the dog to hold the dumbbell in his mouth longer before you click. This can be done by adding seconds (one or two at a time.) The click must come while the dumbbell is still in the dog's mouth. If the dumbbell is in your hand when you click you're too late. 8.    If the dog is readily taking the dumbbell, begin moving it, in small increments, closer to the floor. Click/treat for every successful attempt all the way down to the floor. 9.    Put the dumbbell on the floor with your hand still touching the end of the dumbbell. At this time you may have to momentarily lower your standards. You may have to click/treat any movement toward the dumbbell. After you have clicked for touching the dumbbell on the floor, raise your criteria. Withhold the click until the dog attempts to open his mouth and attempts to put his mouth over it as in steps 4, 5 and 6. 10.    At this point the dog is readily taking the dumbbell (from the floor) now is the time to add the signal. Put the dumbbell on the floor, as the dog moves his head down to pick it up, give the signal to "fetch." You are simply pairing a word with something the dog already knows how to do. 11.     Gradually add distance to the retrieve. If the dog suddenly stops retrieving at a certain distance. Back up momentarily. 12.     Extend the time before releasing the dog to "fetch." You may have to restrain him at first. A good signal to establish at that time is "wait." Problem Solving You have completed all of the steps, you know that your dog knows how to "fetch," but suddenly when you toss the dumbbell, he does nothing. In fact he may just walk away entirely. Consider this nothing more than another step. Work on this problem early in your training session, while the dog is at his peak of attention. Toss the dumbbell, send your dog. If the dog does not immediately respond, do nothing. In other words, just wait. If you get a response within a minute, give a jackpot and quit. If you wait longer than one minute, pick up the dumbbell and back up one or two steps momentarily. Get a successful retrieve and stop. Try it again during the next session. Accepting a retrieve that the dog "throws" at you is another step in shaping the retrieve. Sloppy retrieves are not acceptable once the dog is actually retrieving. They should be worked on during the shaping process, however, it is never too late to correct the problem. The way to correct this problem is simple. Do not reinforce for the retrieve when the dog does this. If the dog is tossing the dumbbell back to you, don't catch it. You may do one of two things. You may let it fall to the ground and signal the dog to "fetch" again, or do not say anything and allow the dog to pick it up on his own. Click/treat only when the dog waits for the signal "give." If you are not completely satisfied with the retrieve even though the dog has completed it, remove the dumbbell from his mouth, say nothing, and try again for a retrieve that is acceptable.

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