This year I will teach a reliable retrieve to my little herding dog, Pippin. There... I admitted it. My little Pip will get a toy with incredible drive, and she will tug with enthusiasm. However, she will only bring it half way back to me. She doesn't understand that I want it in my hand so we can start the game again. In other words she is not the retrieving fiend that I would like her to be. I was spoiled by my last agility dog, Tucker Jack. He came to me at 8 weeks old and had an instant love of toys. This love grew and grew until, at the age of 6 months, he became what my family and I lovingly called "a crackhead" for the ball. Because of his love of the ball AND his reliable retrieve, I was able to teach him almost everything he learned about agility and basic obedience with toys. It was wonderful. He had SUCH incredible focus on me. He was a true competitor. I see that same fire in Pippin. I just have to stoke it a little, and a reliable retrieve is just the way to do this. So in 2014 I am aiming for the same crazy, retrieving drive in my little pipsqueak that I had in my Tucker Jack. I'm on the right track with my Golden puppy Arrow. During the last month it is clear that he too, just like Tucker, will "live to retrieve". And heaven knows if I can get my golden girl Allie Mae into loving toys just as much as she loves treats, I can surely get little Pip to retrieve the toy ALL the way back to my hand. Until next time... Happy Training!
