STICK PILES

The next stage is to locate some loose stick piles; at this stage you don’t want to use anything too thick as you want to build up the dog’s confidence and they need to be able to get in between the sticks without too much effort. As you throw the ball or dummy you can hold the dog back or even turn it away from the retrieve, as this will increase its desire to get to the ball. Wait a minute or so and then send the dog and you should find that the dog is so keen to get to the ball he gives little regard to the sticks. Gradually build this up in terms of the waiting time before sending the dog and also the thickness of the stick pile.

Holding the dog back as you throw the ball will increase its desire to get to the retrieve

As you repeat this exercise, the dog should retrieve with little regard for the sticks