# Teaching Drop on Recall



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

What a good, focused girl! Drop is the command, rather than down? Hard to hear over your neighbor's riding lawnmower. Thank you so much for posting. I'm going to have to practice that a lot at slow speeds.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Quite impressive!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Nice! I sure hope that Timi can take your class sometime down the road!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

She is a good girl! Thanks. I expect (and get) better when we are in a more controlled space, but actually having it be reliable like that out front is really important too. I think I said this earlier, but I like being able to order a static behavior rather than a recall in an emergency.

You can say down, drop or apple for all it matters as long as the dog understands what it means. I use down for leaving a dog on a down when I will be returning and expect them to have stayed. I use drop for any sort of down that the dog will be released from at a distance. Lily would also do all of those things with signals only as well.


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## nifty (Aug 2, 2013)

Love the video and love the centripetal attraction - she is so focused on you! 

How do you go about separating the command for down from the command "drop"? Is it a context situation and do dogs understand different contexts?

I mean, I know they do i some cases - such as Dulcie being wonder child when that amazing orange ball is produced and we are at the green space (while devil Dulcie comes back when it is time to put the ball away and go home! lol). But with two such close commands, is there a method to teach the difference?


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Lily has a large vocabulary. She was taught down as a puppy and understands that to mean lie down here until I return. Drop means wait here until I tell you what to do next. That was taught later. We are at an agility trial in New Jersey today and tomorrow. I can explain further later.


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## StormeeK (Aug 3, 2015)

Thanks for taking the time to make the video! Dewey and I will start working on this too since I almost got run over a couple of times. 
I can't believe it is already coat weather in NY. It is hot and raining here. In fact Dewey keeps going out just to run in the rain - he loves it.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Now if I can just get Javelin to have some semblance of civility on his recalls. He is all top happy to run into me and also often run into the back of my knees. We'll forgive him a bit longer since he is still a baby.

Our weather is back and forth still and I don't think of that as a coat, just a jacket. My real coat goes down to my knees.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

Catherine
Thank you *SO much* for posting this! I starting working with Axel following your method. 

Last night after I got home from work, we worked on it again and for the first time we tried the actual exercise of drop during the recall and he did it! Right away, plop, down he went!  I was so happy. We repeated it about 3 more times and stopped. 

Granted, this was indoors at home with no distractions, but I am very pleased with the progress. 

Thank you again, and if you get in the mood to post any more instructional videos I have my popcorn ready!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Axeldog as with teaching anything you start in a safe low distraction environment. Javelin has a great recall in the backyard and house and also at my obedience club, but when I tried to work on some agility foundation work at Stef's last week, there was no recall at all, lol. He just kept sending himself through one of her tunnels and laughing at us as he ran by us to get another shot at the darn thing. One we got hands on him we did recalls. Obviously I couldn't have used him to make the video, but one day soon will be able to. Move that drop on recall around and before you know it you will have it reliable for anywhere.

I will be happy to make more videos. Are there any special requests from anyone?


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

I have a some ideas 

Front
One thing we have trouble with is his "front" position. When I call him to front, he is frequently crooked (not straight in front) and also, he tends to sit a little too far away. I would love to see your method for achieving a nicely positioned front. 

Eye Contact when heeling
I would like to get better connection/eye contact during heeling exercises. Do you use a specific method to achieve this, or is Lily just a natural at it? Axel occasionally will look up at me, but for most part is looking forward/elsewhere. How do you train to get good eye contact? 

Another thing I would find interesting and helpful (even though we haven't even entered Novice yet) is how to teach the Open exercise of retrieving over a jump. 

I will stop now - haha! Thank you again for your video and help. It is so fun to teach new exercises and see him responding positively.


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## beanz (Jul 14, 2014)

I used Kikopup's mat methods to teach a drop on recall. 

I found it really useful because it taught a bunch of useful skills - mat, drop at heel and on recall. My only complaint is that the 'silly' dog has generalised that all mat looking objects (bathmats, doormats, towels that I've accidentally dropped on the floor) are her mat and she will go and lie on them.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Axeldog I can work on those video topics for sure. It will probably have to wait until the weekend since I am giving exams this week.

As to heeling, Lily loves heeling since she gets to move with me. I do work on eyes up and will include it in video. Peeves is an eyes front heeler, but since he is a herding dog he has terrific peripheral vision. Javelin already offers eyes up and I work on letting him know that frequent check ins are really good.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

Catherine, this is so awesome. I will look forward to seeing more of your training demos. 

I thank you SO much!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

As I said earlier the videos will take some time, but here is something to think about for fronts and finishes. Make a front and finish box using PVC. You will need regular PVC pipe (small diameter is fine) plus one x shaped connector for the size pipe you have and two 45 deg elbows for the size pipe you have. Cut four pieces of PVC about 15 inches long and two pieces just wider than the spread of Axel's back end when he is sitting nicely. You assemble the whole thing by using the four way (X) connector to make the middle join with the two width pieces plus two of the 15" pieces. You use the elbows to add the outer 15" pieces so that when you put it on the floor you can use the positions of yourself and the two PVC guide lanes (one in front of you and one at your left side) to practice nice straight fronts and finishes.

You will probably have to do some work to get your dog to be willing to sit in the box, but one they do so that will really help get nice straight fronts and finishes. I'll have to show you how to get them close and another way to get them straight without the box in video.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

I actually had my husband make something along those same lines a few weeks ago, only it is not as elaborate. I tried several times using it and got a little frustrated (with myself) because I could not figure out how to get him to go into it. He would sit outside of it, or even on it ( like in the attached picture). 


After I read your post about the box, I tried it again tonight after work. He still sat crooked on it a few times, but then other times he went straight in. I just have to figure out how to get him to go straight most the time 

I'll look forward to when you get time to post your method .


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Use something yummy that he really loves to get him used to sitting straight in the box, then you can start recalling him into it.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

Last night we went to class and it was the first time trying drop on recall at a new location. 

The first try, was marginal at best, he slowed down and dropped practically right in front of me. 

The instructor then told me to combine the drop command with simultaneously taking a couple steps forward towards him as he was running to me, and that visual cue did the trick. Stopped him in his tracks. 

So slow, baby steps we take. Training is so fun with even small successes


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh definitely if you are facing the dog and it doesn't look like you will get a drop then you should take steps in. It is a hard thing to teach and also one of the most frequently failed exercises in the open routine.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I can't physically stand for too long but from the comfort of the floor I think Ms Molly is doing just fine! It's actually become a game for us.....maybe the next step is trying it outside (while sitting on my scooter) Gotta keep this girly entertained lol!!!!:five:

Here we are!!!.........................
Click on this!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That is splendid! Hooray Molly.


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

Go molly


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

In response to some of the requests I just started a new thread about fronts. It is here. http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/183265-teaching-fronts-finishes.html


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## dogdragoness (Oct 18, 2015)

OH was this about obedience retrieval?! I am sorry I thought we were just talking about a simple game of fetch haha. My bad.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

dogdragoness said:


> OH was this about obedience retrieval?! I am sorry I thought we were just talking about a simple game of fetch haha. My bad.


dogdragoness it started as a response to someone who wants a drop on recall to help keep her young spoo from running full force into her on recalls, so no not just for obedience. Also I think a reliable sit or drop (drop is best) at a distance is important if a dog has gotten loose and recalling it might involve crossing traffic. In that scenario you would drop the dog and go to it rather than calling it to you.


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