How to Train Your Dog for a Blind Retreive

The blind retreive is a matter of trust between the dog and the handler. The blind retreive is especially useful for tracking, go-backs, frisbee/ball catching, and directed jumping.




Step1
Teach your dog to retreive the dowel. Meanwhile, establish your dog's visibility limit (how far can the see distinctly?). This is usually done by putting the dowel further and further away from the dog and see the limit of where they go directly to it.


Step2
Place two dowels out, one just short of normal retreiving distance, and the second half that distance beyond it. Send the dog for the first dowel. Upon a successful retreival, re-line up the dog immediately and send them for the second dowel. Most dogs at this point will react in confusion (hey, wait. they didn't set out another object - I would've seen it). If the dog refuses the retreive, direct them to the dowel - even if it means walking the dog all the way and pointing to the dowel. Repeat this step until the dog retreives two dowels in succession.


Step3
Now the building process begins. Add more and more dowels, each 1/2 to full retreival distance beyond the previous dowel. What you are teaching the dog is that, "If I send you for an object, trust me - it's there. You just need to find it".