A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
Just curious, but why is force fetch so frowned upon by so many? I've FF every lab I've had and in the end I firmly believe I had a much better dog and one that trained to a higher level than if not FF.
FF is so much more than just a trained retrieve. Although that's probably the main focus for most. For me it also teaches a dog how to deal with pressure by doing the right thing. FF leads into much bigger things during advanced work. It will really make a much more reliable dog in all aspects IMO.
Duckn, I really don't think very many (who frequent this site anyway) DO actually frown on it. I DO think, though, that FF is kind of the default answer a lot of people give when a dog isn't retrieving up to expectations, when the reality is that lots of times there are other ways to address the issue. Some other methods completely meet the owner's requirements. Some other methods take less time (& sometimes $$) than FF. Some other methods are more enjoyable for the owner/trainer & the dog. No doubt, FF works in many cases. No doubt, FF has pros & cons for both the dog & owner/trainer. If I expected my dog to do whatever I want, whenever I want, without exception, I'd probably use FF too. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that most hunters, who treat their dogs as much more than just tools of the trade, don't hold those requirements for their dogs. But I get why pros use it. They're being paid to train dogs. They don't have years to learn a dog & train it accordingly. They use what works in a couple months. I also agree that FF can lead to an easier time w/ "advanced work". Most owners, I think, don't care about advanced work.
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