Although there may be snow, or the lake close to you is still too cold for water play. You can get some great early season training on land! Some tips include:
• Working on “take/hold/give” at home, in the park, at Home Depot
• Take your cushion and life jacket to the park for some retrieve practice
• Take your rope to the park and practice take/hold/give on the baseball field, using the bases as targets or get friends to stand on the bases and call the dog to them
• Create a little platform, use a low table for a “boat platform” to practice your oar retrieve
• Use a wheelbarrow, a wagon or a plastic kayak in the grass to be your “boat”. A friend placed inside any of those items can call your dog as if they are coming to a boat
Video demos:
Good foundation work on land transfers quickly to the water, and gives you a head start on Summer!
