Top 3 Tips for Retriever Training for Blind Retrieves

If you've been around retriever training for a short time, odds are you've probably heard someone talk about a blind retrieve. Have you ever wondered what a blind retrieve is? 

What is a blind retrieve?

A blind retrieve is a retrieve that your dog has never seen before. Meaning, if a bird is shot, but the dog didn't "mark" or see the bird fall, it is considered a blind retrieve.

In other words, the dog is blind to where the bird or bumper fell and will need to trust you to line it up properly and handle it to the downed bird or bumper.

The foundation for a blind retrieve is trust. Trust isn't built overnight and ultimately it is developed through building a bond over months as you train and mold your dog into all that it can be.

 There are three core foundations for being successful on blind retrieves.

- Trust between you and your dog

- Confidence in taking the right line

- A strong relationship developed between you and your dog

If you want to develop these qualities in the working relationship between you and your dog, you will need to be willing to be patient. Again, these qualities take time to develop, but in the end, it's completely worth it.

Fortunately, our online courses are designed in a way that weaves the fabric of these traits into your daily routine as you work through the courses. It's a matter of time, hard work, and diligence.

Other than developing these traits, there are three steps that you can take that will help you and your dog run blind retrieves with confidence.

Lining memories 

Lining memories are going to be one of the foundations of your blind retrieves. On a lining memory retrieve, you simply walk out in a straight line, throw out a short hand-thrown mark, and return to where you started. Then, once you and your dog make it back to the starting point, you can send your dog on the retrieve, and it will take the line and pick the retrieve with great confidence.

You can run lining memories in different terrains and run them at varying distances. This drill will help build confidence and instill trust between you and your retriever.

I highly recommend doing MANY lining memory retrieves. I always like to say it this way. You want this drill to become so ingrained into your dog's life that when it goes to sleep at night it dreams about lining memories. 

Pattern Blinds

Pattern blinds are a great next step to continue building confidence and trust between you and your dog. A pattern blind is really a transition between memories and total blind retrieve training. A pattern blind retrieve is simply just that, a pattern. 

Once you've built your dog's confidence on memories, then you can transition to the pattern blind retrieves. Instead of walking your dog out like on a lining memory, leave your dog in the truck so that it can't see you walk out and drop the bumper.

The key to pattern blinds is to run them the same way that you did the lining memories. The only difference now is that your dog didn't see you put out the bumper.

Get your dog out, line the dog up, and send it! It may act hesitant the first few times, and that's ok. Your job is to instill trust and help your dog win. Encourage it to continue going back, and once it picks the bumper, give it big praise!

If you do this part right, you will see it click in your dog's eyes. Moving forward it will be eager to retrieve and will go on command without hesitation. 

I recommend doing as many pattern blinds as you can so that you can keep increasing your dog's confidence moving forward. The more pattern blinds you do, the more your dog will trust you and the more prepared it will be for cold blinds. 

Cold Blinds

A dog that runs smooth cold blinds is a beautiful representation of a well-trained retriever. Cold blinds can be simple, or they can be difficult and range out a long way. A cold blind is the true essence of a blind.

A cold blind is a retrieve in which the dog has no idea where the bird or bumper is. 

After you've run many different pattern blinds and your dog trust you, it's time to go out and try a cold blind. Put the bumper out while your dog remains in the vehicle, and go through the same routine that you run for pattern blinds. Line your dog up and indicate that there is a "dead bird." Then, send your dog "back!"

If you've done your job right on pattern blinds, most likely the cold blind shouldn't be too much of an issue. Your dog should take a straight line and go where you send it. If you have to handle, that's okay, but hopefully, you don't have to handle too much. 

The next step is to keep running both cold blind retrieve drills and pattern blind drills until you build up your dog's confidence and trust enough that it trusts you anywhere you go!

If you will take this advice, and follow the progression from memories, to pattern blinds, and then to cold blinds, you should start seeing more success in your dog's blind work!

Remember, you've got to start with the core foundations first! Build trust, build confidence, and build a strong relationship with your retriever.

BuildFromHere,

Joshua Parvin

P.S. Do you want a plan that weaves these principles into all of your training? Click here to see which Cornerstone Gundog Academy course is best for you.