# Teaching hold



## bigboy56073 (Oct 3, 2006)

So I am through Formal OB. Did 1 ten min. session in AM and 1 ten Min. session in PM, for 4 weeks, solid. started to teach hold a couple days ago.
The problem I have is she is trying to lay down when I put my gloved hand in her mouth and say hold(Fowl Dawgs). She has never shown me that she is soft or timid before. Am I going to fast and scaring her or should I force her to stay sitting(if I hold my hand in her mouth her front legs come off the ground)? She is an 8 month old FBL. I am not using a table. Thanks for any advice.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

I followed the same video and my dog did the same thing. So I actually skipped my hand and went to a dowl and dummy and he progressed real nice.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

There is a post stickied above that is entitled Gonehuntin's Method of Teaching Hold and Give. Follow that.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Best way bar none to start hold is by using a paint roller. They're soft and non invasive to the dogs mouth like a bad tasting leather glove or hard when you hold the mouth together like a bumper is.

Just take it slow, this is the worst part of training in my book is forcing.

If your obedience is solid, enforce the sit. If you get a refusal to the sit, use your healing stick and/or choke chain or ecollar (if that's been CC'd to).


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## bigboy56073 (Oct 3, 2006)

I'll have to try the paint roller tonight. Last night and this morning I threw the lead over a rafter in the garage and attached it to her so she could not lay down. We did 5 minute sessions with 4-5 holds at 10-20 seconds each hold with lots of praise. Hopefully she picks up on the fact the the more she tries to lay down the more uncomfortable she will be. We will just go slow and steady.


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