Mastering Long Retrieves: Essential Gun Dog Retrieving Exercises for Distance using Place Boards
Training your gundog to retrieve at long distances is useful preparation for having them join you on a shoot or develop skills required for advanced gundog tests like the Gundog Club Grade 4.
In the graded system, a long marked retrieve is defined as a marked retrieve at distances of up to 100 yards on land, in light cover. This is not only a test of your dog’s ability to mark at a distance, but also to develop confidence and precision when retrieving in real-world scenarios.
If you’re primarily training solo, it’s common for your dog to only practice retrieving within the range of how far you can throw, typically around 40 yards. This can your dog’s ability to confidently retrieve dummies over greater distances.
In this guide, I will share with you two exercises I do with my own gundog to make sure she's comfortable retrieving long retrieves before she joins me on peg using gundog retrieving dummies and a place board.
A place board encourages steadiness, a straight send and return, plus delivery to hand.
The rectangular shape of the Place Board encourages careful paw placement and dictates the direction the dog faces, which can benefit these long retrieve exercises.
In gundog training, a straight sit ensures that your dog is watching the same area as you when retrieves fall, and is lined up at the correct angle when sent; even a slight deviation on a long retrieve and the dog could run well of course from where you wanted to send them.
Exercise 1: The Hot Spot Retrieve
What It Trains: This exercise builds your dog’s predictability and focus by using a distinct landmark as the target point, while increasing the distance gradually.
Why It Works: By creating a "hot spot" for your dog to retrieve from, you reinforce a sense of consistency and trust they can find a dummy in that area and build their confidence in retrieving at greater distances.
How to Set It Up:
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Pick Your Landmark: Choose a noticeable feature in your training area, like a large tree or a corner of the field, which will act as the focus point for your dog.
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Position the Place Board: Starting about 40 yards away from the landmark, place your board on the ground. Guide your dog onto the board by saying “Place” and have them sit. This will be the start and finish line.
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Marked Retrieve: Throw the dummy toward the landmark. If you can’t throw 40 yards, walk closer, throw, and return to your dog at the place board.
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Send for the Retrieve: Release your dog with the cue “OK.” As they head out, move behind the board. Once they pick up the dummy, recall them with “Come” and guide them back onto the board with “Place.”
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Reward: As your dog returns, let them hold the dummy while you praise before gently taking the dummy from their mouth. Reward with a treat.
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Increase the Distance: Once your dog is confidently retrieving at 40 yards, move the place board to 60 yards for example and repeat the process. Gradually work up to 100 yards.
Exercise 2: The Ladder Retrieve
What It Trains: The Ladder Retrieve is excellent for eliminating swapping behaviour and building your dog’s confidence to run longer distances without hesitation.
How to Set It Up:
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Create the Ladder: Set up three gundog retrieving dummies in a straight line, starting at 30 yards, then 40 yards, and the furthest at 50 yards.
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Position the Place Board: As before, use the place board as the starting point. Guide your dog onto it, into a sit, and say “Place.”
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Line the Dog: First, direct your dog to the closest dummy, release them with “OK,” and encourage a swift return to the place board.
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Repeat for All Dummies: After successfully retrieving the first dummy, guide your dog onto the board again and send them to the second dummy, repeating the process. Finish with the third and furthest away dummy.
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Increase the Distance: Once your dog is confident, extend the distances to 40, 60, and 100 yards. You can also add variety by changing terrain, such as transitioning from short grass to long grass or incorporating ditches or wooded areas.
Troubleshooting Tips:
- Swapping Dummies: If your dog tends to swap dummies during the retrieve, recall them immediately when they pick up the first dummy, or move the second dummy further away.
- Overrunning Dummies: If your dog runs over the nearest dummy in favour of a farther one, use a helper to stand by the second dummy and intervene if needed.
Advanced Progressions for Both Exercises:
- Distraction Training: As your dog becomes more proficient, introduce distractions like long grass or laying the dummies flat on the ground.
- Dummy Colour and Size: Progress from highly visible blue or white dummies to smaller, harder-to-spot options like orange puppy dummies.
- Blind Retrieves: Place dummies out before the session starts so the dog must rely on your direction rather than visual cues.
Happy training!
Work with a Professional Dog Trainer?
If you’re local to Balsham, Barton near Cambridge and need support with your dog’s retrieving or general behaviour, I’d be happy to help through a 1-2-1 session.
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About the author: Hi 👋 I’m Emma, accredited as a professional dog trainer by the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). I help owners of energetic dogs achieve the dog-owning life they envisioned by providing robust obedience & agility training for dogs across my two venues in Balsham and Barton, near Cambridge.
Disclaimer: The content of this article does not include personalised advice and is for information purposes only. If you need individual advice or other enquiries please click here to get in contact or if you're not local to Anglian Dog Works, you can find a trainer in your area by going to the IMDT website: https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer