GUNDOG GRADESThese games are designed to emulate the gundog grade tests awarded by the uk's gundog club. These are low pressure, non competitive events that are intended to reward your training and provide recognition to a dogs level. In petz there is a series of game play challenges for each level. If you complete all challenges in the level (each one progressing in difficulty) you can claim the rosette from this page and add the suffix to your petz name. There is no requirement to work through all the grades, instead you can choose which grade your dog is ready to complete. You should create a diary/blog of your training activities in order to pass.
While these are aimed at gundogs, dogz of all breeds and even catz or other species can complete these grades too. Puppy (GGp)These challenges can only be completed while your dog is a puppy, once adult, you should move on to the novice challenge.
1 Get to know your new pup, what are their favourite toys and food. 2 Teach your pup a basic recall by whistling the hand and then petting the dog when it runs to you. 3 The Great outdoors, take your pup outside (not the backyard) try the beach, woods, moorland. Experience some different places together, play and explore. 4 Time to desensitise your dog, try introducing your pup to larger dogs, pups, other species. Try grooming, introducing to different toys and places around your home. 5 Time for some basic puppy retrieve, choose a fun soft toy and begin by throwing for your dog to pick up, every time the pup brings the toy back to your hand give them a pet. Novice (GGn)1. Retrieve - Train your pet to retrieve a range of different toys, throw the toys and reward your pet for bringing them back to you.
2. Jumping - Train your pet to jump through different hoops and over different hexed jumps. 3. Steady - Use treats to train your dog to reliably perform a steady, either a sit or alert down. 4. Grooming - After a busy day of training, your pet needs to be comfortable to be groomed up. Test out the different brushes you have, try treating your pet with flea or tick spray and taking them to the bathroom. 5. Testing Dummys - Once your pet has learnt their basic gundog skills, try to have them try retrieving different items, use unusual toys, moving toys such as the auto rolling ball and a selection of hexed items. Intermediate (GGi)1. Set up a training space, choose or create a play scene and stock it with different treats and training aids that you want to use in your gundog training. Allow your pet to play in the scene and get used to the space.
2. Become steady around distractions, put your pet into their steady pose, use auto rolling balls and treats to provide distractions, keep placing your pet into steady until they ignore the distractions. 3. Train for the blind retrieve, use a range of pillows, hexed brush piles, blinds etc, hide a dummy behind something. Bring your pet out and encourage them to find the dummy and then bring it back to you. 4. Learn to catch quarry, set a range of auto rolling balls going in a play scene and reward your pet for each time they catch and retrieve one of the balls. 5. Learn how to do the up and over throw the dummy, have your pet retrieve it, then encourage them to go over jumps while holding the dummy. Advanced (GGa)1. Train your dog to give up game without tugging or being angry. Have your pet retrieve, and take the dummy off them, reward with petting and treats if they do not react angrily, then throw again.
2. Teach your pet to flush game by using the frisbee, shake it above your pet until they go into a squat looking up at the game, they throw the frisbee and allow your pet to chase and catch it. 3. Scent and Point training, hide food or treats in a basket. Let your pet sniff the basket, wait until they point at the basket (by pawing at it) then reward them with treats. Make the task harder by introducing more baskets that do not contain treats. 4. Teach the double retrieve, throw two dummies and make sure your dog retrieves the second thrown dummy first, pet the dog then encourage them to return out and retrieve the other dummy. 5. Water Retrieving - take your pet to a play scene that includes water (either the beach, or create your own), throw your dummy into the water area and have your dog retrieve through the water and back to your hand. Master (GGm)1. Teach your pet to present their retrieve by sitting beside their retrieved dummy. 2. Train your pet to become steady around game, have you pet go into their steady pose while the in game mice are in the room. You can also use catz, or catz based game (birds/rabbits), and have your pet stay in their steady pose. 3. Double blind retrieve, increase the difficulty of the blind retrieve, by hiding 2 dummies before bringing your pet out. Your pet needs to find and retrieve one of the dummies and then return to find the other. Keep encouraging your pet until they are confident finding and retrieving two dummies. 4. Teach your pet to retrieve through heavy scrub, use a growable play scene and plant a large selection of flowers, wait for them to grow, then use the play scene for retrieving practise, throw your dummy into the plants and have your pet retrieve. 5. Quarry Retrieve is just the same as previous retrieves, but this time use an auto rolling ball, the pet must chase, catch and retrieve the ball. |