A very common theme in gundog training we see is dogs that take a line, but stop and hunt short at or around the same distance every time. It's like they just hit an invisible wall of some kind and struggle to push through. The distance they typically stop to hunt at is not coincidentally the same distance that the handler can throw a bumper. The dog literally memorizes how many steps it takes to get to the max distance you can throw and knows that the find and pick will be there.
How do we get dogs to extend and take a longer line? Trailing memories are how I get my dog to line out at a distance. I need dogs to work out farther than I can throw which is why these trailing memories are so crucial. With my dogs, I rarely ever throw simple marks and have then pick them up for multiple reasons. One is to ensure and build in steadiness and patience and the second is because I don't want to condition my dogs to hunt short. I want them to take a straight line out until they either get the pick, or until I stop them. When completing these trailing memories, you must be sure to walk a straight line to and from where you drop the bumper because the dog will generally take the same line that you walked when setting up this memory. A straight line to and from will condition the dog to take a straight line out and back which is what we are looking for. This is a way to help ensure success in training. Be sure to implement these trailing memories into your dog training routine to take your retrieving to the next level.

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