Retriever trainers are encouraged to return to the water and review the swim-by with their dogs in this weeks back to basics challenge.
Swim-by is a skill that is taught early in a retrievers development and it's used to reinforce return lines from retrieves. These return lines are generally through the water and ones that dogs tend to avoid because of unpleasant conditions or the amount of work that may be involved taking them.
The problem is that swim-by is a skill that tends to deteriorate before we know it, simply because we don't use it often enough. A proactive trainer will be sure to do a swim-by review about twice a year so that when they need it, things go fairly smoothly. A good time to do one is in the spring after being away from water for the winter and before you get into any serious training around the water.
It should also be noted that proper completion of basic training and the swim-by drill is a prerequisite of the swim-by review.
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