Hand is a retrieve Game - the dog is sent by the handler through the start/finish poles, it runs 51ft/15.3m up the lane to a black rubber mat and retrieves a "ball" (or any other article) from the mat.  It then returns to its handler through the poles and places the "ball" in their hand(s) - the dog is then instantly rewarded with its motivator. Although this Game is very popular with gundog and hunting breeds who are bred to enjoy carrying articles in their mouths (see instincts), almost any dog can be taught to retrieve - especially if the motivator it is rewarded with is of high enough value to the dog!

It is strongly recommended that Recall Aims and Recall Starters should be read and reread as the dog progresses through the Games to keep these fundamental lessons fresh in your memory.  Pay particular attention to How Dogs Learn as well.

In addition to what the dog has already learnt in Recall, it also learns -

• Through trail and error (as was seen in Recall) that if it puts the "ball" in the handler's hand(s) it will instantly be rewarded with a high value motivator.  If the dog drops the "ball" before reaching the handler, it does not get the motivator and the exciting Game is stopped.  Therefore, the dog learns that in order to continue the retrieve Game and/or be rewarded with its motivator, it must drop the "ball" in the handler's hand.
  
  
• That the end of a retrieve sequence is when the "ball" is in the handler's hand.  Many dogs are confused when retrieving and believe that the end of the sequence can be variable (eg it drops the ball for the handler to pick up in a variety of distances from the handler, it can run off and bring the ball back whenever it wants to resume the game) and will be rewarded for any of these actions - remember that a high reward for a dog is playing the game once again.
  
  
• To trust its handler that it will be consistently rewarded for playing the Hand Game - for some retrieve-a-holic dogs, the highest reward is playing the Game once more!
  
  
• Most dogs enjoy the act of retrieving so much that it becomes a motivator and reward in itself.  However, this excitement can lead to higher levels of stress, so the dog needs to learn to cope with this added excitement.
  
  
• To run further away from its handler than most dogs are used to doing, in order to retrieve the "ball" from the rubber mat - the maximum distance is 51ft/15.3m plus the distance that the handler is from the start/finish poles.  Most dogs have a "critical distance" or "comfort zone" that they prefer to stay in near their handlers, particularly in new or strange circumstances.
  
  
• That the black rubber mat, with the helper standing directly behind it, is always where the retrieve articles are placed.  This helps the dog run confidently towards the mat and loader, in the certain knowledge that the article will be there each time the handler releases its harness.

The handler learns -

• The importance of using a black rubber mat to put the retrieve article on.  The mat is used so that the dog has a large visual environmental marker (that never changes wherever the Game is played) to focus on and run towards rather than search for the article in the grass.  This marker stops the dog searching for the "ball" with its nose in any other location, and encourages the dog to approach the mat at speed and with confidence.
  
  
• Never to play the Hand Game without the aid of a helper, nor throw the article to be retrieved whilst training Hand.  If the handler is tempted to train alone and either throw or place the "ball" on the mat whilst trying to make the dog Wait, the dog will come to associate these triggers with how the Game should be set up and played. It will then not associate the presence of the helper (who places the "ball" on the mat) with the act of retrieving and will be very confused at being sent to the mat when it did not see the handler place anything there.  Also throwing the "ball" excites the dog's instinct to chase and it will be more reluctant, or even refuse, to retrieve a static "ball" as the visual stimulus is not as great.  Finally, asking a dog to Wait and use its self-control to stay where it is meant to is very difficult to enforce in a training situation.  As the dog becomes more excited it is less likely to remain in the Wait and being told off will make it anxious and less keen to play the Game the next time.  Make things easy for the dog and set it up so that it gets it right every time by only allowing it to run and get the "ball" once it has been released from a restrained recall.
  
  
• The reasons why a dog drops the "ball" (see Problems with retrieve, which lists many of these reasons) and how to anticipate or overcome them.
  
  
• How to train the dog in such as way that it learns to consistently place the "ball" in the handler's hand.
  
  
• The importance of standing in the centre of the lane so that the dog can focus its attention on the handler as it returns down the lane and through the finish poles.  Also for the handler to carefully control their body movements so as not to distract the dog.
  
  
• That some dogs drop the "ball" when they are shown their motivator too soon.  Therefore, the handler learns to pick the optimum moment to reveal the motivator, or whether to hide it until the "ball" is in their hand.
  
  
• As always, to finish each short training session (a maximum of 5 runs at a time) on a positive note - if the dog is unable to understand what you are trying to teach it, ask it to do something it is confident of doing instead (eg retrieve an article far closer to the handler, or if it won't retrieve at all, to do a sit, down etc).  Then go away and think of how you can train the dog taking smaller steps in the training programme so that it can succeed in the next session.