my 7.25 month old chessie female is now going through ff. we are having some trouble with her wanting to either lay down to pick up the bumper (especially at the force sign of ear pinch), or she will go after it and roll it around with her feet until she can get it right to pick up. what can i do??

Doesn't seem like you are truly doing force fetch. Pain is the name of the game and not just enough to get a twitch!If it's a chessie - you are force fetching when he goes to bite you and you shove the bumper in his mouth.

she will take the dummy if i am holding it infront of her or to the sides, also she takes it when i hold it close to the ground. she will even try to beat the ear pinch most of the time.

we have been force fetching for about 3 weeks, here lately i have been getting a little anxious and have had to slow myself down. i put my hand through the collar and she still seems to lay down, do i need to exert even more control than i am? i have used the technique shown in the water dog video with charles jurney, and the mehod in th 10 min retriever, which by the way is the book i wish i had from the begining.

griff,
What I do to get a roller or any classic avoidance issues under control in early F-F is to short tye them to the wall. This keeps the head up and their body easier to control. It won't take long for her to relent and you can go back to "Sit/Fetch" only.
jmho,
Peake

Griff
Laying down on the ear pinch is a common occurance and can be frustrating. Take your time and work through the problem by simply pulling the dog back to the sit position and repeating the command and the pressure. Use your strength to keep the pup from laying down, hold them up until the command and pressure are applied.

I have had several dogs show this behavior and have worked through it in this manner.
When I felt that they were FORCED to pick up a bumper from the ground in front of them.I went on to walking fetch.

Don't think that you have this behavior cured on force to the ground, because it will re-appear when walking fetch is introduced. The same rules apply, by being consistant, fair and firm the idea will get across. Good luck
Marty

thanks everyone for the advice. yesterday she actually bent over and picked the dummy up. she still did the lay down and pick up thing, but i think she may be coming around. is it ok for me to let her pick it up when she lays down and then return her to the sitting position, or do i need to seat her and give the command again?