My 2-year-old labradoodle will not pick up pheasants he will point he will flush and he will go to the down birds but he will not retrieve , looking for advice on how to correct this, he has retrieved a few ducks in the past but I'm not that successful and haven't been able to get him on birds for quite some time any suggestions?
2-year-old dog will not pick up pheasants
- Thread starter Cthiel
- Start date
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
Find a good, reputable trainer and have him Forced Fetched (Trained Retrieve). I may cost you $600-700 but you will be glad you spent the money. You probably have 10 more years to hunt with your dog and having a dog that retrieves to hand is invaluable. And I'm speaking from experience. I had a female Brittany that was a good hunter and did everything but retrieve. I had an older dog that did retrieve and so it wasn't generally an issue. That is until the older dog died. Now I have a hunting dog that wouldn't retrieve and she was getting up in age so I never forced the issue. I kicked my self in the butt many times for not taking her to a trainer when she was younger and have her force fetched.
A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
Do you use a simple command? Fetch? Dead bird? Or something like that to mean go pick that thing up & bring it to me? If so, what's the command? And does the dog know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it means go pick that thing up & bring it to me? I mean beyond a shadow of a doubt.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
You can't correct something you have never taught in the first place. However you can start with basic obedience, and when that is mastered proceed to force fetch.
Wondering...does the dog retrieve anything? ball? dummy? What has your training regime been the past two years?
Highvoltage
Active member
Feathers
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I think some dogs have an aversion to blood, or a dead, or wounded bird.