Delivering to Hand and other questions

steelbull85

New member
My lab Sadie is 20 weeks old. I have recently begun having a few issues with her and I was hoping for some advice.

1. Picking the dummy/bird up by the end. She loves to retrieve and gets amped up to go run down a dummy/bird, but when she gets there, she will hesitate to pick it and play with it until she grabs the dummy or bird by the end, and then try to carry/drag it back. I'm not sure if this has to do with the fact that she is teething (lost all front teeth on top/bottom to her canines), or if this is another issue.

2. Delivering to hand. When she is bringing it back, since she has it by the end she usually drops it and won't deliver it to hand. She will struggle to pick it up again. Other times she will run back to me but then circle wide and continue past me, and make me pull on the check cord and reel her in. Just when I am about to quit she will deliver one perfectly to hand, but she just isn't consistent.

3. Breaking. Like I mentioned, she LOVES to retrieve and almost begins to shake in excitement. I'm getting to the point where I want to work on her not breaking until given the command to, but at the same time I don't want her to lose her desire to retrieve. Any advice? She knows stay...and knows it well, but when it comes to retrieving, she loses all discipline and just wants to go. I know this isn't the dogs fault, and is mine, but I'm just looking for some advice on correcting it.

I know this is a lot of information, but thank you guys in advance for the advice
 
Do not do any retrieves while teething is going on. She is way to young to worry. I don't steady a dog till they have developed a solid flush and have been shot over a bunch. I have them chase till a year or older to keep that drive confidence and flush. After they chase, retrieve well, deliver and are well introduced to gun, I start the steady process. Which first starts with line steady, which your talking about. If the dog was delivering well before the teething, they will go back after growth, as long as u quit it! during that.:thumbsup:
 
Thanks Springer! I'll stop the retrieving and just work on her obedience for the time being! I have no intentions of hunting her this year so I guess I'll have plenty of time to get her steady. Thanks for the advice! :cheers:
 
Yes.:thumbsup: A small trick u can do to work on obedience and hup, sit etc, is just making the pup sit or hup for food. Whistle train him as well, toot once for hup. And get him hupping for the food. Both whistle and voice and say thier name when you give it to them to release them. Soon as they put their butt down give him a bite. You repeat this till food is almost gone, then say kennel and let them finish the rest in the crate. As the days pass make them wait longer, as you lower it to the ground, and eventually have them hupping till you say there name to go eat. You now just steadied your dog for the most part or made it much easier without associating anything to birds or flush.:thumbsup: And soon they will rocket in the crate on kennel.
 
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Yes.:thumbsup: A small trick u can do to work on obedience and hup, sit etc, is just making the pup sit or hup for food. Whistle train him as well, toot once for hup. And get him hupping for the food. Both whistle and voice and say thier name when you give it to them to release them. Soon as they put their butt down give him a bite. You repeat this till food is almost gone, then say kennel and let them finish the rest in the crate. As the days pass make them wait longer, as you lower it to the ground, and eventually have them hupping till you say there name to go eat. You now just steadied your dog for the most part or made it much easier without associating anything to birds or flush.:thumbsup: And soon they will rocket in the crate on kennel.

Great advice. I would add, make the dog sit before letting him out the door. Same with the kennel. (I release my dogs on there name)
 
help with lab

Gatzby has it. Make her sit at the door till you go in or out. Make her sit for food. like 5 minutes and longer. Sit at a gate when you go thu. I just did all that with my 7 month old lab Nina. Get her bird crazy and she will get it in time. One thing I did was to let someone throw Dokens duck and pheasants , the small ones . while I held her on a leash. If she sat she got it , If not I walk out and pick it up, They learn quick. Now at 7 months she sits rock solid , retrieves around to my side and holds till I say drop.
Good luck with her
 
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Since the pup is still young you could throw new paint rollers. I know guys who use them when the pup is 7 weeks old. They are soft, light and easy to carry. Don't expect them to always bring it back to you if you take it from them right away. Let them prance around and be proud! Praise them for picking it up. You will have plenty of time to force fetch to hand.
Sometimes when they are small we even cut the little rollers in half!
 
All great advice here...

Picking up the bird/dummy - they will soom learn the easiest way to carry.

Deliver to hand - my Golden likes to show off a bit, but eventually will sit by my side. I'm not very fussy about "style" when it comes to a retrieve, just find the bird and drop it when I command.

Breaking to retrieve - lots of different opinions on this. My dog and Carptom1's lab are on the bird as it's going down, without any command. Holding the dog, until a command is given could provides the cripple a chance to escape.

Just my two cents...
 
All great advice here...

Picking up the bird/dummy - they will soom learn the easiest way to carry.

Deliver to hand - my Golden likes to show off a bit, but eventually will sit by my side. I'm not very fussy about "style" when it comes to a retrieve, just find the bird and drop it when I command.

Breaking to retrieve - lots of different opinions on this. My dog and Carptom1's lab are on the bird as it's going down, without any command. Holding the dog, until a command is given could provides the cripple a chance to escape.

Just my two cents...

I would have to agree with john. For hunting purposes, especially pheasants, I prefer my dog to go on fall. He gets after it and we don't lose many. That is what it is about for me. I get it if you are doing hunt tests and stuff, but as John said our dogs get after them pretty good. He delivers to hand and will hold until I ask for it. Your pup is young follow the advice of gatzby and springer and he will be fine. I try not to sweat the little flaws as long as the bird goes in the vest
 
She is a 5 month old puppy who is probably teething. Why would you expect a 5 month old to be steady and to deliver to hand? Once the teething is over, 6 or 7 months, it is time to force fetch. Once force fetching is done, basic obedience is understood, and collar conditioning is complete, then you can steady your dog. But you can not expect a 5 month old puppy to perform like a champ when it is not really old enough to begin formal training.
 
There is no need to force break a dog if not needed;) Also as far as hunting goes. I have found it much easier to take better safer quicker shots with a steady dog. Just because you have a steady dog does not mean you cant holler rover before the bird hits the ground;). If you think you crippled a bird you can send the dog early.:thumbsup: I don't have any trouble finding crips or any fallen game for that matter. But then springers are gifted at trailing them out. With my Labs of the old days no trouble either.
:cheers:
 
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