feather chewing on retrive

Do you think any Novice is capable of doing the force breaking method???? Would you honestly recommend she just go buy a collar and try it just with the aid of a video? Feel free, but better off seaking professional help if your going to get a dog force broke. You can also ruin the dog easily with mistakes. So forgive me if we tried to give simple ideas like I did any novice can try. I am out of this randt. Good luck with your dog dottie.
 
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westksbowhunter said:
There are a lot of good dvd's out there on dog training that are a great help. I have the Fowl Dogs dvd that I reference a lot plus a couple of others for my Labradors. I also use the Lardy manual and dvd. Lots of good ones out there for pointing dogs as well.

The dvd's will give you a look at how to do things in an actual training scenario. The dog training forum on here is much like the parents of the high school kids I coach. Every parent believes they are a basketball coach and a basketball referee just like everyone on here is a professional trainer with the best hunting dog in the world.
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I guess that is why I suggested this!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:
 
westksbowhunter said:
There are a lot of good dvd's out there on dog training that are a great help. I have the Fowl Dogs dvd that I reference a lot plus a couple of others for my Labradors. I also use the Lardy manual and dvd. Lots of good ones out there for pointing dogs as well.

The dvd's will give you a look at how to do things in an actual training scenario. The dog training forum on here is much like the parents of the high school kids I coach. Every parent believes they are a basketball coach and a basketball referee just like everyone on here is a professional trainer with the best hunting dog in the world.
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Thank you for insulting everyone that has ever offered advice!

A couple quotes that I like
" the only thing 2 trainers can agree on is that third trainer is wrong"
Or The 3 stages of dog training, rookie that knows he knows nothing, rookie who thinks he knows everything or skilled trainer that knows he knows nothing
 
westksbowhunter said:
Thank your moderator as well.
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I didn't feel as though Springer insulted me. I may not agree with his position on FF or force to pile etc. But that is primarily due to the different venues we train for and compete in. However I do respect his acomplishments and generosity to this site.
The "what program are you following" is a popular response on RTF, but doesn't really help the guy who wants help with his meat dog. (I consider meat dog a compliment).
You do not know me or my training philosophy. I am very proud of my accomishments in the retreiver world and I hope to go even further. If I feel I have useful advice I offer it.

PS everyone should think their dog is the best!!
 
Force training is not for the faint of heart. No DVD is going to compare to years of experience. I cant tell you how many times people gave up that theory and took a dog to a pro because of worsening a minor problem. Yes its a great tool, all I am saying is there is simpler things to try for the average joe then strapping them to a pole and trying the full program of force fetch. I have done it many times for people and know its not just as easy as buying a cd. If all else fails, thats the road to take. But its not the road to travel to start, or for a novice. Do I feel comfortable doing it for a dog? Yes. But that's because of years of experience, not a xmas gift and here ya go. Just sayin. Try some positive simple tools first. If that don't work, seek help from someone other then an internet know it all. Someone who has good experience with his clients, and references. There is only a hand full of individuals that have the comprehension and capability to read and understand softness etc in any given dog.
 
FCSpringer said:
Force training is not for the faint of heart. No DVD is going to compare to years of experience. I cant tell you how many times people gave up that theory and took a dog to a pro because of worsening a minor problem. Yes its a great tool, all I am saying is there is simpler things to try for the average joe then strapping them to a pole and trying the full program of force fetch. I have done it many times for people and know its not just as easy as buying a cd. If all else fails, thats the road to take. But its not the road to travel to start, or for a novice. Do I feel comfortable doing it for a dog? Yes. But that's because of years of experience, not a xmas gift and here ya go. Just sayin. Try some positive simple tools first. If that don't work, seek help from someone other then an internet know it all. Someone who has good experience with his clients, and references. There is only a hand full of individuals that have the comprehension and capability to read and understand softness etc in any given dog.
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I would agree with this post. And would add the best thing you can do for your dog and yourself is to find a training group. The dog learns and so does the handler. There is nothing better than learning how to train. It is satisfying for both man and dog. And a great feeling when you have done it yourself. DVD's are very helpful. The problem with sending a dog to pro now days is cost. As far as retrieving breeds go, you just won't hardly find a trainer worth a hoot that charges less than $600 monthly with a 3 month minimum.
 
I am certainly not a pro trainer and am still working on training my first lab, but she had a similar problem with chewing feathers when she was young. In reality her chewing seemed to be a result of her inexperience with birds. The more birds I got her on (live and frozen....but primarily live) the better the chewing got. Now she is very familiar with the texture, tastes, smells, etc and she retrieves and delivers to hand just fine without destroying the birds. This may not be the case with your dog, but I just thought I would give my 2 cents since it may help. There are definitely people here more educated than me on the subject. :cheers:
 
steelbull85 said:
I am certainly not a pro trainer and am still working on training my first lab, but she had a similar problem with chewing feathers when she was young. In reality her chewing seemed to be a result of her inexperience with birds. The more birds I got her on (live and frozen....but primarily live) the better the chewing got. Now she is very familiar with the texture, tastes, smells, etc and she retrieves and delivers to hand just fine without destroying the birds. This may not be the case with your dog, but I just thought I would give my 2 cents since it may help. There are definitely people here more educated than me on the subject. :cheers:
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Glad that "positive" repetitive approach has worked for you like millions of other dogs.:thumbsup:
 
it's easy to accept less than acceptable behavior when you don't know what to do next.......just human nature.
 
I agree that this could be the dogs inexperience with birds. As a puppy my dog would mouth pigeons and as she became more confident with handling them she stopped mouthing. Then when we switched to bigger birds (pheasants) she again started to mouth but the more she handled the bigger birds the less she mouthed them so I do believe the dogs must learn to handle birds and even different types (sizes) of birds.
I have not force fetched my 12 month old spaniel but have done a force hold (with the help of a pro) and will do a force fetch if at any point her fetch becomes a problem in the future. Personally I was surprised at how little force it actually took to complete the force hold and I am very happy with the results. I know it is not for everyone but it was a positive experience for me and my dog.
 
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