Lab help

[Roosterslayer]

My cousin has a 6yr old lab that fetches everything and loves to play fetch. He is a hard hunting machine but has a "problem" bringing back dead pheasants. Most times he will just stand by the bird or lay on it until my cousin goes and gets it. This is extremely frustrating especially when he has to go several hundred yards sometimes to retrieve a runner that the dog has found and killed and then just stays there. Seems to retrieve much better in colder weather but still not to hand like he should. Need some possible causes and fixes please.

 

[BrownDogsCan2]

Beat him with it.......if were only that easy!

Is it a 6 year problem that has progressively gotten worse? Field lab?, pet lab that hunts twice a year?

It sounds like his dog is s****wing with him. It's more fun for him to watch the master retrieve his own birds. Reminds me of a water dog that stops 30' from the bank. The way to cure that is to get wet.

You might have to force fetch him. But nobody wants to ff a 6 year old dog.

I'd teach him to hold a dummy, preferably on a table. It doesn't have to be big; 2x3 with an overhead cable or an eyebolt fastened to a tree, post, whatever. You just needs to be able to keep him on the table.

When the dog understands hold, you can transfer it to fetch to heel. Since the dog knows hold. If he drops it, you place it back in his mouth, come around..heel.

Birds, same thing. You might use frozen teal, chuckers, something smaller.
Just to be safe, you don't want a hard mouthed dog.

All that is easy, now is when I think it is going to get hard. You might have to experiment. Some things you could try if he refuses the pickup; bluff charge ( full speed bum rush attack) then kick the bird and tell him to fetch.
If that doesn't work stick it in his mouth tell him to hold and walk away, make him come to you.
If he is whistle trained, the come "trill" will elicite a lot happier response, provided he picks up the bird. Same with the tone on the collar.

If none of that works, try a woman trainer, handler , wife , daughter. Dogs just enjoy women more. Just make sure there is some structure.

Hope this helps, at the least it will get the discussion started.

 

[Roosterslayer]

It has been a problem since the first year. He never trained the dog or FF and opening day a bird gets shot and his dog grabs it and starts to go off the wrong way so he buzzed him pretty good I think. He dropped the bird and we had to go get it. We have tried various things with him like having him get jealous while my dog fetches a thrown dead bird etc but nothing seems to work. I only see the dog a few times a year so I don't have a chance to work with it except during hunting trips. The dog is a hunting machine besides this. He travels (daily) everywhere with my cousin and rides in the front seat constantly. He has only been duck hunting a few times and retrieved them but again it was cold. He retieves balls, sticks or whatever else you throw but just has a problem with pheasants especially when its warm.

 

[jeffstally]

It is possible that the dog does not like feathers in his mouth for whatever reason. I would try taking his favorite retrieving toy, ball, etc and try attaching some feathers to is somehow and see if he retrieves it for you.

 

[iowa labs]

It is possible that the dog does not like feathers in his mouth for whatever reason. I would try taking his favorite retrieving toy, ball, etc and try attaching some feathers to is somehow and see if he retrieves it for you.

this is a great idea and why i save a lot of the wings from the birds i shoot. hang them up to air dry then zip tie them to a throwing dummy. good luck roosterslayer and i hope to meet you in s.d. next year:thumbsup:. i'll be sure my truck is fuel this time so i don't spend part of the day looking for it:rolleyes. how is your son doing? :cheers:

 

[oldandnew]

It has been a problem since the first year. He never trained the dog or FF and opening day a bird gets shot and his dog grabs it and starts to go off the wrong way so he buzzed him pretty good I think. He dropped the bird and we had to go get it. We have tried various things with him like having him get jealous while my dog fetches a thrown dead bird etc but nothing seems to work. I only see the dog a few times a year so I don't have a chance to work with it except during hunting trips. The dog is a hunting machine besides this. He travels (daily) everywhere with my cousin and rides in the front seat constantly. He has only been duck hunting a few times and retrieved them but again it was cold. He retieves balls, sticks or whatever else you throw but just has a problem with pheasants especially when its warm.

Electric collar strikes again! The gift that keeps on giving. You have managed to convince the dog that picking it up is likely going to bring retribution. Every young dog I have ever had takes off the wrong way with the prize, particularily in the presence of other dogs, who might take it away from him. Which is why you expose the dog to live birds in a training enviornment you can control, rather than the heat of battle opening morning. Might try a process of having the dog hold a dead warm bird, even if you have to help him hold it because he is reluctant. Praise lavishly, take it gently from him, give it back, praise lavishly, throw a short distance, encourage retrieve, if he won't, go out and pick it up and place it in his mouth, and praise lavishly, walk at heal back to where you threw it from, hopefully he holds it. Sit him and take the bird upon release, give back, take again, praise lavishly. if he learns that picking up and holding, and bringing to you earns praise, your on your way. You may never get there at 6. next time skip the collar, use praise and cajoling, walking away and calling, to get the pup to come back with the bird, when he's in range, get a hold of him and praise him up, don't take the bird right away, let him hold it, soon enough he'll be ready to let go and continue on. Refusal to retrieve feathered game usually manifests itself with doves, or woodcock, small loose feathers that come out easy and clog the mouth.This is man caused aversion, or blinking, due to bad handling. The dog avoids feathers, so as not to set up another incident to get the buzzer. Smart dog, but doesn't know why he got buzzed but he remembers the time , place, and circustances!

 

[jonnyB]

Interesting discussion...

My last three Golden's were introduced to birds and the gun (pigeons) at a very early age. The game was fun and two weeks in duration.

The "fun" was chasing the bird after it was shot and bringing it back. I believe the handler used treats, but am not positive.

Offering a dog treats as a reward really works. Perhaps if you set up the retrieve situation in your garage/confined area the dog would get the idea. And use the treats. I never met a Lab that didn't like food!

Smaller birds might work better at first then gradually advance to a pheasant. Keep at it with lots of praise.

Good luck!

 

[Roosterslayer]

Thanks for the replies guys. Iowa Labs - my son is doing well and really enjoyed the trip to SD except the long drive of course. May see you again up there.

O&N - my thoughts exactly.

 

[carptom1]

Electric collar strikes again! The gift that keeps on giving. You have managed to convince the dog that picking it up is likely going to bring retribution. Every young dog I have ever had takes off the wrong way with the prize, particularily in the presence of other dogs, who might take it away from him. Which is why you expose the dog to live birds in a training enviornment you can control, rather than the heat of battle opening morning. Might try a process of having the dog hold a dead warm bird, even if you have to help him hold it because he is reluctant. Praise lavishly, take it gently from him, give it back, praise lavishly, throw a short distance, encourage retrieve, if he won't, go out and pick it up and place it in his mouth, and praise lavishly, walk at heal back to where you threw it from, hopefully he holds it. Sit him and take the bird upon release, give back, take again, praise lavishly. if he learns that picking up and holding, and bringing to you earns praise, your on your way. You may never get there at 6. next time skip the collar, use praise and cajoling, walking away and calling, to get the pup to come back with the bird, when he's in range, get a hold of him and praise him up, don't take the bird right away, let him hold it, soon enough he'll be ready to let go and continue on. Refusal to retrieve feathered game usually manifests itself with doves, or woodcock, small loose feathers that come out easy and clog the mouth.This is man caused aversion, or blinking, due to bad handling. The dog avoids feathers, so as not to set up another incident to get the buzzer. Smart dog, but doesn't know why he got buzzed but he remembers the time , place, and circustances!

I agree with everything above. This is going to take some effort to bring him out of this. One thing would be to put the shock collar away for awhile. As O&n stated, this will have to be done with small steps. If he will fetch a ball start by adding a feather or two. Gradually progress until he is up to the task. Heavy praise and no shocking!

 

[Gatzby]

I agree with the above posts. Old dogs can learn old new tricks and most love doing it but it is going to take some work and lots of patience. Baby steps and lots of positive renforcement. FF might fix this but I am not sure it is fair to a 6 year old dog with little to no training. (I personnaly would not FF)

Put the e-collar on craigslist not on this dog.

Steve