Retrieving Problem

Y

Yukon1

New member
My 4 yr old yellow lab will retrieve anything (including wings attached to a dummy) except a downed bird. He is great at flushing & finding downed birds. He will usually give them a quick bite if they're flopping or running, then walks in circles around the bird until I pick it up. He hates to have feathers in his mouth & will tear the wings off a training dummy before he brings it back. If I place a bird in his mouth, he shakes his head and will not settle down until his mouth is completely free of any feathers.

I have read a little on forced retrieves & believe it's my only option now. Has anyone had success with a situation similar to this?
 
Same story here

My 3 yr old yellow is almost exactly the same. He is obsessive about retrieving tennis balls and anything else. He will retrieve a bird if I throw it for him, but if I shoot one, he will go over to it and sniff it, but is real hesitant about picking it up and bringing it back to me. Sorry I don't have any advise but I will be anxious to see if anyone else does. I just thought it was funny cause it describes my dog very well - and same breed, almost the same age too. Good luck.
 
Hold Bird

I worked with him today for 30 min & got him to hold a dummy with several wings attached until I gave him the "OK" to hand it off...this was against his will. I don't expect a quick fix.
 
Hey guys. My chocolate lab Toby did the same thing but I knew why he did it. The first time I introduced pheasant feathers to him and the second his nose touched the feathers he started to yelp in pain cause he got bit by a horsefly. So to him pheasant equaled pain.

A couple thing I did that helped. I got a frozed pheasant and played fetch with it or would hide it and make him find it and bring it to me all year long. We went through a couple 4 or 5 frozen pheasants in the year.


The other thing that helped alot is hunting with another dog that is great at fetching. Any time another dog would bring a bird back to its owner and my dog was right there by the dog and would watch the other dog pick up the bird and bring it back to there owner. The owners would praise the heck out of the dog for a good couple minutes. Even give them treats which drove my dog crazy that he could not get a treat or praised for just being there.

Also for my dog it was just a matter of him growing up more too. Toby is almost 6 years old now. And last year he just seemed to get it. He tried to only bring the birds half way to me at first. He would stop and just put the bird on the ground by his feet. And when I would have to walk and pick up the bird. I just ignored him and kept hunting. About 3 birds later he brought them back the whole way and he got lots of praise and a treat every time. Now he just does it cause he loves to do it. But still gets praise and a treat every now and then
 
Frozen Bird

Thanks for the feedback. I plan on trying a frozen bird for training.
When I've hunted with friends that have dogs that retrieve, my dog doesn't seem to care if they take "his" bird. As soon as another dog picks up the bird, he immediately goes back to hunting.
 
Finally!

1st retrieve on a grouse. Hesitated for a second, then brought it to hand on command. Got a hot dog for his effort.
 
On my fifth Lab

hunter94 said:
force fetch, do it once and you are done, no games, just results and a better mannered dog too.
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Never ever had a problem with a dog not fetching a bird.
Start with the training dowel......stick of wood with two ends, so that it is slightly raised up off of ground.
Proceed to dummies.......frozen birds.....defrosted birds....soft dead birds.....wing clipped pidgeons and then viola.
I don't want to sound brass, but it is a marathon process of training a retriever....not quick sprint.
And even through my dog retrieves well...I still reinforce and remind him throughout winter, spring, summer
 
Force fetch will cure all you problems. But make darn sure your comfortable with doing it or take your dog to a pro. Once you start force fetch that is the only type of training that takes place until it's completed. Could take 2 weeks could take 2 months every dog is different.

But, force fetch isn't just for getting them to deliver to hand and it is in no way being cruel to you do. It also teaches a dog how to handle pressure in a training environment. Once done, you will see a whole different dog, one you never knew you had. I believe every retriever needs to be force fetched.
 
duckn66 said:
Force fetch will cure all you problems. But make darn sure your comfortable with doing it or take your dog to a pro. Once you start force fetch that is the only type of training that takes place until it's completed. Could take 2 weeks could take 2 months every dog is different.

But, force fetch isn't just for getting them to deliver to hand and it is in no way being cruel to you do. It also teaches a dog how to handle pressure in a training environment. Once done, you will see a whole different dog, one you never knew you had. I believe every retriever needs to be force fetched.
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I have trained and helped others train several spaniels and retrievers and have never used a force fetch, ANY spaniel or retriever worth training has a strong desire to A. retrieve, and B. to please you. Before resorting to coersion, get Kenneth Roebuck's book titled "Gun Dog Training for Spaniels and Retrievers". Read it cover to cover and follow it like the Bible. My latest spaniel is a dog rescued from abandonment and mistreatment in a shelter (he's had enough pressure to last a lifetime). At 15 months old he knew his name and little else. I got him this year Labor Day and immediately began using the Roebuck system. In two-and a half months I have a dog who hunts within gun range, quarters like a champ, flushes, retrieves to hand, and has no fear of a .270, let alone a shotgun. Would he win a Field Trial? No, but that is not my desire, nor the desire of the vast majority of hunters.
 
Some believe in it and some don't. The vast majority of retriever trainers force fetch and there is a reason for it.

After all they learned from the bird dog guys. :thumbsup:
 
duckn66 said:
Some believe in it and some don't. The vast majority of retriever trainers force fetch and there is a reason for it.

After all they learned from the bird dog guys. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Okay, and would you not consider Mr. Roebuck a "bird dog guy"?
 
Force fetch you dog. Please don't allow your dog to handle dummy's with feathers, wings or anything else until you have taken him thru the process. By allowing him to rip away at feathers is only making the matters worse. Your are developing poor habits for your dog.
 
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