Retrieving

C

CDUBS

New member
So, I have a lab who is an outstanding hunter and great retriever, but very passive. I now have a 1.5 Golden Retriever who was given to me as a puppy and has also become exceptional at both, but is very dominant. Last fall they hunted awesome together. This fall they hunt great, but not on a down bird. What happens is that the lab goes about her business as usual and then my golden goes and bullies it away from her and then my lab being passive just comes back to me and starts hunting again. This isn’t a terrible problem except the Golden isn’t bringing the bird back and also just leaves is, kind of like she won the battle and it’s over.

I’m sorry for the long drawn out explanation, but has anyone experienced this and know a way to break this or get the Golden to at least retrieve? Is it too late to force fetch?
 
My lab is very passive like that too. A few times over the years I have hunted with other dogs and that very situation occurred. She would be in the middle of a retrieve and the other dog, which always happened to be a male, would pile into her and take the bird. Those males were not good retrievers either, they just wanted the dead bird to chew on it.

After that happened once, I put a stop to it and told the other hunter that if it happened again, their dog would not be coming with. Needless to say, the other dogs never came with again. It was land I had permission to hunt, not them.

Being that they are both your dogs, my advice to you would be to leave one of them at home. You aren't going to be able train the passiveness out of the lab and you aren't going to be able to train the dominance out of the golden. Alternate them with each hunt and leave the other one at home.
 
Glock is right the longer this goes on the harder it will be to correct. You could try hunting them one at a time which gives you a fresh dog for the next spot. If this isn't what you want then you need to work on steadying them.to wing and shot.
 
I have a similar issue with my 100# male lab and 45# female springer, but she always brings me back the bird so I let it slide. We often hunt heavy cattails and it's hard to monitor exactly where the dogs are in relationship to a downed bird so it's hard to correct. I'm just happy they find the bird and deliver it. I take my lab duck hunting too, so he gets in his share of retrieves.
 
Thank you for all of the advice. I think I will work my but off with the dummy/wing this off season. I’ve tried to leave a dog in the truck before when I had two labs and I think the stress of not being out there about killed her. I left her because she was worn out. I’m like Jaw, I wouldn’t care as much if I got the bird back. But, on a recent trip I 100% saw the bird in my labs mouth prior to the golden getting there and I did not end up getting it.
 
Just heel the golden and let the lab do the retrieve if thats what you want. Or alternate on birds. Being able to call the dog off a downed bird and to your side at heel is going to be difficult if you haven't taught this in the past.

Best way to train that is first collar conditioning to here&heel if you havent already so you can reinforce this with stim if needed, then have a partner throw a bumper/dummy while you shoot a blank shot and call the dog back to heel after saying its name and no bird. Do this with only one dog, and have your partner walk out and get the bumper each time. Mix in a couple real fetches too in order to keep the dog interested. Eventually you can bring the other dog in for the retrieve.

Its going to take a long time to be able to call your dog off a downed bird, but it is an important tool to have. I wouldn't try to do this during this hunting season, start working on this in the off season so you are ready next year.
 
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