Young springer advice.....

[spready]

Guys, I've got a young springer who is about 10 months old, he is doing really well apart from the complete lack of interest of retrieving ANYTHING outside the house and garden??? In the house and garden he is brilliant, will retrieve everything and bring it back, but outside in the field or anywhere else just doesnt have any interest at all? is there a way i can deal with this?

[bigbird]

Is he otherwise occupied? As in does he prefer to hunt and please himself to retrieving?

[spready]

Yes loves to hunt himself , is that common?

[bigbird]

So do you think it's a case of him preferring to hunt than retrieve, or that he has an actual *problem* with retrieving away from home?

When you throw a dummy or whatever what does he do?

[spready]

Well he seems to chase a after where I've thrown it then, runs on past it as if he isn't intrested at all! When I whistle he comes back , minus the dummy, ball, toy, whatever I throw really! But at home in my garden , he brings it back to me everytime

[bigbird]

Personally I'd keep him on a lead or at heel, not let him hunt and only let him off for retrieves for now. Always worth having a one to one with a trainer in the area, perhaps just one lesson so he can have a look and see where things might be going wrong rather than the problem escalate and you get frustrated. There's so many things that could be making the dog like this it's a bit pointless postulating over t'internet

[PERCE]

I've got a young cocker that marks / retrieves well BUT he'd rather hunt. So to get his labrador skills up to scratch I do short sharp retriever drills, I get after him if he tries to ****** off & hunt. After I finish his retriever drills I take him for a hunt as a reward.

[Pheasant Feeder]

Just my two pence worth.

 

I'd stop doing any retrieves at home or garden, and stop any other family members doing the same. If he's doing this at home regularly he could be board of it, especially if the kids etc are playing fetch whilst your at work.

If he has been sickened of retrieving put the dummies etc in a black bag tie it up and put it in the shed for a fortnight and do not get it out for any reason in this fortnight.

 

Then as already suggested, i'd walk him on the lead to an area preferable without a great deal of game scent.

Throw a retrieve that is within his abilities at this time,

Send him for the retrieve, if he picks it and delivers it to you, make a big fuss of him and then allow him to have some time hunting as a reward.

If he blanks the dummy, put him on the lead and don't let him do any hunting that day.

Try the same again the day after and repeat the above.

 

Just a quick thought, when you've been retrieving in the garden have you been making him sit and then giving a command to retrieve?

 

I make the dog sit, throw the dummy, work or heel him away from the direction it was thrown, perhaps a couple of yards at most. Then sit him up before giving him the command to "Go Back".

 

If this sounds familiar are you sure that you are being consistent with your commands, (its easy to vary things in a different environment without realising it.)

 

I'm not a professional by any means but the above might help, it certainly wont do any harm.

[lee-kinsman]

You needbto start from scratch and train him like a retriever. Personally I'd do absolutely nothing with him for at least 2 weeks. Then when you take him out keep him on a long line , 10 metres is enough. Give him an easy retrieve, if he succeeds, give him up to 3 retrieves then straight back home, no running around or nothing.

 

I've never had a retrieving problem that won't sort out if the dog retrieves.

Edited July 22, 2014 by lee-kinsman