Springer pup refuses to retrieve when hunting

[Andy135]

Need some advice as I'm scratching my head with this.

 

Pup is a 6 month old springer. When I throw a short retrieve indoors she returns it 99% of the time straight away. She's also pretty good at retrieving a thrown ball or toy in the garden. But when we play-hunt in the garden she gets so excited that when she "finds" the ball she runs off with it and simply won't bring it back to me - she runs off and stays away.

 

Is this a case of too much excitement/stimulation? I'm presuming that she will calm down and focus more as she gets older. Any tips to discourage this behaviour so that it doesn't become a habit in future?

 

I'd appreciate any pearls of wisdom from PW.

[PERCE]

Teach the dog the first 3 rules, recall, recall, recall. You can't do anything else without them. Get the dog 100% focused on you, it has to know that all it's fun is with you.

Edited April 13, 2015 by PERCE

[bigbird]

Stop play hunting for now. If your pup already hunts well then you can tidy that aspect up later.

 

 

Edited to add agree with perce too.

Edited April 13, 2015 by bigbird

[subsonicnat]

Stop playing two games.

Do Not Throw the same object for Play,,, And Retrieving.

Play time is play Time, sort the two out first, you are confusing Retrieves with play.

You can overdo it as well..

[cocker boy]

"99% of the time" is often read on these forums. It is not good enough. Never ever move onto the next phase of training untill the dog is 100% at what it is currently doing.

[subsonicnat]

"99% of the time" is often read on these forums. It is not good enough. Never ever move onto the next phase of training untill the dog is 100% at what it is currently doing.

 

Yes I have Often said::: HEEL: SIT:: STAY:: Before Moving any where else::

A Must::

[PERCE]

delete

Edited April 13, 2015 by PERCE

[gazbev]

It's too young and exuberant and probably doesn't know what's right and wrong.

 

Basic hand training is all it needs at that age but:-

 

Are you forcing the dog to give the retrieve to you when it brings it back and making giving it up an unpleasant thing to do?

 

Are you making sure that when you throw a retrieve that you fetch some yourself so the dog knows you can do it yourself and they are not all his/ hers?

 

Are you giving it too many retrieves and it's getting bored, one a day is more than enough at that age

 

99 percent retrieving is great at that age, I would forget retrieving at all for a few weeks,concentrate on recall and every few recalls when the dogs bound up to you and sits say good and give it a small pouch of cat food.

 

In my limited experience I would be be happy that the dog at that age is willing to retrieve even if it's not a perfect delivery, keep it fun and concentrate on hunting the dog close to you,it's a puppy, you are on long winding road

 

Get professional help before you mess it up because you will mess it up, most do.

Edited April 14, 2015 by gazbev