giving young lab some confidence ?

[Lloyd90]

Had a amazing night the other night, went wild fowling for the first time ever. Set up around the flight pond with the 2 boys with me at other points, we waited as the light faded, I was looking about when I heard it, BANG, I turn round to see my mate Dai had dropped a Teal over the top of him but missed the second one, I pulled the gun up and lined it up and BANG, I missed it, the bird pulled to the left and I gave it the other barrel, BANG, I hit it square on , down it came but it was a runner, so Dai told me to get onto it quick and dispatch is ASAP.

 

I sent out my young lab, shes 14 months and retrieving all things before, dummys, dummy with fur / feather and also cold pheasants all fine, So I sent her out to find this duck. It had gone about 20 foot from where it dropped, the lab scented it and off she went, the ground is covered with rabbits so I was worried that she would not be able to find it as it had gone into alot of cover, I saw her work all over and then she barked, She had found the duck, tried to pick it up but it was still alive and moving so she wouldnt. I ran to where she was and picked it myself and dispatched it there and then.

 

I was very chuffed as it was my first ever teal and was found by my own dog shame she didnt retrieve it lol. Anyone got any tips on how to give her some more encouragement, we went her onto another duck on the pond n she dragged it back to the edge by the wing but wouldnt properly pick it up and bring it right in

[Lloyd90]

Just to add Dai also had his 6 year old lab dog on hand, We werent relying on her to retrieve solely with no real experience at all behind her

 

Dais lab retrieved the other 3 ducks we bagged

[blacklab]

give her the cold ducks to retrieve, tease her with it then throw just in front of her, then send her out to pick the duck. as soon as she picks the duck whistle her back to you, take the duck off her, then give lots of praise.

 

Lee

[provider]

Hi mate

 

Just as Lee says give her the retrieve with a cold bird until she is picking it fluently and praise her welleach time.

 

Once she is going well at this move her onto warm game and do the same again with plenty praise.

 

Once she is fluent at this she should be ok with live game but don't try her on pigeons until she is faultless with other game as young dogs dont like the loose feathers in their mouths and tend to spit the birds out.

 

Prov

[al4x]

watch her on runners, really you need a fair bit of handling well shot birds before moving onto the more difficult stuff. If you can get any picking up on a game shoot its a good start to build confidence. I made the mistake with my GWP getting involved with pricked birds before being 100% and after a cock bird having a go at her she had a go back took a lot of getting over that one and i'm still careful putting her on wounded birds

[garyb]

Agree with Alex.

 

That dog is far to young to be picking runners... I would have put another shot in the duck or dispatched by some other means.

 

You could well make her "shy" to retrieving game... you will now need to do some more cold game work, and watch her reaction

 

Back to the training field I'm afraid.

[WGD]

She's not too young, she's just not experienced enough. To be fair, you should not have sent a dog that hasn't picked freshly shot game onto a tricky retrieve.

 

I would be getting some picking up work on shot game, easy stuff in daylight, before moving on to ducks. I had a springer here that had picked fur and feather without hesitation and retrieved from water without hesitation but wouldn't pick a dead mallard from the pond on her first flight. Some cold game work in the water and she was fine the next time out.

 

Well done on your first teal, they are tricky little ****!

[garyb]

WGD

 

I find in a young dog, that exposing them to runners makes them too hot and un steady... therefore I make sure they don't get to pick any until I'm 100% happy on their dead cold / warm game.

 

In the dogs eyes, picking something that is flapping around is much more interesting than that cold dead thing on the ground which doesn't move!

 

Or maybe that just applies to Spaniels

Edited September 17, 2010 by garyb

[WGD]

i agree with you gary, i was just making the point it's not the age that's the problem, it's the experience and stage of training - the dog would be the same at 3 YO if it hadn't been exposed to the situation.

 

Similarly good handlers with lots of training ground, game supply and time to train can have a dog doing all the advanced work that's asked in the shooting field by 12 - 18 months. The message to the OP from us both is the same, go back a few steps.

[Lloyd90]

Ended up using the duck cold to introduce the lab back to it. She was a little apprehensive to hold it in her mouth at first but once she picked it up she was a natural and did about 4 or 5 retrieves of it from about 20 yards back to hand I was very pleased. Im going to try and get hold or a few rabbits now to train her on fur aswell and need to steady her up a bit. Once she gets a bit more experience I think she will be top notch