Reluctant hunter

[Paulhatton]

I have an 8

month lab done all basics comeing on well but she is very reluctant to hunt for blind dummies tryed to make it fun am I doing to much to soon

[WGD]

Takes time to build confidence on blinds and she is young yet to be pushing her.

 

Make them very easy and make sure she is succeeding - I'm talking 3 - 5 yards and build from there. Once she knows there is a reward at the end of an outrun she'll get the idea and distance will increase.

 

And remember the dog's horizon is a lot lower than yours so what you can see she probably can't.

[Spaniel]

Confidence building is the key.

Try to use the same spot for seen or memory retrieves and then drop a dummy in the same spot as a blind, nice and slow like William as mentioned.

 

A trick told to me (Not done this yet) was to also choose a corner of a field, walk along one hedge to the corner of the field and drop a few dummies around, then walk back along the opposite hedge, obviously with the dog, then walk across the field so the corner of the field where you planted the dummies is in front of you....set the dog up and send it for a retrieve...the dog may remember that there are dummies out there, plus the hedges leading into the corner of the field will assist the dog and this will slowly build the dogs confidence up, you can then after time adjust the distance you are sending the dog back for the retrieve..

 

Hope this helps

[Paulhatton]

Thanks for the replys will try her out later in a corner will let you know how she gets on

[cracker]

Your header's where part of the problem lies - you call the Lab a "reluctant hunter" but in fact it's an 8-month-old that's untrained for running blind retrieves. Not too young by any means - but as Spaniel noted it's all about confidence and putting the confidence into the dog by making the blinds easy as WGD suggested.

 

Where you all lag behind is in not having retriever "programmes" that are sequential for training a dog to run blinds. The lamentably unheard from of late NTTF always used to advise "Look up baseball" to newcomers whose pups didn't know how (from not having been taught) to run blinds. That would be "walking baseball" where the pup sits facing you after you thrown out dummies in plain sight to three or four places on a flat mown pitch. You then give the pup a cast (hand signal) to the dummy you wish it to pick up. This is helping the pup gain confidence as it sees the dummy as soon as it turns around from your having cast it to the dummy. Gives a gain of momentum too.

 

But the best way for a pup to gain confidence and momentum on blinds sans casting is "sight blinds" that also let the pup see the dummy from the outset. Best done with the whitest dummies you can find - because the visual element is what brings on both confidence and momentum. (Does same for "marking," which is why the Yanks use white rubber dummies or "bumpers" for very long retrieves.) You can start these sight blinds as early as 12 weeks for a pup (and that could be a spaniel pup as well) but with an 8-month-old I wouldn't hesitate to begin with 30 - 40 yard distances *if the dog can see the dummy* on the ground. And that should be imperative. You will be sending the dog on the "Back!" command and the repetition with the command and a bumper always being out there to be picked when you use this command will gradually put the confidence - and momentum (the opposite of "reluctance") - in the dog.

 

This is sort of how a Lab looks running a blind when it all clicks and kicks in

 

 

Good luck,

 

MG

[Tarlair]

An add on to Spaniels tip about using a corner is to put down as many dummies as you have, fairly close together.

 

This ensures that the dog will find something as soon as it gets into the area. As everyone has said, confidence is everything and this helps to build it.

[Spaniel]

So how are you getting on with the dog ?...

 

I carried the same excercise out myself yesterday with my Lab and every time she retrieved a dummy, i put her on the lead and walked back a bit further each time, no probs what so ever.

 

I also gave her a much longer mem retrieve by placing a dummy down and then walking back with her i sat her up and walked down the field further myself, i then called her to me and stopped her on the whistle and then sent her back with a "Go Back" command, as she was running back, I moved farther down the field in the opposite direction, so she had further to come back to me with the retrieve,

 

Cheers Ian

[mudpatten]

Although it won`t be the complete solution to your issues, you might try doing some training in the company of an experienced dog and handler capable of performing the tasks you describe.

 

Some dogs just lack confidence and are slow learners. The sight of the other dog working at longer distances and obviously exited by the hunting can only help build confidence with your issue.

[cracker]

 

I carried the same excercise out myself yesterday with my Lab and every time she retrieved a dummy, i put her on the lead and walked back a bit further each time, no probs what so ever.

 

I also gave her a much longer mem retrieve by placing a dummy down and then walking back with her i sat her up and walked down the field further myself, i then called her to me and stopped her on the whistle and then sent her back with a "Go Back" command, as she was running back, I moved farther down the field in the opposite direction, so she had further to come back to me with the retrieve

 

A little tip that's a twist to what you've noted, Ian, that might help the dog acquire confidence and help you gain confidence in the dog:

 

After you've put out a pile of dummies and sent the dog for the first retrieve, when the dog's going out, you turn around and run straight back in the other direction about 25 yards and receive the dog there. The dog will "think" it's gone 75 yards instead of 50 because it's in fact returning 75 yards. "Stretches out" the dog for memories and does it without the interference of putting a collar or lead on a dog and heeling it back 25 yards before the next send. You can do this out to 200 yards in the course of a day's time if you've got the flat ground for it.

 

MG

[Spaniel]

Good tip there Cracker, I will do this over the weekend.

Today it was a bit warm so limited the retrieves to 3 only.

 

Again giving her 2 mem retrieves, sitting her up half way down the strip of ground and then calling her to me and stopping her on the whistle before giving her the go back command.

 

3rd retrieve was a blind, dummy placed in the same spot and I walked her a good 50 yds down the field, sat her up and gave her the go back command, off she ran straight back up the field and retrieved the dummy, training session finished..

 

I shall work on the distance over the next few days

[WGD]

You can do this out to 200 yards in the course of a day's time if you've got the flat ground for it.

 

AND the energy

[cracker]

You are so right, WGD! But hey, there's the getting fit factor which gives the training "dual purpose."

 

Anyhow, if the dog were already picking game, I'd say lay a bird or hare down and walk 500 yards (so long as it's walking on flat ground or a pitch, who's counting?) toward home or where the saloon's parked, all with the dog heeling or on lead. When you get to that distance, stop, turn around and send the dog on back - he'll run straight to the spot (memory) and get the bird then return those same 500 yards back to you (unless a fox came along in the interim and beat the dog to it). Those 500 yards will not only make a good memory lesson but will also give the dog the same 500 yards (or 400 or 300) to get accustomed to carrying and delivering game in a soft manner back to you.

 

MG

[Paulhatton]

Thanks for all your tips lads been doing them for a week now and she has slot more confidence using 3 White dummies in corner going back to about 100 yards she gets one every time and she enjoys it more

[Spaniel]

Good to hear things are working for you

 

But all this running around this morning as made me tired, i think the dog retrieved the dummies ok as I was puffing and panting to much to notice

Edited April 23, 2011 by Spaniel