Lab retrieving wont bring it back - Help!

[gunsafe]

Hi Guys

My two pups are getting on ok training wise, both play retreiving as they are 6 and 7 months old, and both very keen retreivers, however after getting to grips with basic training i.e. heel stay, sit, recall and whistle etc. I thought i would move on a step and try steadyness where I pick up 6 out of 7 dummies letting the pup collect the 7th.

Obviousley i do this one dog at a time and the bitch has picked it up great and sits steady on thrown dummy and waits until her turn, she sits firm when i collect and bring to me everytime, very biddable.

The dog pup however has different ideas he is hard to keep waiting on a thrown dummy and always creeps forward, when i go to collect, but that i can work on but he is getting it, but on the 7th he flys, collects b utstops half way, chewing at it and no matter what i do he wont bring it back, suddenly posessive? he is a much cockier pup and more head strong, any tips on getting him to bring it back would be much appreciaited. I am worried that he will get into the bad habit, need to stop it now please help if you can??

 

Cheers

[lee-kinsman]

Too much too soon for both dogs. No need for any more than 2 dummies. With the dog work on him sitting and gradually taking a few extra paces further away from him per day while he sits. Take him right back to the beginning. Re-introduce the dummy to him while he is sat with at heel, let him mouth it for a minute then when you are ready to receive it from him lift his head up, if he's head strong he won't drop it and praise him tickling under his chin telling him he's a good dog. Then take it.

Walk him at heel for 20 yards/paces and do it again. Thats enough.

 

After a week give him a very short retrieve, so short that by the time he has got to the dummy you are still stood over him. As he picks it up encourage him to you and repeat while he is sat with at heel, let him mouth it for a minute then when you are ready to receive it from him lift his head up, if he's head strong he won't drop it and praise him tickling under his chin telling him he's a good dog. Then take it.

 

Do this twice.

After 3 days of this try a retrieve where he has to go 10 yards as he picks the dummy encourage him straight back to you and repeat while he is sat with at heel, let him mouth it for a minute then when you are ready to receive it from him lift his head up, if he's head strong he won't drop it and praise him tickling under his chin telling him he's a good dog. Then take it.

Once is a day is enough for a week.

 

Hope this helps,

Lee

[gunsafe]

Cheers Lee I thought I may be moving a bit quick, I will take your advice and let you know how i get on. when i was play retrieving he was brining it back everytime, and like you quite rightly say i am in no hurry to take it away from him. Maybe a step to far eh! thought perhaps that because I asked him to sit and wait 6 times he probably thought i aint getting the 7th one eh!

 

Thanks

[lee-kinsman]

Your situation just sounds very similar to the challenges that I had with my lab dog who is also head strong. I found that I have to build his patience up very slowly. He's 19 months now. I shot over him this season and he's done great I found that if he got a inch he'd take a mile. I realised that on many of the days I was going to have to give him minimal opportunity and let him wait quite a while for a retrieve because he would break without being told. On our last day out picking up we had 6 drives, I let him have 7 retrieves throughout the day. One off the first drive and six off the fourth. The rest of the time he just sat and watched. After the fourth drive he was like a coiled spring tapping his front paws and creeping forward when my eye wasn't on him. He was frustrated that he couldn't retrieve on the last two drives. Steadiness training is a long slow process with a headstrong dog. I even go out occasionally just to shoot nothing so that he can't anticipate a retrieve with every bang.

 

All the best,

Lee

[Actionpigeons]

As one post says "Too much too soon for both dog

If you do want to do a little retriever work and are having problems with the pup handing it over.

Try throwing the dummy and as soon as the pup picks it, walk off. let him carry it and as you walk call him to heel without taking the dummy from him.

I let my pups carry dummies all the way from my training field to home, and ask them to sit at the back door and take the dummy from them giving them lots of fuss, but to be fair sounds like you are pushing a bit quick.

All dogs train different so if the bitch is coming along ok with the training, work with her but keep it short and it must be fun

[kent]

He is obviously keen and bubbling over, what he aint gonna do is let you take this last opportunity away from him. Try this just the once;

Get yourself and just that pup to a location with a fence it cannot jump and a gate it cannot slither through in a hurry. Put the dog on the opposite side of the gateway while you block a narrow passage. Throw a dummy in full view on your side, then quite quick send the dog, just as he picks it throw another on the other side and call the dog to heel (again blocking the narrow passage)The second idealy might be in flight as he is returning. Send him as soon as he delivers the first- don't chase him, don't chastise him and keep your hands in pockets and your eyes on your feet. He should want to get the next and yes send him for it as soon as you get correct delivery of the first and only then. You can repeat this many times, if it works my theory is proved. Some dogs train with single retrieves now and again and soon loose interest given more others have no limit

 

My thoughts are the dog doesn't trust you as if he brings the single dummy back from the 7 after you pick 6 -the game ends! Heck I don't blame him, sounds a good dog to me

 

 

[ditchman]

if he stops and mucks about with it ....walk away from him and call him and he will come looking for you

 

 

 

do you use the recall whistle at mealtimes ?

[WGD]

Use a "retrieving lane" so he can't veer off to mess around with the dummy. A path or track fenced either side and a gate at the end is best, narrower the better, with you at the "open" end.

 

I would also suggest you picking up 6 of 7 and sending him for the 7th is causing frustration at this young age where patience levels are low, make it 1 of 2. Sometimes send him for a single provided he has sat steady to the fall dummy and sometimes send him for the first dummy.

 

Remember you are teaching steadiness, not long marks, so make the retrieves easy and short.

[kent]

Use a "retrieving lane" so he can't veer off to mess around with the dummy. A path or track fenced either side and a gate at the end is best, narrower the better, with you at the "open" end.

 

I would also suggest you picking up 6 of 7 and sending him for the 7th is causing frustration at this young age where patience levels are low, make it 1 of 2. Sometimes send him for a single provided he has sat steady to the fall dummy and sometimes send him for the first dummy.

 

Remember you are teaching steadiness, not long marks, so make the retrieves easy and short.

Retrieving lanes are great IF you have a private one free of unexpected distractions and provided you dog actually returns. Great for the ones that charge back but then give 1/2 dozen laps of honour teasing you. Its always the same whatever you do in achieving the goal don't engineer failure engineer sucesss . If it don't work don't do it BTW dogs like to travel towards home with what they are carrying not away from home - very relevant if your training at home

Edited February 7, 2013 by kent