NickersonBen Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 I have recently bought a 14 month old Cocker. She has had some work/training previously but I am now trying to get the rough edges rounded off to be a good basic gundog for me. We've got the recall, sit, wait, heel, stop, left and right commands nailed but she has annoyingly just started to drop anything she retrieves about 6ft away from me! She, herself, will come all the way to me but the bird is behind her then! Any tips or ideas how I get over this? ....Someone mentioned walking backwards?? Sorry if there is has been spoken about already on here.... But just signed up! Cheers, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hi Ben To start with this is an annoying trait in cockers, you say you have just bought your dog and also say she has just started to drop the dummy etc. Did she not do this previously??? and if not how long has she been delivering to hand ok..?? There are several methods to try, and i have have found different techniques have worked on different dogs and i have also a cocker that will suddenly do this when for months she has been fine...... You can try the backing away from her to encourage her to keep coming in to you. You can try gently putting the dummy back in her mouth and teach her to HOLD it until you want to take it from her. Good luck with her and keep calm and perservere and hopefully all will be good. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thanks for that Rich! I've had her about 6 weeks now and she's been doing this the last week or so. She has been worked previously so she knows what to do it's just a question of her getting back into the swing of things and also getting her to do them with me I guess! .... I just want to make sure we start as we mean to go on!! I will try out your suggestions but we have just been out and she's been good as gold retrieving to my feet ....Typical!! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thats great Ben, I love Cockers and everything they are but each one is different and have their own quirks. You are exactly right with "start as you mean to go on" im not sure how experienced you are with training and cockers, but they sure know better than we do lol.... Be firm and be the boss, consistancy is the key to succesful training be consistant in all your training and never accept any 2nd bests as they sure as hell will have sussed you out and will push and push you...... Regards Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 I will lay money on the last owner treat trained on the retrieve or rewarded recall after dropping the dummy- badly done / badly timed rewards and most Normally this is just what happens. The best cure is hold drills- very like forced fetch but turned on its head by removing the discomfort / induced pain. Once the dog understands "hold" just use it as a command before it spits. Ignore by walking away from the dog and dummy if it ever spits no praise no nothing without that dummy in its gob! At best kick (the dummy not the dog) and say Hold! Its not a hard fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Cockers are odd creatures, mine will regularly drop a dummy in the floor just as I bend to take it from her, so I make her pick it up again and keep going until I take it from her mouth, but she always holds shot game until I take it from her. After I have it in hand she goes mental and runs round in tight circles, rolls on her back etc, they can be truly mental sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thanks for all the advice! I will bear all the tips in mind if and when she does it again! .....But i think i will also have to leave a certain amount down to her being a Cocker Many Thanks! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Joking aside I think its got very little to do with breed, even retrievers are easy to accidently teach dropping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 You're right... I need to take responsibility for my dogs failings!! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 You're right... I need to take responsibility for my dogs failings!! Ben You started " I recently bought a 14mnth old Cocker" Confused! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 What about Kent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 You're right... I need to take responsibility for my dogs failings!! Ben And in all fairness Ben (and i know you were joking) in most cases it isnt the dogs failings its the owner/trainer. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Too true Rich! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 if the dog is not holding on to it...as it comes to you , turn your back on it and walk off, bring the dog to heel and take the dummy off it on the move, then after you have been doing this for a few days, as the dog comes to you turn on your heel and remove the dummy , then slowly work to standing still one of the posts mentioned, think it was KENT said that this can be caused by untimly tip bits...i rekon he is spot on...if you are giving tip bits then make them earn-em, hold them up to your chest and get eye contact with the dog and settle it before you give them any reward ..praise or food...(dont like tip bits pesonally) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 (dont like tip bits pesonally) Mine won't touch any food when out training or walking (except rabbit eggs), I tried with cheese, sausage, even gravy bones, but she just looks at me as if to say 'Really? you want to give me that now? I've got things to get'. All she wants to do is hunt, retrieve, hunt, retrieve, hunt, retrieve, hunt........She constantly brings us things - shoes, socks, letters, baby rabbits, feathers, leaves, pretty much anything - but she seems to know when to play about and when to be focused so I'm not fussed about sloppy retrieves on walks. I don't do any organised game shooting or field trials so as long as she walks to heel, flushes, stops and retrieves when I have my gun I don't mind her personality coming through any other time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickersonBen Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I also had the suggestion from a friend regarding the timing of when the dog handler actually starts to bend down to the retrieving dog. By bending down too early to greet the the dog can sometimes make the dog assume thats the job done, and if on a "tip bit system"' is then wanting to come in for the treat and will drop the bird when the handler starts to bend! Unless its of a very high quality my dog doesn't seem all that fussed about treats when working either, but loves praise! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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