adi1210 Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 I think I have a serious problem on my hands , I have a young lab which is a year old in November which eats everything that has feathers. I've done lots of dummy work in the garden and around the farm with brilliant results. But as soon as I put wings on my dummy she picks the dummy runs away from me and eats the wings on the dummy . I was also walking her one day and came across a pigeon half eaten by a sparrow hawk, she saw it , grabbed it ran away and ate it within seconds . She's crazy on feathers. I would like to also add I did feed her fresh chicken whole. Is this the problem? I've also got an older lab but had no problems with him. I'm beside my self what to do .? Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Surely you dont mean chicken whole as in still in the feather ? , if not that will not be the cause. You have to get a grip on the dog while its in the act and leave it in no doubt its doing wrong. Perhaps more stop whistle training to stop it from legging it with dummies with wings or things it wants to eat , and recall so it brings it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Yes I did feed chicken still in the feather. I was told it's good for them. I wish I didn't. Massive mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 (edited) I think you just answered your own question . The poor dog now associates feather with being fed , you have now got to retrain it to know eating feather is very bad. I cannot believe someone told you to feed a working dog like that , you may have got away with it if it had been fully trained but not untrained , I must say its the first time I have even heard that feathers are good for dogs and I work in the petfood industry , I have heard of feather meal being used in some products but I think that is just a way to cut costs on decent ingredients. Edited October 24, 2014 by fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Oh ******.. what's the best way to get her to stop. I honestly had no idea it would result in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 There are far better trainers than me on here , but it seems a very tricky situation to me because although you have got teach that eating them is bad , you dont want her thinking picking them up is bad I would think having fed like that there may also be issues with hard mouth etc. Personally I would lay off the retrieving altogether for a while and train recall and stop until she is 100 % that then gives you a better chance of getting on top of the issue if she does come across a dead bird Re introduce retrieving later but without the feather until you are confident her eating them is no longer a issue . I am sure you will get more advice , she is still young training wise and hopefully you should be able to turn her around but you are going to have to take a few steps backward first. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Thank you for your help. Seems like I've got myself in a bit of a hole with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Possibly putting tight's over the feathered dummy?? but that won't really solve the problem. Will have to be careful as fenboy said so that the dog associates the correction with eating not retrieving Think wot i'd do is possibly stop ur retrieving training, and i'd start training a hold command, sitting ur dog down and putting dummy in its mouth without it moving and it just holds the dummy while u clap and praise it saying 'hold'. Work on that which shouldnae be a problem and then work onto a feathered dummy. Hopefully as its sitting still near u it will not be able to run away or eat it, Even do it with a lead very losely round its neck as u do not want it runnning off Possibly better of just seeing a pro/experienced trainer thou that can give u proper advice and actually show u different techniques/drills to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I think its back to the start - firstly stop feeding him or her feathered food - run him or her on a long lead and plant dead pigeons or pheasant on a walk and when he goes to eat it give the NO command with such gusto that he knows. I follow the NO with a deep belly growl which left my bitch (the dog not the wife) in doubt this was wrong. Then when doing close up work take a small dead bird like a pigeon and get him to hold it in his mouth. when he does so without trying to eat it then BIG praise..... It is going to be a long process but it is never too late..... I am not expert but that is how I would approach it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I think you will need a pro for this issue without a doubt, it's not a hole you've dug but a crater. But I'm sure with the right trainer and time it could be turned around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Cheers for advise guys I think I'll try the long lead trick first and see how it goes from there. I did think about an electric collar would this work.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 My first thought was to inject something unpleasant into the bodys of a few shot pigeobs, chilli or citronella maybe, so it's not put off picking up but gets a nasty taste if it eats them. Good luck, it sounds like a tricky problem but with some pro guidance you could sort it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 That does sound like a good idea might have to give it a try but then I have to let her eat feather again. ? I will get this problem sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 (edited) Cheers for advise guys I think I'll try the long lead trick first and see how it goes from there. I did think about an electric collar would this work.? I got a collar and it transformed certain aspects of my dog very quickly. But in this circumstance I would say no , because as I said earlier you do not want the dog to feel punished for picking up feather . There will be no quick fix for this issue. Edited October 25, 2014 by fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 This is a spoof surely? Someone told you to feed your dog whole chicken and you just did it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 No mate it's no joke.. I got told it was good for them so I tried it fir a week. Hasn't effected my other lab one little bit. But my pup has gone mad.. I wouldn't ask for advise on here if I didn't need it. The chickens I fed were 3 week old from a poultry farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linny Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 This is a spoof surely? Someone told you to feed your dog whole chicken and you just did it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Stop wot your doing and start over and I mean start over day one ,defo dont feed feather or fur ever again theres no benifit wot so ever Infact id leave training him at all untill you know a bit more the dog will be ruined if you continue if not already , so called shock collers are not ment to shock dog there more for a tap on the shoulder shocking a dog wont solve the problem may cover it up but the problem will still be there I have a stimulation coller and used correctly is a good tool I train my dogs to wear them at night so I dont use a whistle but to just shock a dog because your not getting your own way not the best idea if you were closer id happily help be a good challenge good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Cheers everyone for your comments , I really am stuck what to do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Seek professional help be worth the £35 odd for a 1 to 1 session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.w. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Seek professional help be worth the £35 odd for a 1 to 1 session You must mean the handler as I don't see the dog has done anything wrong only whats been taught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adi1210 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 There's always one!!!! ^^^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 How about using a frozen bird wrapped up in a few layers of your wife's tights? Over a course of a week or so take the layers away. Also let the young dog watch your old lab retrieve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoot and be safe Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Sounds to me like you now have a pet and no longer a working dog :( Can't believe you would feed whole chicken to a dog. The choking hazard would be enough to put me off. Secondly if you want your dog to receive (presumably freshly shot game (still in feather)), why would you want feathers as part of the dogs diet. The mind boggles This thread has all the makings of a hoax and I kind of hope it is. If it isn't, then as others have said, go back to basics. My lab liked eating feathers, probably still does. All I did when moving from a plane dummy to one with wings and then on to cold game, was put the feathered dummy in a stocking and slowly expose the feathers (over many throws) until I felt comfortable. Sadly you are a long way off this part of your training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.w. Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Sounds to me like you now have a pet and no longer a working dog :( Can't believe you would feed whole chicken to a dog. The choking hazard would be enough to put me off. Secondly if you want your dog to receive (presumably freshly shot game (still in feather)), why would you want feathers as part of the dogs diet. The mind boggles This thread has all the makings of a hoax and I kind of hope it is. If it isn't, then as others have said, go back to basics. My lab liked eating feathers, probably still does. All I did when moving from a plane dummy to one with wings and then on to cold game, was put the feathered dummy in a stocking and slowly expose the feathers (over many throws) until I felt comfortable. Sadly you are a long way off this part of your training. This may well be a hoax because I find it hard to believe that someone is that daft to inadvertently train there dog to eat feathers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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