Dogs & chicks

[AVB]

My cocker is 2 1/2 and has one season under his belt. He is as keen as mustard. We recently moved and the house we have has lots of trees & shrubs in the garden and so this time of year the garden is full of chicks learning to fly. Benson has got a habit of bringing them to me and although they appear unharmed I am sure it can't do them any good. If I see him going after one I recall him and he comes, it's the ones he gets when I am not there concern me.

 

What do I do? Do I tell him off or will that put him off of retrieving when he should? He also retrieves frogs but I am less worried about them.

[Stonepark]

As long as unharmed, don't discourage with chicks by using a 'no' command, but do, do so with the frogs.

 

Use a few training sessions (ideally with dummy launcher) to reinforce the shot/fetch command in presence of chicks and if he shows interest in chicks etc a 'leave it' command should be introduced and get him to bring back only that which was 'shot'. A few sessions will focus him on what you want him to fetch.

[Andy135]

As long as unharmed, don't discourage with chicks by using a 'no' command, but do, do so with the frogs.

Use a few training sessions (ideally with dummy launcher) to reinforce the shot/fetch command in presence of chicks and if he shows interest in chicks etc a 'leave it' command should be introduced and get him to bring back only that which was 'shot'. A few sessions will focus him on what you want him to fetch.

+1 to this. Sensible advice.