Wont pick up dummy

[Outdoorsman]

My pup 6 month old springer has stopped picking up the dummy, he runs over it then comes back and roles over for a stroke, some times he picks it then throws it in the air as if excited and the comes back, he will sit comfortably with it in his mouth until i give the dead command so dont think its the fur but just all of a sudden he will no longer retrieve it very puzzling any ideas

[ips]

Does he pick up / play with a ball ??

[millrace]

Hes bored with training and wants to be a puppy(have fun) at 6mths less is more......

[Outdoorsman]

He wont retrieve anything any more started about a week or two ago its drove me mad he was so good will do anything apart from pick anything up anymore

[Outdoorsman]

I say anything as he had lots of various toys socks etc that we were training with then i started with half a fresh rabbit skin that he loved so i tanned a hide put it on a dummy, butbive tryed all his old stuff and nothing just seems to be expecting the praise

[UKPoacher]

He's too young and bored. Take him for a walk and along the way drop the dummy then carry on as if nothing has happened. Ten to one he'll not leave it and when he does retrieve it, make a fuss and play with him using a few quick and short retrieves. Then carry on your walk with no further training. Repeat for a few days or a week or so dropping the dummy in different places.

[old'un]

As said above don't over do-it, the dog is still very young and its so easy to undo all your hard with over training, they are like very young children and soon get bored, keep it simple, I would not give a dog as young as yours more than 3 retrieves in any one training session, you may need to go back to basics with his favourite toy/ball.

 

Just a couple of other points, have you changed where you train your dog? Also have a look in his mouth for damage to gums, teeth.

[Outdoorsman]

I normally take him to one of 2 fields near home, but he brought me the dummy this morning so i did some retrieves in the house and he did it spot on brought the dummy back to hand straight away he must of either got bord or hes trying to push his luck

[Outdoorsman]

Well think i might have figured part of this out i think the extra weight is putting him off the dummy which is maybe a pound probably less, so ive shot a half size rabbit yesterday and gutted it and tryed him on that which is slightly heavier and when he first picked it he was really funny with it again but then did eventually bring it. Then when back on the dummy no problem again. Hopefully sorted this time

[bigbird]

He's just six months old, I would lay off retrieving for a while and take the pressure off. It's so easy to knock the drive out of a pup by wanting and expecting too much too soon. I don't even start training mine until they're ten months old, before that it's just bonding, playing, solidifying recall etc and making myself their favourite thing in the world One or two retrieves yes but I don't worry if they're not too keen, don't give a perfect delivery etc, it'll come. I'm no pro trainer but it works for me

Edited January 3, 2017 by bigbird

[lakeside1000]

I have to agree with many of the other comments on this subject, A puppy at six months just wants to play, springers particularly do not 'settle' until they are around 18 months, concentrate on obedience commands, heel work, and on and off lead control,

Only work the puppy for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, let it know when its play time and when its work time so it understands the difference,

I personally would not even take it out on a shoot until it is 12 to 15 months old, loud noises can unsettle puppies and once frightened it would take a lot of work to get its confidence back.

We always worked our young dogs , both show and gun dogs, through a training club, getting the dog familiar with other dogs and and responding quickly to commands before we took them out either in the show ring or hunting.

'Retrieves' come once you have full control over the dog, they normally retrieve as a natural instinct and would normally just need 'fine tuning' to get them to present to hand.

Good luck and remember, never punish for failure, only praise for success.

[E.w.]

The mind boggles, you will train some dogs and spoil others make sure you don't end up with the latter, best of luck,

( remember time is your friend).

[A.S]

Totally agree with Bigbird this worked for me also.. and as E.w. says time is your friend.

[Outdoorsman]

Cheers for the responce guys ill slow it down hes just done everything so fast thats all, he walks to heel on and off the lead he will sit and stay and return on verbal comand and whistle hes steady on and of the lead i have not introduced him to the gun yet but he genuinely must be a really clever dog i just dont want to under stimulate him and for him to go lazy

[bigbird]

If you overdo it he's more likely to slow down and get lazy... Most springer pups are like that but take it from one who's been there... take it easy..

[UKPoacher]

The word 'training' is often implied to mean just properly set up formal sessions. It doesn't have to be that. With a pup the best type of training is play especially when the pup is doing something that it enjoys and resembles something you will later teach it to do in the field. Even at a very young age a pup can be picking up and carrying rolled up socks that you've left about the house for that reason. It learns to pick up and carry with no stress because it is natural and enjoyable. Then you gradually introduce the 'leave' or 'dead' command as part of the fun. That leads on to the pup fetching and then as you progress, finding and fetching the socks as part of daily play. Before you know it the pup is doing everything you want of it in dummy training without being 'trained'.

 

The biggest problem that young dogs have is handling pressure and a lot of the time that pressure comes from rushing training.

[bigbird]

^^ yep dont forget EVERY SINGLE MOMENT you spend with that pup you are training it - whether you realise it or not. That is the most important thing that anyone ever said to me as regards dog training and I'll never forget it.

[shropshire-jon]

hi outdoorsman

 

i had exactly the same problem. at 3 to 4 months old he was retrieving a small dummy. i switched to a tennis ball with fur on it again no problem,

along with retrieval i was also training steadiness. by 6 months he was onto hand directions. then he just stopped. he would sit and when cast from a distance with hand direction he would saunter across to he dummy look at it for a few seconds then come back with nothing.

 

the problem when i worked it out was simple the cure wasn't fortunately wasn't to bad either.

1. the problem "ME" expecting a puppy to do the work of an adult. wanting a dog i could take into the field pigeon shooting.

2. the cure stop training. just take him for a walk play rough and tumble just generally having a good time run round the field get him to chase just play basically. After a few sessions take a soft toy lightweight and tease him with it. so hes jumping up snapping trying to get it, but dont let him have it.

a short time later a few days same routine but this time as hes trying to get at it throw it. say nothing he will chase it and pick it, dont call or encourage him to come to you walk briskly away he will follow wiht a toy that probably dosent even realise hes holding. do that once each walk. dont stop drive to get at it that will come later much later. my dog is now retrieving fur and feather but i dont let him have to many retrieves hes also steady again now. you have plenty of time remember when he working properly youll have many years and many thousands of retrieves. as mentioned spaniels dont come fully into there own until ther 2 or 3 years old.

 

hope this helps