Steadyness training for older dog.

[Shooting head]

This question has been asked before, i have done a search but can't find it anywhere. My mate has been offered a 2 year old lab from a retiring keeper, the dog is a brilliant worker absolutely fearless, the only problem is that every shot that is fired the dog takes off looking for a retrieve. Can anyone give any advice on curing this problem.

Cheers SH.

[new to the flock]

Start by taking the dog out of the field and go back to doing yard work.

 

Have the dog sit beside you, and have a slip line attatched to your belt. Run the slip line under the dogs collar and back to your left hand. Have a helper located 50 yards infront of you throw a nice high dummy with a nice big arch into the air. When the dog breaks for it tell him NO and resit him. Have the helper walk out and pick up the dummy. Repeat this till he sits there beside you while the dummy lands. Tell him good boy and send him for the retrieve. Remember to let go of the slip line as you send him , it will pull free from under his collar as he goes. Repeat this till he is steady to the fall.

 

 

Once steady to the fall repeat the above excercise adding the shot from the helper just as the dummy is at the top of the arc. Again if he breaks return him to position, and have your helper pick up the dummy. I like to add the command NO BIRD at this point. This helps to teach him that not all retrieves are his. Once he is steady to shot and fall you can start to add double and triple marks if you like. Remember that even on some of the marks that he has been steady on tell him NO BIRD and have your helper pick up the bumper.

 

 

It as simple as that. Just rember to keep it FUN.

[Shooting head]

Cheers NTTF, by the way did you manage to get hold of any Thornits ear powder, I havn't had a problem with my bitch since i started using it.

 

SH