MC Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Hi guys, I am hoping someone can give me some advice, For some reason Merlin my springer will not pick up pheasants this season. He will flush them and find them he just won't pick them up. I have gone back to basics with the dummy and pigeons and ducks and he retreives these with out a problem. If I oput a pheasant out even a few feet he just goes and lays by it. I am going to try some pheasant wings on a dummy but other than that I don't know what to do. If I hold one out and tell him to hold, he will hold it in his mouth for a few seconds and then let go. Is it because he doesn't like the taste? Thanks in advance Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Had the same problem 2 year ago with a springer pup,wish i could help but tried for 4 month to correct it and wouldnt have it.Same problem she just wouldnt pick up game or hold it,she worked fine to a dummy/ball but refused to pick up anything with feathers on it. Hope you have more sucsess with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Have all pheasant retrieves been formal retrieves? Was he spurred last fall? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadSpringer Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Tuck the Pheasants head and feet up under the wings and place elastic bands around it to make a neat package for Merlin to retrieve. If he is happy to retrieve it keep it up for a week or two then try it with the head out and then a wing and so on. Did he pick them last season and did you have him on any runners? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadSpringer Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Was he spurred last fall? NTTF My Thoughts too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 I bvluddy was, straight through my Dents leather glove. I doubt that a pheasant has ever been bumped on the bonse with such vigor, ouch. and it wasnt even one of my shots. Your dog has my sympathy. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 He wasn't spurred as far as I know, although thinking about it after the first session this year he had quite a deep cut over his eye, which could have been a spur. He picked them perfectly last season, and yes he had several runners. It is only pheasants that the problem is with, he has retrieved 5 geese this season alone and 2 of them have been runners. On saturday he ran for a runner and stopped it, he just won't bring them back to me. anything else is not an issue. Dan, by formal I presume you mean set up? I first noticed this on saturday when there was a hen bird dead in the middle of the field in clear view. I sat him up and made him wait for a few seconds and then I sent him and handled him right back to the bird. He then just had a look at it turnded it over with his mouth and then lay down beside it with his head over the top of it. I tried yesterday in the garden with both a hen and cock bird, I sat him up and threw each bird in turn, I then sent him to fetch and he did the same both times. He just show's no interest in picking them. I will try banding the wings on and making it a bit of a game and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Was it last weekend that he came in with the cut above his eye? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Yes it was last saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 MC, I remember last year on FB111's shoot there was that incident where you and me tried to get him to pick the birds up on the grass ride at the end of the day, if I remember right he picked the hen bird but not the Cock. Is this a re-occurance of the same thing, although I see you mention a dead hen bird on the weekend just gone??? The question of being spurred is a good one, and unless you see it happen i.e. in plain view, then it remains unknown. Its a strange one, because he is a very willing and able dog. Let me know how you get on and if you want to try him on the syndicate picking up rather than beating in an attempt to help you then let me know. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Martin, I would put it down to one of two things. The first being there is a very good probability that he has been spurred and is keeping away from those, or the second being that he has had too much pressure put on him with the pheasant retrieves and has shut down. The good news is the cure is basically the same for both. Take him out into the garden.....you are going to need 2 or 3 dead pheasants, say a hen and 2 cocks......start with taping or using an elastic to hold the feet into the body. The important part here is that you need to get him fired up over the bird, so no formal sits or deliveries those can be added later again. Start by just getting him excited about the bird shake it and toss it up in the air encourage him to get excited. Once he is bounceing and really interested toss it about 3 feet and tell him to get it. Really lay the praise on heavy. If he picks it up give him some thata boys and pet him but if he wants to hold onto it for a bit let him. If he doesn't pick it up start again get him excited and toss about 3 feet. Once he is picking it up start to lengthen him back out a foot or two at a time being sure to lay the praise on. Make it all fun and games. Once he is running out to the bird and returning take the tape or elastic off the legs and toss it out if he has a problem start in close and work out again. 2 or 3 sessions and you should have him back upto speed. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Thanks Dan, I will get some birds at the weekend and start on that straightaway. Thanks everyone for your advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Thanks Dan, I will get some birds at the weekend and start on that straightaway. Jesus I hope you really not relying on our syndicate guns to get you something to use, we're all conservationists. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Sorry, What I meant to say is I SHOULD be gettinig some birds at the weekend, (If the inbred suffolk lot have learnt to shoot over the summer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 That’s some sound advice there. Years ago I had a lab that came across a little owl in a small patch of rushes. She tried to retrieve it but it beaked or taloned her on the muzzle. The next week a large buck rabbit ended up cornered in a pocket of fence wire. The rabbit kicked out and again cut her in the muzzle. After that she was very heavy mouthed on wounded game. If the target was killed cleanly there was no problem and the retrieve was brought to hand intact. I remember I shot a pigeon that came down into the wood and which was a flapper. When the dog brought it back to hand it was like roadkill. This was something that I never got a solution to. I couldn’t blame the dog, it was just a set of unfortunate circumstances and if I couldn’t shoot straight then the dog wasn’t going to allow itself to get hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Sorry, What I meant to say is I SHOULD be gettinig some birds at the weekend, (If the inbred suffolk lot have learnt to shoot over the summer) :good: Thats not a nice thing to say about three of our syndicate members, especially seeing as the shoot is in Essex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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