christy_stone Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I have a ten month old choc lab dog and at the moment he is being a right ******* whenever I throw the dummy he retrieves it and p*sses off up the field and does not bring it back and I can't get hold of him to get it back as he just runs away. When I finally get hold of him I give him a good volley. Second try.......same again, I understand people say that I shouldn't ask too much of him, but surely he should be retrieving at least inconsistently rather than all this nonsense. Please help! Regards Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdunc Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) When I finally get hold of him I give him a good volley. You wonder why the dog doesn't want to come back to you?? There is a time for correction and an appropriate amount to use and you've got it wrong on both counts. Stop giving your dog 'the volley' and find somewhere contained to throw retreives (back garden etc.) and coax him back with praise. This way he can't ****** off and you can become the object of his attentions (in a good way). Maybe over time he'll start to want to come back to you. Edited June 8, 2009 by gdunc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boromir Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 When he gets the dummy act all stupid and excited arms wide open, so that he thinks he missing something. Better still get a bit of rope and put the dummy in length of the rope, he cant run off then. Does he know Basic commands yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy_stone Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I understand what you are saying but I am by no means senselessly smacking my dog, if he ****** off and won't come back for 10 mins I give him a tap on the nose. I try to coax him back by all means possible before I give him a little smack on the nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Its quite common for a pup to run off with his prize.......... Best way I found to deal with this is to walk briskly in the opposite direction calling him at the same time. Use a bit of careful interception They will usually run back to you as they feel insecure. And as the last post says, praise him big time. As he matures, it will fall into place. But don't overdo the retrieves at this stage. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy_stone Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Yes he will sit and stop from a distance and knows basic commands hence moving on to retrieving, but I do like the idea of a dummy with rope on the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshielsgundogs Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) You would be better off getting his basics 100% first, before you start retrieving. I alway get my dogs recall 100% before I do any retrieving, along with sit and stays. Then i use a narrow alley way with one end blocked off, so the dog can only go one way out and one way back. Hitting a dog is not the way forward. work on positive reward. Good luck. Ian Edited June 8, 2009 by eshielsgundogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jinxy72 Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 would u smack a 10mth old baby for not fetching u a ball back ? seeing as they think it is a game to play run-off-until-caught i dont think so :yp: give it some time .... if u give it a smack for not coming back then i cant blame it for NOT WANTING to come back to u any other time .... can u honestly blame it ... the way the pup will see it is everytime he comes near me he smacks me !!!!!!! and u wonder why !!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy_stone Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 would u smack a 10mth old baby for not fetching u a ball back ? seeing as they think it is a game to play run-off-until-caught i dont think so :yp: give it some time .... if u give it a smack for not coming back then i cant blame it for NOT WANTING to come back to u any other time .... can u honestly blame it ... the way the pup will see it is everytime he comes near me he smacks me !!!!!!! and u wonder why !!!!!! As I have said I DONT HIT my dog every time it comes back. I praise him at every opportunity I get. And I absolutely do not beat him every time I get hold of him! I am just looking for some constructive tips not a criticism of me, I love my dog and would never wish it any harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveH Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I am just looking for some constructive tips not a criticism of me Not punishing your dog (physically or verbally) for coming back seems like a constructive tip to me, although I know there are times when it's easier said than done. Anyway, I had a similar problem with my dog when he was that age, and I trained him on a long lead for a few weeks so he couldn't run off - it really sharpened up his recall and distance control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) Couldn't agree more with the posters that have given you advice. Would you go back to someone if everytime you did they hit you? No of course you wouldn't. Punishment can be done with voice tones alone, there is never any need for contact. I was taught to throw the dogs lead AT them, not to hit them just at them. It works as an attention grabber. With a growl and a scrunched up lead my dog knows he has done wrong. When he does right then he is rewarded either with a treat or lots of praise and fuss. Would you go back to someone if everytime you did they gave you something to eat or made a big fuss of you? Of course you would. A dog is no different, they learn by repitition and if you hit them repeatedly then they will learn not to go near you. And relax, he is only 10 months old. Edited June 9, 2009 by MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I'm no expert and have two labs that can prove that! :yp: 1 is OK but the second has some 'Kentish' genes in him and isn't worth a **** despite having a first class pedigree! Firstly I'd say it serves you right for having a chocolate lab , I and I'm willing to bet most dog handlers have never seen one worth bothering with. Chocolate = brain dead! Secondly and if you're going to persevere I'd say stop training it to retreive and go back to basics until the dog is 100% with all that and then restart retreiving. The dog is only 10 months old for god sake and may well be a late starter so take it slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Chocolate = brain dead! :yp: "...Jed Leeson qualified his Labrador, Pintail Hector - the first chocolate Labrador to run in the championship..." from http://www.internationalgundogleagueretrie...onship-2008.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 i dont know a lot as im new to it all as well but... dog picks up a dummy and then runs around doing puppy play....he gets this big angry thing chasing him around, once caught he gets told off so next time he runs off for longer and then gets told off again so next time tries to stay away longer.... only what im reading in the books. i have been going to see a guy called Rich Biggs. top man who has helped me no end. something he seid to me about the retrieve. 'a retrieve is only a recall, just the dog has something in his mouth' again im new to it so can only go on what i have been dong wrong and by what im told to do to put my wrongs right. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 'a retrieve is only a recall, just the dog has something in his mouth' Yup, Rich knows his stuff. sort the recal - first time, every time, then start the retrieving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdunc Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 I don't like the sound of a dummy with rope or cord attached - sounds like a recipe for a tug of war and a hard mouth to me :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyspringer Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 I'm with you Gdunc, ignore the retrieving go back to basics, ands please don't punish your dog for coming back to you, its the worse thing you can do, it should be a very pleasent experience to the dog when it comes back,not a nasty one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy_stone Posted June 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 I have been out the last couple of days with him and its been an absolute delight. The first night he was on the virges of running off so i walked in the opposite direction making strange noises and flailing my arms just to get his attention and to make him come back to see what all the fuss was about. When he came back he dropped the dummy and sat down i made a huge fuss of him and give him a treat. He then knew that i would reward him for his actions, as he was bringing it back more i started to give him less of encouragment to come back, and every time he came back tail wagging, dropped the dummy at my feet and sat by my heels. I have been doing this for the last 3 nights and he has been an absolute treat, it just took a bit of over the top encourage ment to get him to start bringing it back. thanks for advice anyway guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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