with regards to FF.....
I consider FF to be an extension of obedience for retrievers - the primary foundation for a TRAINED retriever's life work.
when to start? pup should be at least 6 months old and have its permanent teeth. He should be healthy and should have his obedience training down pat. Prior to begining, the pup should have been thrown plenty of marks, be an ambitious retriever - one that happily brings back both dummies and birds.
why should a dog be force fetched? the simple answer is to give the pup the skills to become a reliable retriever.
An added benefit to FF is that if properly taught, there is no doubt as to who is in charge - the trainer gains allegiance and added respect for all his/her voice commands.
Additional reasons to FF:
*it's the basis for teaching a dog to handle and complete blind retrieves
*it helps with confidence on memory birds of multiple marks
*most importantly, if you have to punish your dog any field sin, FETCH is the command to get back to work.
Plausible scenario - You are in the dove field with your dog. The dog is not FF You knock down a bird - your dog breaks to shot. You correct the dog for breaking and now, no matter what you do, he won't leave your side. In the dogs mind, he has been corrected for attempting to make a retrieve so the best thing for him to do is to stick close with the boss...your options are to either "let it go" and hope for the best next time or walk the dog out to the bird and encourage him to pick it up....should he refuse to pick up the bird, you have no recourse to make him do so. If the dog were FF, he would understand the program!
Kim
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