Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 27

Thread: Retriever help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    108

    Default Retriever help

    Looking for some advice on how to work in a retrieve to hand. My dog is very good with single retrieves, listens to commands, doesn't break (much), and has tons of energy/drive. His biggest issue right now is that I would like to move on to beginning to working doubles and blinds, but he has never been good at retrieving to hand. His retrieves are somewhat wild and full of energy, and is not very disciplined with holding a bumper and will drop it or accidently grab it by the string or head, but never fails to bring it back. When he gets back to me he will either drop the dummy at my feet and go back to heel, or try and play with the dummy for a few seconds before dropping it and getting ready for the next retrieve. He was force fetched by a trainer, but I believe it did more harm than good as he does not like table work or to be forced to hold anything in his mouth. (He will do it on his own, but if I tell him fetch and hold he shuts down). So from there I have allowed him to make retrieving fun again, vs. forcing him into it, which is why I am trying to not put too much pressure on him, and why this process is going so slow and one step at a time. I am not worried about him being a competitive field trial dog, and maybe hunt 12-15 times a year where a dog would be nice to have.


    Which has led me to this, How do I work in a retrieve to hand, without putting too much pressure on him?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Columbia, SC
    Posts
    47,877

    Default

    force fetch is an interesting topic in this forum.....and I'm sure someone with more experience can help you out!

    i got some old bumpers i'll give to your brother when I see him next.....
    Last edited by 2thDoc; 06-05-2019 at 09:58 AM.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Mars Bluff, SC
    Posts
    13,641

    Default

    What breed & how old is it?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    on a river
    Posts
    1,656

    Default

    If you search this forum, you will see where someone hacked my account for a few years and said collars were the devil and positive reinforcement was the be all end all to dog training. That guy was too big for his britches.

    That being said, i had one dog that always brings everything back to hand. Another dog i had to collar condition and force fetch. People on here can probably point you in the right direction of who to send your dog to if you don't want to do it.

    If you want to try something that isn't force fetch, this had the best results for me (but i still had to collar train one dog)

    - Figure out what your dog loves to retrieve (mine love tennis balls)
    - Throw a bumper and when they put it in your hand, immediately throw the tennis ball

    eventually the dog gets the idea that bringing things to you means a reward.

    this takes time and it can get frustrating. I'd go the force fetch route from what i am reading about your situation

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    8,197

    Default

    Hold conditioning might work with lots of positive praise. Lots of videos on it. You could start with mudminnow's tennis ball or paint roller or anything else. And you don't have to do it on a table. The table just saves your back.
    "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12

    "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Columbia, SC
    Posts
    3,946

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MolliesMaster View Post
    Hold conditioning might work with lots of positive praise. Lots of videos on it. You could start with mudminnow's tennis ball or paint roller or anything else. And you don't have to do it on a table. The table just saves your back.
    Yep. Paint roller is soft of their mouth and not an object they associate with play or hunting. And the table is just to bring the dog to your level so you don’t have to bend over. Very easy process.
    Sea Ark 1542 w/ Yamaha 40
    Xpress 16 w/ 50 Hammer
    War Eagle 15 w/ 30 Hammer

    --------------------------------------------------

    "Sometimes you gotta grab the bull by the horns and the women by the tits and take charge in your life" - General Patton

    "I'm very drunk and I intend on getting still drunker before this evening's over."
    - Rhett Butler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Petville Township SC
    Posts
    5,158

    Default

    Personally I'd get a really good trainer to ff him again. It would save you and the dog a lot of headaches. While he's there, he will get other training if it's a good trainer. I'd suggest Hunting Costa off this site.
    What I've seen is that a lot of owners send their dogs off for training and rarely if ever go train with their dogs. Training the owner is as important as training the dog. I'm not saying you didn't during your dogs ff training, just that a lot don't. A good trainer wants you to come by.
    Molon Labe
    HRCH Coal's Sparkleberry Cache MH

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    108

    Default

    He is just fine on the collar, but again is a softer dog and I try not to use too much negative pressure, so most of our work he doesn't even have it on. He is crazy about fetching anything, but just brings it back and drops it as soon as he gets back on heel. He knows the "fetch" and "hold" commands, and while he is getting better at it he still resists and doesn't like either of them, and slowly turns to liking them if I play with him or give him tons of praise as he's holding it. When I sent him off, I was not able to be apart of the FF training (my fault), looking back my biggest mistake was going with a discount trainer based off the word of a buddy vs. taking him to lakeside or palmetto gun dogs, which were my other two options.

    I do like the tennis ball and paint roller idea, I can start with that and see where it goes.

    And I appreciate it Doc!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    4,970

    Default

    Just my opine but as you have already heard, you most certainly need to do some form of force fetch.

    It only takes about 2-3 times a day for a couple of days.

    I used the ear pinch and the deck of my boat while on the trailer instead of a platform, because that is what I had handy and I hoped it would enforce bringing the duck back all the way into the boat, release the bird only when told and shake only when told. It worked quite well.

    An elevated position takes them out of their comfort zone, allows you look at them directly in the eye and helps establish that this is for real, now I have you where I want you, you are under my control entirely and you can't just run off. In my opine it helps focus the dog on "its time to learn".
    Last edited by Strick9; 06-06-2019 at 11:36 AM.
    Genesis 9;2

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    ******* County, NC.
    Posts
    5,913

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Strick9 View Post
    Just my opine but as you have already heard, you most certainly need to do some form of force fetch.

    It only takes about 2-3 times a day for a couple of days.

    I used the ear pinch and the deck of my boat instead of a platform, because thats what I had and I hoped he would remember to always hold all the way into the boat. It worked quite well. An elevated position takes them out of their comfort zone, allows you look at them directly in the eye and helps establish that this is for real, you can't just run off. In my opine it helps focus the dog on "its time to learn".
    This.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Greenville, SC
    Posts
    4,988

    Default

    I am probably the most in experience dog owner here. That being said I just got a started retriever. She's really good but she started dropping the dummy at my feet sometimes. I read in a book and successfully implemented a method of using a tennis ball. I would throw it fornhe to play with but only if she put it in my hand. That worked for me

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Spartanburg
    Posts
    6,296

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Strick9 View Post
    Just my opine but as you have already heard, you most certainly need to do some form of force fetch.

    It only takes about 2-3 times a day for a couple of days.

    I used the ear pinch and the deck of my boat instead of a platform, because thats what I had and I hoped he would remember to always hold all the way into the boat. It worked quite well. An elevated position takes them out of their comfort zone, allows you look at them directly in the eye and helps establish that this is for real, you can't just run off. In my opine it helps focus the dog on "its time to learn".
    You're lucky if it only takes a couple days.....

    Some dogs take several weeks. It just depends on the dog and how they take to pressure. BUT, FF is your answer. It's not just deliver to hand, it's an extension of control across the board. If you don't FF you're relying on "if" the dog wants to do it. With FF it's not on their terms, it's on your terms. You don't ask them to do it, you tell them. Plain and simple.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Banks of the Wateree
    Posts
    41,924

    Default

    I don't mind when my dogs just drop my birds at my feet, it's kinda how I preferred it

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Banks of the Wateree
    Posts
    41,924

    Default

    it's that what y'all are talking about, if not, my bad

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Columbia, SC
    Posts
    47,877

    Default

    i wasnt gonna say it...

    my old dog would pile ducks up on an old stump for us. I didnt complain.
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Wateree, South Carolina
    Posts
    48,808

    Default

    Mine ate every single hen mallard he ever fetched. Think I stopped that behavior?

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    1,255

    Default

    That works great until fido drops the wounded jack miner banded black duck on the stump. Then said black duck flies off into the abyss.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    ******* County, NC.
    Posts
    5,913

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tha Dick View Post
    You're lucky if it only takes a couple days.....

    Some dogs take several weeks. It just depends on the dog and how they take to pressure. BUT, FF is your answer. It's not just deliver to hand, it's an extension of control across the board. If you don't FF you're relying on "if" the dog wants to do it. With FF it's not on their terms, it's on your terms. You don't ask them to do it, you tell them. Plain and simple.
    Like button.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    1,255

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tha Dick View Post
    You're lucky if it only takes a couple days.....

    Some dogs take several weeks. It just depends on the dog and how they take to pressure. BUT, FF is your answer. It's not just deliver to hand, it's an extension of control across the board. If you don't FF you're relying on "if" the dog wants to do it. With FF it's not on their terms, it's on your terms. You don't ask them to do it, you tell them. Plain and simple.
    OP, here is your answer.


    A couple days? Very lucky...
    Last edited by Quack07; 06-06-2019 at 06:54 AM.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    York Co
    Posts
    4,825

    Default

    until it happens with a cripple. lots of scenarios when that doesn't play out well

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •