Suggestions?

[ColMuldrow]

Alright, I know I'm going to catch some slack because she is not force fetched, but my one-year old lab is doing a great job going out and getting the ducks and bringing them back to the blind. Only problem is, she drops it right there.

Both blinds we have hunted from so far this season have small dog boxes and she just doesn't want to bring it in the box unless I go out there with her, make her fetch it up and then direct her into the box. Its getting to be a pain.

She gets in the box fine when there is not a duck around. She knows the "hold" command, but it seems like no matter how many times I scream it at her when she gets close to the blind, she drops the bird. Suggestions? Any ideas on how to emulate this in a non-hunting situation when the adrenaline is not pumping? Any other times she brings the bird, bumper, etc. right to hand.

[Faithful Retrievers]

You answered your question with the FF.
One thing that comes to mind is sit the dog in the blind and get the dog to hold it. See if it will exit the blind with bird in mouth. Then I would try reverse. If you can get the dog to break the plane a few times with bird in mouth might ease its mind.
There really is no way to get around the correct way. Dog thinks here is the bird, I have done my part and there is no command the dog knows to have any form of correction. Just my opinion.

[Damn_It_Boy]

You already know the answer.

[Doc & Nash]

[goosebruce]

actually, hold is different than ff.... the dog can be taught (and should be before ff) it must hold an object. The original poster just said " she knows hold " "no matter how much I scream at her" and 'adreiline of the hunt'... she doesnt know hold, or she wouldnt be dropping it. screaming at her with no way to enforce it (your inside, shes out) isnt doing anything but making this a game, and the adreline of the hunt is just like command you ever taught... teach it, proof it, and then add distractions. Your hold is just enough for complience when the dog already wants too... adding distractions (like a bird, a different situation, a hunt etc) just pushed it past your complience.... just like you could teach hold, and a dog will hold, but ask the same dog to heel, they take 3 steps then drop the bumper... you added something which required more from the process. Now its loading up in a box. So Id revisit hold, hold sitting, hold walking, then hold loading into a box. Get one of the rubbermade tubs you probably got in your garage right now, either your wife just got the Christmas stuff out of it, or you just got your hunting stuff out of it, and have pooch hold while getting into the box. (if ya aint got a rubbermade tub, bottom of a dog house, or crate works fine too). Hold while loading into back of the truck. Onto a 4 wheeler. On top or into anything you can find around the house. Then you are calm, not messing up birds, and training. If dog drops, put it back in dogs mouth, chin chuck, and repete hold. Lots of time people want time... my dog held a bumper for 20 minutes. Thats boring a dog into submission. Instead get 10 2 minute holds. As you walk around get dog to hold and dog holds UNTIL you load up somewhere and take bumper. By this weekend, dog ought to enjoy it. Sat morning, if the dog drops the bird, be ready to get to dog, put dog in birds mouth and chin chuck.... to show it wont be tolrated. Dog sits with bird, you return to blind, and call dog to box.

FF will give you the tools your going to want. But starting it now, in duck season, with a semi function dog, welp, it kinda defeats the purpose of having a duck dog, your gonna be rushed and not do a good job, and quite frankly, its more fun to duck hunt than ear pinch. Letting dog continue to drop the bird is going to cause it to be a LOT bigger issue to fix later, so do not do that. But teach hold (completely) and rock on. And quit screaming at your dog... nobody wants to hear that! hehe. travis

[Duck Chaser]

you go girl !!!

[coreymays]

I am pretty new to this. I am training my first dog, a 7 month old CLM, at the moment and I had the same problem until about a week ago. I taught hold and I thought that it would make him deliver to hand. Well he did not get it until I moved into force fetch and introduced the ear pinch. Everytime he brought back the bumper/duck, he would drop it at my feet. After I introduced the ear pinch I could give him a little pinch and say fetch and he picked it up. After that it was like magic. I guess he hated getting pinched so much that he finally figured "If I dont drop it, I dont get the pinch". Now he delivers perfectly.
It was amazing to me because I thought teaching HOLD would do the job, but it took going a step further to fix the problem. Just my $ .02.

[ColMuldrow]

Thanks guys and for the tips bruce. She seems to not mind it so much with the dummy, so that seems to be a good place to start. Then I think I'll try a lot of 2 minute holds with some frozen birds.

I'll keep you updated.

[Unkljohn]

If you can get her to hold a ducksicle she'll dang sure hold a fresh killed one in the field!

[Drakeshead]

Yep, Ol' Goose nailed it! Hold is the precursor to FF. Hold is also not a pressure deal, it is just enforcing hold by placing an item, dowell, bumper, bird, etc., into dogs mouth and saying "Hold" while using your thump to push up on the "V" area in the dogs under jaw. When you slide the item in pups mouth make sure that you pull down on the pups lower jawl and then the upper jawl to make sure that you haven't caught some of it between the item and the dogs teeth. This can cause pain and make the dog want to spit out the item.

I go from dowel or cut in half hammer handle to bumper to duck. Once dog has one down, then I keep that same item to come, then to heel while holding the item. I then go back to the beginning and start over with it. It should not take as long, but I just do this progression for me.

Don't expect HOLD to come in one or two sessions. This may actually takes weeks to get to the point to where your dog is holding to "come" and "heel" without dropping the item. Remember, at this point I do NOT use ear pinch or force. That, to me, gets into Force Fetch/FF and that is after a solid base of "Hold".

Chuck McCall
GooseBruce "Travis"
Copiah Creek "Alan"
CDwyer "Charles"

All do this for a living, so they may do it differently than me and I would listen to them.

[goosebruce]

I dont do this for a living... i do it for da chicks. travis

[Drakeshead]