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I have a 16 month old that just went through her first season, I worked her myself and this is the first dog I have done so with so I had to kinda learn as I go. She did well retrieving and picked up many birds for myself and some of my huntin buddies this year. My only problem is bringing bird to hand, it never fails she will drop the bird 5-6 feet before she gets to me every time. She has never been force fetched and I'm curious is it too late to do so? She does the same thing with dummies when it's just me and her out in the back yard. At first I had the mind set that hell I don't mind walkin a step or two to pick up a bird, it's better than walking out 20-40 yards, but it was aggravating at times. Any advice?

Start with the "Hold" command then force fetch.

bmaskew04 wrote:Any advice?

Well, let me get you started by laying out a practical chronology for force fetch. This will not be a full explanation because there isn't room for one. What I'm posting is a step-by-step, skill-by-skill progression, laid out so the dog can learn and assimilate the information most effectively, and so the end result is a solid, reliable, stable retrieving dog.

Before step 1 you should have an obedient, stable dog, or you'll be fighting two battles at once. That's just poor training. So, with obedience as a given, here goes.

1. "Hold" (In nearly all cases a paint roller is best to start with)
2. Ear pinch for "Fetch"
3. Stick fetch (optional, but worthy)
4. Walking fetch (CC to fetch before moving forward)
5. Fetch-no-fetch
6. Mini-pile
7. Force to pile/9-bumper pile
8. For any gundog that will be required to retrieve from water; Water force

Ask away!

EvanG

I start "Hold" with my hand in a leather glove. I put my hand in the dog's mouth and command "Hold". Using my hand in this manner gives me far greater feel when the dog is trying to spit out my hand. I can also control the spitting out better, not allowing the dog to spit out my hand. You can use your other hand to force or hold the dog's bottom jaw up so that it is more difficult to spit out your hand. When I am comfortable that the dog is holding my hand, I can begin using some other device such as a paint roller.

Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

99beers wrote:Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

Do tell.........

Smoke68 wrote:

99beers wrote:Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

Do tell.........

experience....that tells.......

99beers wrote:Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

Dog gets out on bank with cripple drops it , cripple gets away! Dog for fetched delivers cripple to hand , bird in hand, then bird on grill! I will take force fetch! It is not only about fetching it is to teach controling pressure and is building block for a obedience

ragon wrote:

99beers wrote:Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

Dog gets out on bank with cripple drops it , cripple gets away! Dog for fetched delivers cripple to hand , bird in hand, then bird on grill! I will take force fetch! It is not only about fetching it is to teach controling pressure and is building block for a obedience

+1

99beers wrote:Ff is overrated for hunting, but necessary for hunt tests.

35 years ago that may have been sound information. But the process has greatly evolved, and once you really understand it you would not take a dog to the field or marsh without it. Knowledge can be a powerful thing!

EvanG

I will have to disagree with the comment concerning FF and hunting. When hunting I want my dog to reliably pick up whatever I shoot, on command, and successfully return it to me. That's FF. Just another part of being a complete hunting retriever.

Hunting in milow is tuff!!!!! if you have several ducks in the blocks dead and one is cripple most FF dogs pick up the go bird. You can command the dog to drop and cast him to the cripple to recover before you lose it. Also a non FF dog will shop around in the blocks if there is several birds down.

My dog is ff. I understand it. Look deaper.

cheeko wrote:Hunting in milow is tuff!!!!! if you have several ducks in the blocks dead and one is cripple most FF dogs pick up the go bird. You can command the dog to drop and cast him to the cripple to recover before you lose it. Also a non FF dog will shop around in the blocks if there is several birds down.

I'm not even going to waste my time replying to this nonsense.

"My dog is ff. I understand it. Look deaper."
Interesting comment. Care to give us further understanding?

Not only FF but I also want my hunting retriever to handle. Saves a lot of walking for me.