Hand To mouth Delivery

[DuckSlayer]

How would i go about gettin my young choc lab to start doing this

[ezzy333]

Would be hard since Chocalate Labs do not have hands. Plus it is hard to blow your whistle if you have your mouth full of birds. :roll: :roll:

Ezzy

[DuckSlayer]

opps i mean mouth to hand

[DonF]

What does it do now?

[Benny]

You want the dog to understand the task isn't complete until the bird is in hand. You may have already developed what they call "sloppy mouth" just in play or in past bird hunting experiences where it was okay to have dropped it at your feet. This trait will get developed with every dog in every household that's ever played fetch before with a kid or disinterested owner watching the football game.
The "good dog" or treats don't come until the bumper or bird is in hand. Suggest the dog bring the bumper all the way to palm by tucking a tiny treat between your thumb and palm while holding it out for the bumper. Dog doesn't get the treat until the bumper is in hand.

Honestly though, I think that stuff is most often impractical unless you're hunting swift rivers where a duck dropped at your feet means it's a goner. I'm always happy to lean over and pick up the bird myself.

[nikegundog]

Honestly though, I think that stuff is most often impractical unless you're hunting swift rivers where a duck dropped at your feet means it's a goner. I'm always happy to lean over and pick up the bird myself.

We pheasant hunt behind labs I would guess about 20% of the pheasants are delivered still alive, dog drops it in front of you and the chase is on again, its unacceptable for me.

[DuckSlayer]

thanks for the help now she will bring it to me the want to play and drop it like 5 feet away

[nikegundog]

First off I'm not a trainer so take this for what your paying for it. I think the elementary fix to this may be as simple as back pedaling fast when the dog get within 10 feet of you during the retrieve, I've used this to fix the problem when the dogs drop it when exiting water. The real fix would be teaching hold. Here's Evan's video, he posts on this site frequently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd72kl9lZlc

[edb]

http://www.oakhillkennel.com/library/force/force1.html

http://www.oakhillkennel.com/library/force/force2.html

[SHORTFAT]

Would be hard since Chocalate Labs do not have hands. Plus it is hard to blow your whistle if you have your mouth full of birds.

Ezzy

Ok... Now THAT'S funny... I was waiting for some one to... took all I had to resist myself, so I'm glad you did Ezzy...

Honestly, tho... It's a Lab Duck Slayer, and I'll bet he wants to please you from the time he wakes up till he collapses at night... Don't pick the bird up till he puts it IN your hand, then praise the daylights out of him!.. and get a book or good resourse on force fetching... He will pick it up in no time once he figgures out what it is you want him to do! Take your time with him and praise the right things and he will work wonders for you! Good luck and post some pictures of him!

[DonF]

Two pretty simple ways to fix it other than forcing. First would be to back away as said above. Next when he get's to you and spits, don't pick it up, kick it away and left him pick it up again. Don't take it in hand till he put's it in hand. When hje picks it up again, reach down with an open hand for him. That's my favorite way. If you use the back away method, I always backed and when the dog got closer, I'd kneel down, seem's to draw them in the last little bit

[mxdad777]

Everyone in my house was instructed to not "play fetch" with her ball or rope unless she puts it in your hand. If she drops it, you just ignore her or walk away. She learned real quick if she wanted to "play" it was by our rules. I'm not a pro, but this seemed to make sense to me and I can't help but think it carried over to bumpers and birds during her training.