how much time to waste on a hard mouth dog?

[luke0927]

Well i have 1 GSP he is a little over 2 he was my first dog and its all my fault but when he was younger he caught several poor flying quail and got to where he would chomp/eat them and i would have to pry his mouth open to take a bird...i have had him on the table for while taking his FF very slow...He fetches the buck and a frozen bird fine...i went to the fresh killed quail today...i literally rang its neck went and got the dog and put him on the table....the dog will go down the table and grab it fine...then he will chomp/flip (like sliding it further back in the teeth to keep a good hold on it) it like he is just arranging it then bring it back and give on command...i only had once time i had to blow up his nose to get it from him....but it seems after a few times he wanted to mouth it more on the way back he eventually pop the guts out its rear....it seems the more he fetched it and the more he slobeered on it made him do it worse...i could pop under his jaw or say hold and he would stop (this is while he was bringing it to me coming back up the table) When you use a fresh bird how many times do you let a dog fetch it? i only worked about 10 minutes if that...but maybe i should have just kept it to about 5 retrieves....

Question 2 do you think i should just be happy with this....Just live with how he is and take him to the ground and start with the buck back to birds and then to shooting birds over him.....He is not dropping the bird, he will give it to me and it would be fit for table fair unlike before.....im really at a point where i don't think its worth the time to try and make it perfect like i have been doing....i have an older dog that retrieve to hand perfect and a 1 year old bitch that is going to be an awesome dog

maybe i can get a video of it and I may just be expecting to much or making more of a big deal out of it than i should?

[gonehuntin']

I've told you before Luke, this is really a job for a Pro. The mistake you are making, as far as I can tell, is that you ARE ALLOWING THE DOG TO MOVE HIS JAWS while holding the bird. HE CANNOT MOVE HIS JAWS!! To stop that, while he is on the table, and holding a bird, give him a sharp rap under the chin at the very end of the chin and command "No, Hold!" When he chomps down. Never, ever, at any time, let him move those jaws.

Luke, this is a vey unpleasant thing to put a dog through; most people are incapable of it. It is a very involved process and hard to teach over the internet. Seek help from a Pro.

[luke0927]

I've told you before Luke, this is really a job for a Pro. The mistake you are making, as far as I can tell, is that you ARE ALLOWING THE DOG TO MOVE HIS JAWS while holding the bird. HE CANNOT MOVE HIS JAWS!! To stop that, while he is on the table, and holding a bird, give him a sharp rap under the chin at the very end of the chin and command "No, Hold!" When he chomps down. Never, ever, at any time, let him move those jaws.

Luke, this is a vey unpleasant thing to put a dog through; most people are incapable of it. It is a very involved process and hard to teach over the internet. Seek help from a Pro.

he doesn't do it when im standing with him or if he is standing with the bird (like when i have him strapped to the poll and letting him pick it up off the table)...only when he is carrying the bird back to me after going down the table to fetch it and i am not at his side, should i just keep working him slowly with him on the pole making him just hold it and not let him go down the table, but when i have him at the post and just picking the bird off the table he's fine if he does mouth it i pop him under the chin and command hold and he quits...its basically him knowing im not by his side honestly i don't want to spend the money on this dog to send him to a pro and when i could sent another dog that would probably benefit more from it.

[bobman]

Luke you might just try hunting the dog this fall and see how he does on wild birds sometimes a dog will get bored and do stuff they wont do in the field, thats my experience anyway. bird dogs dont live to retrieve like labs do.

[luke0927]

Luke you might just try hunting the dog this fall and see how he does on wild birds sometimes a dog will get bored and do stuff they wont do in the field, thats my experience anyway. bird dogs dont live to retrieve like labs do.

Thats about what im thinking just get him where i know he will reliable retrieve and not tear up a bird like before...i will continue the FF this dog is not going to be a field trial dog i just want to be able to hunt over him and have him retreive a bird that is fit for the table.

[bobman]

definitely finish the FF now that your started but then quit worrying about it get the dog up in North dakota this fall on lots of birds....

bird dogs in Georgia are starved for birds

[mtjim]

It all depends on how good he is at all the other stuff.

If he's a good dog with only this one exception then I believe he'll snap out of it with time and hunting experience.

[gonehuntin']

If you're breaking him out on the collar, you may stop the munching with that also. Same as with him standing on the table. When he returns to you, and whenever he works his jaws, command "No, Hold!" and nick him with the collar. Also try walking him at heel with the bird in his mouth. That way, when he works his jaws, you can rap him on the chin from the heel position. Everything is a progression. What I like about heeling the dog with a bird in his mouth, it that you are making him move and hold under a very controlled situation; he is at your side. Do this enough without throwing a bird and he may get the idea faster.

[luke0927]

If you're breaking him out on the collar, you may stop the munching with that also. Same as with him standing on the table. When he returns to you, and whenever he works his jaws, command "No, Hold!" and nick him with the collar. Also try walking him at heel with the bird in his mouth. That way, when he works his jaws, you can rap him on the chin from the heel position. Everything is a progression. What I like about heeling the dog with a bird in his mouth, it that you are making him move and hold under a very controlled situation; he is at your side. Do this enough without throwing a bird and he may get the idea faster.

I think this may be the trick stimulation momentary nick....since he has done well on the table i moved to the ground today with just the buck...i will slowly work him on the ground with the buck/frozen bird/fresh bird.... like you said I think heeling him and walking him with a bird would be a good exercise.

[jessie]

Get a lab. That will fix all your problems.