Dog shy in heavy cover

[Murphy]

Hello,

I am training/hunting with my first dog. He's an 11 month old lab with strong retriever instincts and enthusiasm. However, he's shy to hunt thick cover like corn and cattails. When we move into this type of cover (Minnesota being full of unpicked corn this year) he comes back to my side and will not get out in front of me unless I toss a dummy for him to retrieve. In the grass he stays real close but he does work out in front of me. Has anyone ever experienced this? Is there anything I can do to get him out in front of me in heavy cover or will he just grow out of this.

Any suggestions would be great.

[ezzy333]

He will learn with experience where the birds are and will hunt those areas. Some dogs learn it quicker and do a better job than others. I try to plant birds in the heavy cover or walk in it myself to give them the idea where they will find the birds. He will learn.

Ezzy

[mountaindogs]

Also don't hesitate to walk through all the messy stuff yourself. You'd be surprised at how I catch even myself skirtting the edge, and then notice a young dog watching and doing the same. Jump in and plow throw the corn field your self again and again and again and he'll get more and more comfortable. Don't call him or talk with him just keep on going zig zagging around. It'll help if he see's that you are not avoiding it at all and in fact seem to like it.

[postoakshorthairs]

I had a pointer a couple years ago that was the exact same way...especially with woods. I let him run the edges and tossed birds into the edges then worked in further. It was amazing that once his drive was cranking he forgot about the cover because he knew there were birds in there. I did this a couple times and planted birds in the woods and heavier stuff. He figured out the thick stuff might be holding the birds and from then on was not an issue.

[Murphy]

Thanks for quick responses. I'll do my best to get him on birds or plant them if need be and let him figure out the rest.