Can't get my dog to drop the trainer or bird

[Casherrill]

I'm Charles Sherrill and I have a 9 month old lab that I am training to be a duck dog. I have no experience training but I have a buddy helping me out that has trained a few of his own dogs. My issue is I can't get my dog to drop the trainer or birds that he retrieves. I've tried using treats to get him to drop it and it works but then he loses interest in retrieving for a short time and just wants treats. Wait about a minute and he's ready to retrieve again but still doesn't want to drop it. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance!

[mnaj_springer]

Has he been force fetched? Does your buddy have you following a retriever program?

[BVK]

Cannot remember where I learned this, but it was many years ago. When a dog clamps down on anything & refuses to give it up....gently lift behind its rear flank & they will spit it out. I've used this a gazillion times without fail.

[DonF]

+1
get the dog into you and get on one knee. That will make a sort of pocket you can pull your dog into. Get him under the collar with a thumb and with the other hand stroke the side of him away from you. Several stroke's to calm him down. Now, all at the same time, one last stroke and hook two middle finger's under that flap of skin going to his back keg, lift say whatever your release command will be and move the hand under his chin a get the training buck. Works on about 99.9% of the dogs. Soon as the buck is free in your hand, straighten out your finger's on the other hand and let him go. Lifting them there like that is irritating and they turn to take the hand away. They have to have the buck out of their mouth to rid themselves of the finger's on the flap of skin. you get the buck and straighten out the finger's at the same time but, make sure you do have the buck out before you straighten out your finger's. Work's like magic!

[gonehuntin']

Retrievers are trained in an organized, sequential, program. Get a good one like Smart Fetch and follow it. It will address this problem. When a dog releases a training buck or bumper, it should point it's nose up, open it's mouth and back the head away. Never pull anything from the dog's mouth or you can create a hard mouth or sticky dog.