Won't retrieve birds

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mnaj_springer
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Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:43 am

So here's the situation:

I have a 9 month old EP, but she really hasn't had much work until she was 7 months old. She has a lot of drive, a plus nose, and she goes nuts over birds. She retrieves dummies that I have thrown, but the it's a different story when it comes to birds.

During our launcher work, she does well on point and let's my training partner get in front and kick the grass around. She's not steady though and wants to chase, so I hold her with a check cord. After she watches the bird fly, we throw out a clipwing or a dead bird and send her. She runs out hard, gets to the bird, sniffs it, and moves on like she's going to continue hunting.

I plan force breaking her, but not yet because she's still a little immature (maybe in February). Any other suggestions on how to get her retrieving dead birds after the point?

Thanks
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by oldbeek » Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:38 am

FF will solve the problem. My dog was doing the same thing, but on wild shot birds. I did FF at 13 months old. She fetches perfectly now with a happy tail and a fast gate.

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Trekmoor » Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:20 pm

She obviously does like to retrieve but maybe not in a hunting environment ? I would take her out of that environment and do a few dead bird retrieves either on the tarmac of a large car park or on the short, boring grass of a public park. I would also probably put the dead birds inside ladies stocking sections to start with. Doing that would make them look and feel a little bit more like dummies.

Only when she retrieved in non hunting environments with enthusiasm would I move into places where she might want to hunt.

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:59 pm

Thanks, I do plan on FF with her but I am not going to yet. That's why I asked for other suggestions.

Bill, in your mind, what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Nutmeg247 » Mon Jun 08, 2015 3:49 pm

Birds are a different texture and smell than dummies. And, dead birds are often less interesting than live ones. I second the advice re a stocking section or something similar over the bird to start. If you want to do this with no pressure, consider what else you might be able to do to make the dog rewarded for retrieving the bird. I realize many people disagree with using food as a reward in this context, but food would be one way to add a reward if the dog doesn't find retrieving the bird, itself, rewarding or even appealing.

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Mon Jun 08, 2015 4:27 pm

mnaj_springer wrote: what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
The issue you have posted.

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Soarer31 » Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:13 pm

Attach a few feathers to the bumpers , then increase the amount of feathers , then attach wings , then a dead bird

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:32 pm

polmaise wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote: what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
The issue you have posted.
This comment is not helpful.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by crackerd » Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:46 pm

mnaj_springer wrote:
polmaise wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote: what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
The issue you have posted.
This comment is not helpful.
Really? Must not be helpful because you refuse to acknowledge it as such, since what Polmaise is saying couldn't be more spot on. Let's see: Your dog won't pick up dead birds, but you're going to shoot birds over it hunting, and what's that? Oh, hunting over it is the best way to inculcate to and have engrained in the dog that it still won't pick up dead birds, and doesn't have to, since you've got no "ammunition" to ensure or enforce that your pointer does retrieve? Nah, not helpful a'tall, Polmaise's comment.

MG

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Trekmoor » Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:07 pm

Mnaj Springer, while Polmaise's comment may not be helpful it is true. Your problem is one I often encounter but which is usually in a different form. I regularly have problems persuading brittanies that retrieving is as much "fun" as hunting. What usually happens with this breed in Britain is that the pups enjoy hunting so much they can't be bothered to retrieve and will "blink" dummies . In this breeds case it is usually dummies or cold dead birds that are refused. Most of these dogs will want to retrieve fresh shot game and will do so from an early age.

My first Brittany was half American, half French and she retrieved a hen pheasant that was shot and which fell nearby at only 11 weeks of age. I thought that she was a "natural" and she was. She was so natural that she refused point blank to retrieve either dummies or cold game ! She would always retrieve fresh shot game however so I had to work/train in reverse of the usual progression of dummies, then dummies with wings attached, then cold game with a stocking cover and then fresh out of the sky birds in order to persuade her to retrieve dummies. I use dummies as a means of getting steadiness control and direction taking control as I do not have enough shooting to train pups solely on game.

I have learned to recognise the early signs of a pup that greatly prefers hunting to retrieving and I adjust my training accordingly by not allowing such a pup very much chance to hunt ....or even to free run in some pups cases. I train that sort of pup by insisting that if it wants to hunt and run around it must do so while trying to find dummies. Once it will do that the pup is allowed to hunt again .....but I watch carefully for signs of it backsliding !

Your pup is slightly unusual in that although it enjoys hunting it will retrieve dummies . I don't think this is much of a problem, if it will pick dummies then it will, eventually pick game even if F.F. is never taught. I don't train F.F. and my dogs all retrieve dummies and game either dead or alive.

I think you will maybe need to add some intermediary retrieve lessons designed to get your pup to understand that retrieves of dummies and of game have some "connections." ...... Such as ...... a dummy is about a certain size and weight and texture and has your hand scent all over it. A dead bird can be made more like a dummy if it is first given a stocking "overcoat" and the bird is also about the same size and weight as a dummy. Putting a "coat" on the bird not only gives a dog a chance to pick it up without getting feathers in it's mouth, that coat will have your scent all over it too. The coat can also be placed over a dummy and maybe the dummy will impart some of it's scent to the coat and thus to the bird you next put it onto. That sock coat will then have the dummy's scent on it, your scent on it and the dogs scent on it from previous retrieves. This may make the pup more likely to pick up the bird it encases.

I often get to that stage and then cut SMALL holes in the sock through which I gently pull a few of the birds feathers. The more holes cut over a period of time, the more feathers and the less sock the dog is picking up. It is a progression of things that are "known" to the pup being gradually diminished until the pup happily picks up the "bare" bird.

The things I do could be more easily done in America than in Britain. This country has laws prohibiting using live birds or animals in the training of dogs. We are allowed to release birds from cages for example but we are prohibited from shooting those birds. We would probably get sent to jail if we used lockwing or wing clipped pigeons to make pups "birdy !" I just have to work in ways that are permissible here and , so far, those "ways" have always been successful .....but it can take time.

This is a vizsla I trained a couple of years back retrieving a bird encased in a sock. She has reached the stage of having the birds head and neck "free" in this pic. Notice I am not doing this in a place where hunting would be more fun to the pup. My tiny back garden is a pretty boring place where the only things of any interest to the pup were the retrieve and me.

Image

The finished article at a shoot a few months later.

Image

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Fun dog » Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:51 pm

My pup was 11 months old when we shot the first bird over her. She was retrieving lots of things by then including frozen birds so we thought nothing of sending her for the retrieve. She would not pick up the bird. I happened to be at a perfection kennel clinic at the time and Jon gave me lots of suggestions to no avail. Finally Jon stepped in and in less than 30 seconds she had that bird in her mouth and was proudly showing off to everyone. It was like magic. She wasn't perfect after that, but we knew she could do it and I'm sure your pup will figure it out as well. Lily retrieves just fine now so I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about a 9 month old pup that hasn't figured out birds yet.

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:28 pm

crackerd wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote:This comment is not helpful.
Really? Must not be helpful because you refuse to acknowledge it as such, since what Polmaise is saying couldn't be more spot on. Let's see: Your dog won't pick up dead birds, but you're going to shoot birds over it hunting, and what's that? Oh, hunting over it is the best way to inculcate to and have engrained in the dog that it still won't pick up dead birds, and doesn't have to, since you've got no "ammunition" to ensure or enforce that your pointer does retrieve? Nah, not helpful a'tall, Polmaise's comment.

MG
Ok buddy. You got a little riled up there. But it was an unhelpful comment because it gave no explanation. And try as I might, I still am unable to read minds. Your comment, on the other hand, gave an explanation, which made it helpful. But just to clarify, you're saying if I hunt her before the retrieve is sorted out, it will make her believe that she'll never have to retrieve?

Bill, thanks for your response. Those are good ideas for us to try. I tried a dummy with a wing attached today with good results. She was unsure at first, but when she picked it up she did about 8 parade laps. Then she picked it up on the next three retrieves. Whether or not she retrieves naturally after those steps, I will FF her.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:11 pm

mnaj_springer wrote:Whether or not she retrieves naturally after those steps, I will FF her.
Doing that will in its'elf be counter productive to achieve your goal. FF is a tool/process which overlays the retrieve once accomplished. (IMO)
FF is having the dog experience pressure , Not 'Forcing it to Retrieve' .Which is how I read your comment
Hope this is helpful and with Clarity :mrgreen:

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:52 am

polmaise wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote:Whether or not she retrieves naturally after those steps, I will FF her.
Doing that will in its'elf be counter productive to achieve your goal. FF is a tool/process which overlays the retrieve once accomplished. (IMO)
FF is having the dog experience pressure , Not 'Forcing it to Retrieve' .Which is how I read your comment
Hope this is helpful and with Clarity :mrgreen:
But the dog is not experiencing pressure simply to experience it. Pressure is applied and the dog's escape from pressure is to 'fetch.' like I said, she retrieves dummies, so there is a platform from which to work.

That being said, I'm not sure why you think it would be counter productive.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Tue Jun 09, 2015 1:26 pm

Look here mnad_springer .I would love to shoot the breeze with you sometime ,but on an open public forum which is free and offered by the admins and controllers of the site for all to either learn or discuss is just a luxury for many these days.

I looked back a few of your posts and the two pm's you sent . I offer my 2 cents on post's based on the quality and initial input of the poster.
I am a full time Dog trainer who earns a living from it ,charging $50 dollars an hour . So, if a poster put's a 'one liner' of a comment asking for advice or receives one the same ? then it's probably good value (imo)
An Opinion is an opinion. If you don't like it ?..Move on!...Or go e-mail some one like Evan Graham who is more than willing and experienced to offer advice ?, but I'm sure his first if not his second piece of advice will be to obtain Smartwork DVD, especially if it is a retrieving issue.

Now , ''Your dog'' , who does not retrieve dead birds ,but is an excellent hunter and Does retrieve Bumper's ? ....Ding .Ding! ?
You have received excellent advice from some 'learn'ed' Friends already , 'Free of charge' :wink: ..How you progress with it is up to you !..Retorting and commenting on it on open forum will not resolve it. .........Show us a video how you did resolve it? Then we can all learn from it?..

Your previous advice to many on other posts regarding dog training issues comes across well and intentional with sound advice ! So why can't you get a dog to retrieve a dead bird?.
...................
It took me Half an hour to do this post :roll: ...You owe me $25 :mrgreen: lol

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Sharon » Tue Jun 09, 2015 3:25 pm

mnaj_springer wrote:Thanks, I do plan on FF with her but I am not going to yet. That's why I asked for other suggestions.

Bill, in your mind, what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
.........................

After reading all the comments I must be missing something.
This is a pointing breed.

Lots of us have the dog hold the pointing position while we fetch the bird.
In AF trials the dog doesn't retrieve, so many of us don't let the dog retrieve when hunting.

I see no drawback .
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Tue Jun 09, 2015 3:41 pm

Sharon wrote:
mnaj_springer wrote:Thanks, I do plan on FF with her but I am not going to yet. That's why I asked for other suggestions.

Bill, in your mind, what would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving?
.........................

After reading all the comments I must be missing something.
This is a pointing breed.

Lots of us have the dog hold the pointing position while we fetch the bird.
In AF trials the dog doesn't retrieve, so many of us don't let the dog retrieve when hunting.

I see no drawback .
In your opinion or what the Poster said?.or intends ?
mnaj_springer wrote:So here's the situation
I plan force breaking her, but not yet because she's still a little immature (maybe in February). Any other suggestions on how to get her retrieving dead birds after the point?

Thanks

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by CDN_Cocker » Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:37 pm

mnaj_springer wrote:Whether or not she retrieves naturally after those steps, I will FF her.
For FF to be truly successful the dog needs to like retrieving in the first place. FF just polishes the manner in which it does it and makes it a command instead of something fun to do when you feel like it. I think you need to work the dog like a puppy and get it excited about birds. The fact that it retrieves bumpers helps a ton. Take the dog to a featureless area and throw dead birds as if you were doing retrieves with dummies.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Sharon » Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:26 pm

"In your opinion or what the Poster said?.or intends ?" quote Polmaise

Definitely my opinion. That's what a forum is all about . :)
I was referring to his question: "What would be the drawback of her hunting before retrieving." quote mnag_ springer
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Trekmoor » Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:53 pm

I think we are going around in circles here. The original post was about training a pointing breed to retrieve . I thought the answers given reflected that ?

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by gonehuntin' » Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:03 pm

There are many pointers that do not have much retrieving desire at all and have to be carefully and consistently nurtured as a pup and young dog to develop and enhance it. Your dog is showing that is likes to point. It is showing that it does have retrieving desire. What it is also showing is a lack of retrieving exposure to birds and the very last place I would do that is in the field. Why? Because you are 1) Confusing the issue of pointing and retrieving by letting a bird fly off, which will always be in the back of the dog's mind, and then throwing a clip wing for her to retrieve. 2) When the dog refuses to retrieve that bird in the field, it has not only refused you, it has beaten you by not performing a task assigned to it. 3) You are combining the bird field with a training field and I wouldn't do that. The last thing you want to do with a young dog is apply pressure in the field.

Keep the retrieving in the yard and the pointing in the field. By throwing dead birds and clipwings in the yard, you have removed the distractions associated with the field. She only has one thing to do in the yard if she wants to have fun and that is to retrieve. If the dog continued to refuse to pick up live birds, I'd take her off live birds but keep her retrieving bumpers. After hunting her a season, at the end of the season I'd pull her back in the yard and ff her no matter how and what she did hunting.

I think it's always a good idea to give the pointing breeds a season in the field then force them.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:48 pm

Whoa! Lots going on today! Thanks again for the responses. I'll try to respond to most...

Polmaise, I'm not sure if you're saying that your advice is too valuable for this forum or what (?), but you do realize this forum is voluntary right? And I only continue to ask questions because that's how I learn, by questioning ideas and understanding the reasoning. It's not personal, just a method of learning.

Sharon, I ideally want her to make somewhat of a retrieve, but I understand where you're coming from.

CDN cocker and gonehuntin', I've been working on the retrieves of dead birds and clipwings in my yard. She retrieves them about 50% of the time, but in the field it's 0%. So I think there is a foundation for FF, but I think you're right gonehuntin, it is just the distractions of the field that overwhelm her. And unfortunately my bird field has to be my training field. I don't own much land. So I'm trying to make the best of it.

Thanks all for the responses and creative solutions.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by Sharon » Tue Jun 09, 2015 9:19 pm

LOL You should be a politician. :) Well said.
Last edited by Sharon on Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by gonehuntin' » Wed Jun 10, 2015 5:24 am

At her age the problem is not as uncommon as you think, especially with an ep. Some are over a year before they exhibit a lot of retrieving desire. You must have a lawn that isn't a bird field. Just throw the birds on the open grass where she can see them, never in cover. Never throw more than three times. Never take her to the field first before the retrieve.

FF only helps a dog with retrieving desire, it can not make a dog want to retrieve that doesn't.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by DonF » Wed Jun 10, 2015 8:34 am

Seem's to me that I had a dog like that years ago. It would go to the bird but not pick it up. As I recall, what cured it was tying a long string to the bird and as the dog got there start moving the bird. The idea is that the dog will chase a live bird but can't a dead bird. if on the way back the dog put the bird down, start moving it again till it picks it up! Boy that was long ago, haven't tried it in years!
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:10 pm

Sharon wrote:LOL You should be a politician. :)
I agree :lol:

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Wed Jun 10, 2015 5:22 pm

polmaise wrote:
Sharon wrote:LOL You should be a politician. :)
I agree :lol:
Nah, I can't stand kissing rear ends so I'm not cut out for it. :mrgreen:
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Sat Jun 27, 2015 2:59 pm

Just an update... I've worked her with a dead bird in the back yard. At first she was hesitant but then she started retrieving enthusiastically. I'll continue this and see if it doesn't transfer to the field.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by polmaise » Sat Jun 27, 2015 4:40 pm

mnaj_springer wrote:Just an update... I've worked her with a dead bird in the back yard. At first she was hesitant but then she started retrieving enthusiastically. I'll
continue this and see if it doesn't transfer to the field.
Sounds like you are doing 'Retrieving' ?
mnaj_springer wrote: I plan force breaking her, but not yet because she's still a little immature (maybe in February). Any other suggestions on how to get her retrieving dead birds after the point?

Thanks
So , is February the end of your season ? It is on our side of the pond . 'Force Breaking' ? ...Can you elaborate (your interpretation ) on this ?

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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Sat Jun 27, 2015 5:30 pm

Well she has always retrieved dummies. Just wouldn't pick up dead birds. So now that she picked up the dead bird, I'll continue repetitions of this.

And what I meant was Force Fetch. And yes, the season is done by February, actually it's early January, but with the winter weather, February is a good time for training that takes place indoors.
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Re: Won't retrieve birds

Post by mnaj_springer » Tue Sep 29, 2015 12:46 pm

Just an update on this topic and my pointy pup. I had her out at a game farm a couple weekends ago for a pheasant hunt. My expectations were low, and I was not going to pressure or force anything, just encourage her natural abilities. Well she proved once again that her nose is wonderful, and she cautiously worked the birds, and did not road in on any.

But the good news is on 3 out of the 5 birds she had shot over her she made at least a partial, if not a complete retrieve. Of the other 2, one must not have been hit very hard and ran off (even my spaniel who is a fantastic dead bird finder couldn't find it), and the other was still alive and hunkered down, so she pointed it again rather than retrieve it.

It was an encouraging day overall.
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