Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post Reply
gldnrtvr10
Rank: Just A Pup
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:06 pm

Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by gldnrtvr10 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 7:45 am

My dog is a 7 month old Golden that I got from a hunting breeder. She has a lot of drive and loves to retrieve but she tries to eat the duck after she goes and picks it up! She even growled at me when I tried to take it from her. This is frustrating to me especially because nothing in my book says anything about this. She gets so excited about retrieving and I don't want to curb her enthusiasm. When she was younger she would retrieve the wings and bring them back but it would be a pain to get her to let go of them so I zip tied one to a bumper and that worked for a couple retrieves but then she realized she could just hold the wing so she would rip it off. She even swallowed a mallard wing whole once cause she jumped up and got it out of my hand and ran when we were done with training for the day. I always use a lead but had taken her off of it because we were finished for the day. So I need some guidance, how can I fix this issue? I know ff will need to be done, she's being introduced to guns this weekend but my book says to use a real bird. I'm using doken's retriever training.

duckn66
Rank: Champion
Posts: 341
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:19 am

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by duckn66 » Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:47 pm

This seems to be the go to answer but force fetch will most likely cure that. My older lab absolutely hates ducks and geese. She growls at them but is not hard mouth and I have no problems getting them from her. Never had a lab do that but her prey drive is off the chart.

When I FF I not only praise when teaching hold but also praise a lot when I say "give it". Important to praise when you take from them also.

Gonehuntin will be able to give you some great advise on what to do. Listen to what he says.

Trekmoor
GDF Junkie
Posts: 1917
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by Trekmoor » Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:01 am

Is the dog possessive of the dokkens ? I don't train F.F. so I'd probably go back to basics and ensure the dog was just about perfect when retrieving ANY kind of dummy/bumper before attaching a wing to a dummy again.

Bill T.
The older I get, the better I was !

User avatar
bobman
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1369
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:45 am
Location: Georgia

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by bobman » Sun Jan 31, 2016 8:33 am

you need to teach hold and drop gonehunting on here wrote this up for me on another site I am a mod on, its a good method IMO


Take a plank (2x10 or equivalent size plywood strip 8' long) and place it between two chairs. Many people make a regular bench, but for one dog it would be a waste of your time and money. Don't worry if pup doesn't want to jump up on the bench; just pick him up and plunk him down there. Have a 1" collar and a leash on him.

You'll hold the lead in your left hand with about 1' of slack in it. Have a 1" wooden dowel in your left hand. I really like the one the dog supply houses sell because it's rough and kind of non slip. With your left hand, pinch the dogs upper gums against his canine teeth, say fetch, and when he opens up, PULL UP ON HIS LIPS to clear them of the canines and place the dowel in his mouth. With your right hand tap, not beat, under his chin to keep his nose pointed up and command "hold". Don't let him spit it out at first. If he gets beligerant, give him a light cuff and tell him NO, HOLD!. Make him sit quietly, nose in the air, and hold it. Now say DROP and remove it from his mouth. Do it again. And again and again and again until when you touch his lips and say "fetch", he opens up, takes the dowell, and quietly hold it, either sitting or standing. When he understands the drill, start tapping the dowel. You're daring him to drop it. If he does, pick it up, pinch his gums, and put it back it. He only drops when you tell him to, not when he wants to.

Before you start this, the dog should be totally obedience trained. When he does this perfectly, get him off the bench. Sit him on the ground by your side, hold the dowell in front of his nose and command "fetch". He won't understand and you'll have to start all over again with him on the ground. A dog is a place driven animal and has to learn commands in anew each time you change training places@ the bench, the yard, the field. Now when he starts taking and holding it without a problem, command "drop". He won't unless you pull it out of his mouth. Gently pivot your let toe over his right paw, softly step down, and command drop. He will. A dog's paw's are very tender so never, ever, get mad and stomp on them. Do this drill until the dog takes the dowel on command, holds it on command, and drops it IN YOUR HAND on command.

Now we have to get him moving. Command fetch, hold, and then heel. He'll imediately spit it out. Pick it up, pinch his gums, say fetch and heel him again. You'll eventuall win. He'll get mad, you'll get mad, but persevere and you'll be rewarded. When you can walk him at heel and he doesn't drop it, proceed to the next step. You guessed it; fetch, hold but now SIT. Walk 6' away from him, and command here or heel. A retriever should come to heel by coming to your left side, turning to his left, and sitting by your side, facing forward, holding the dowel firmly. When he does these drills enerringly, next step.

Now switch him to a training bumper and do it all over again.

He's nearly done now. Now we'll get him retrieving. Make it fun but you'll have to reinforce the drills. Have him on a 30' CC. Whoop it up and throw out a bumper, sending him immediately. As SOON As, The Very Instant, he picks it up, say HOLD and reel him gently in. You guessed it. If he spits it out, calmly walk out, and it's fetch, hold, heel, drop. This can take a long time since it is in no way a real force program. The only pressure really applied is the gum pinch. That's about it. When he's done on bumpers, you'll have to re-do it on birds. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Patience, patience, patience.

Never plead with a dog, never offer him treats to perform a task, never let him refuse a command. That's it. Good luck with him.
currently two shorthairs, four english pointers, one Brittany, one SPRINGER a chihuahua and a min pin lol

mnaj_springer
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1271
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 5:10 pm
Location: Northern Minnesota

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by mnaj_springer » Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:07 am

I agree that FF will help, but before that, the obedience must be solid.

I'll add this. A dog only growls at me once. After that, the lesson is learned. If you want to know how, PM me.
“Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

User avatar
gonehuntin'
GDF Junkie
Posts: 4867
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:38 pm
Location: NE WI.

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by gonehuntin' » Mon Feb 01, 2016 11:26 am

mnaj_springer wrote:I agree that FF will help, but before that, the obedience must be solid.

I'll add this. A dog only growls at me once. After that, the lesson is learned. If you want to know how, PM me.
+1
LIFE WITHOUT BIRD DOGS AND FLY RODS REALLY ISN'T LIFE AT ALL.

polmaise
GDF Junkie
Posts: 2689
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:08 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Dog will pick duck up but acts aggressive with it

Post by polmaise » Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:38 pm

gldnrtvr10 wrote:My dog is a 7 month old Golden that I got from a hunting breeder. She has a lot of drive and loves to retrieve but she tries to eat the duck after she goes and picks it up! She even growled at me when I tried to take it from her. This is frustrating to me especially because nothing in my book says anything about this. She gets so excited about retrieving and I don't want to curb her enthusiasm. When she was younger she would retrieve the wings and bring them back but it would be a pain to get her to let go of them so I zip tied one to a bumper and that worked for a couple retrieves but then she realized she could just hold the wing so she would rip it off. She even swallowed a mallard wing whole once cause she jumped up and got it out of my hand and ran when we were done with training for the day. I always use a lead but had taken her off of it because we were finished for the day. So I need some guidance, how can I fix this issue? I know ff will need to be done, she's being introduced to guns this weekend but my book says to use a real bird. I'm using doken's retriever training.
You caused it ! So now you want a way for the dog to be fixed?
Imagine if you started with retrieve items that do not create this behaviour ,you could then 'in-grain' the process of a retrieve no matter the article ?
It's a pup.

Post Reply