Retrieving Problem

[jas 0]

Oscar is a six months old Hungarian Vizsla and used to retrieve pretty enthusiastically but lately he just either runs towads the object slowly, gets there, picks it up then puts it down and starts sniffing at somnething else, or he will just run towards it and then just go off in a different direction. Any idea how i can get him interested in it again? Ideally, I'd like to work him so this is quite an issue! This is not guaranteed to happen all the time but its 50/50 at the moment. When he does return to me, I give him lots of praise and he gets a reward once he has finished. I don't do it after every retrieval as he is more interedted in the reward and drops whatever he has as soon as he thinks a treat may be about to appear!

[rickyspringer 15]

souds like you have over done the retrieving, he sounds bored of it now, i done the same with my spriger bitch, I would honestly leave retrieving now for a good while,

 

less is more in alot of cases, he needs to be enthusisastic again, when you do introduce it make sure its done as a huge game and not a training drill.

 

Hope I have been of some help, its a bad experience what we have caused.

[vizslahpr 0]

Yep sounds like he is bored i only give mine 1 or 2 retrieves in a week & make them a challenge blinds or memory or cold game or from water id move onto some ground & get him hunting for a while

atb

[stealthy1 3,964]

Your dog is quite young at six months to be pushing him to retrieve every time, short sessions of training are better at his age, just let it have a bit more puppy time and more play and it should turn him around

[gold medal 2]

yip as said before the dog is quite young and sounds like it is bored of the same old thing,once one thing is mastered you have to keep it moving along to stop boredom

[jas 0]

Thanks for the replies, I'll give it a break for a few weeks i think.

[Dave C 63]

Try him on cold game and see if that improves his interest, then like previously said, reduce the amout of retrieves in a week and get him hunting.

 

Dave.

[jas 0]

Try him on cold game and see if that improves his interest, then like previously said, reduce the amout of retrieves in a week and get him hunting.

 

Dave.

When you say get him hunting, any tips on how/where to start? He is 6 and half mths would that be a bit early?

[vizslahpr 0]

I would find some ground & get him hunting scent not nes game, plant some game if you wish live dead (cold) so he gets his brain working & yours see how he reacts to scent it is amazing how they switch & you will need to be on the ball, the stop whistle is one main things you & he will have to master (hares are a pain) hunt him into the wind close to you at first then let him range further see if he will quarter if he does 2 pips to turn when he is as far as you want him to range he is only a pup so let it be fun if he is from working stock he will know (instinct) what & how to hunt but you need the control Vizslas are soft as far as other hprs go they sulk & will not work if scolded to harshly even shouting at them when they are pointing game that you havent seen may cause them to blink that game forever more it is slow going but well worth it when you see the results ,mine is 2 1/2 now & he is amazing to watch doing his thing. then hell go & play with other dogs then we get home & he will be the best house dog Amazing breeds hprs.

take your time you will be amazed

[gonetoearth 5,144]

GOOD REPLIES,

[GSPDave 0]

I would consentrate on the basic's first, get that stop whistle working at distance say about 50-70yds that should do for now (this will need building up to 200yrds over time) and untill your dog stops and sit's everytime and I don't mean stops and slowly puts it's bum on the ground it's bum hit's the ground in a flash I wouldn't move on to hunting as you will need it if you are going to start hunting.

 

For hunting wait for a day with a good breeze, stand with the wind in your face, walk at a brisk pace to the left or right so the wind is on the side of your face calling the dog as the dog passes you turn and walk to other direction calling the dog as the dog passes turn and walk the other direction etc etc, over time add 2 pips on the whistle after dogs name when the dog has sussed it stop useing the name, remember to go forward as well as sideways or the dog will back cast. ie turn down wind not into the wind.

 

Phew

[jas 0]

I would consentrate on the basic's first, get that stop whistle working at distance say about 50-70yds that should do for now (this will need building up to 200yrds over time) and untill your dog stops and sit's everytime and I don't mean stops and slowly puts it's bum on the ground it's bum hit's the ground in a flash I wouldn't move on to hunting as you will need it if you are going to start hunting.

 

For hunting wait for a day with a good breeze, stand with the wind in your face, walk at a brisk pace to the left or right so the wind is on the side of your face calling the dog as the dog passes you turn and walk to other direction calling the dog as the dog passes turn and walk the other direction etc etc, over time add 2 pips on the whistle after dogs name when the dog has sussed it stop useing the name, remember to go forward as well as sideways or the dog will back cast. ie turn down wind not into the wind.

 

Phew

 

I have started doing this though at the moment he treats it as a game and starts barking and jumping up at me every time i turn and blow the 2 pips on the whistle, he gets very excited, and the more i try to stop it the worse he gets, any ideas how to keep him calm whilst trying to teach him to hunt? I've left the retrieving for the time being!

[nercwys 10]

Get him by the scruff of the neck and get him sitting.Then tell him in a deep voice so he really knows you mean business.Hold him by the right side and left side of his neck and gently push him back telling him to sit. Try it and let me know cheers.

[Dave C 63]

I would find some ground & get him hunting scent not nes game, plant some game if you wish live dead (cold) so he gets his brain working & yours see how he reacts to scent it is amazing how they switch & you will need to be on the ball, the stop whistle is one main things you & he will have to master (hares are a pain) hunt him into the wind close to you at first then let him range further see if he will quarter if he does 2 pips to turn when he is as far as you want him to range he is only a pup so let it be fun if he is from working stock he will know (instinct) what & how to hunt but you need the control Vizslas are soft as far as other hprs go they sulk & will not work if scolded to harshly even shouting at them when they are pointing game that you havent seen may cause them to blink that game forever more it is slow going but well worth it when you see the results ,mine is 2 1/2 now & he is amazing to watch doing his thing. then hell go & play with other dogs then we get home & he will be the best house dog Amazing breeds hprs.

take your time you will be amazed

 

Nice looking dog Vislahpr .

 

I have just started getting my pup hunting and at first she didnt know what to do or what she was supposed to hunt, so i started on blind retrieves of cold game, at first in the garden, dragging a dead rabbit about 4 ft on the grass then hidding it behind a bush, so she got used to following the scent, i then moved on to thicker cover in the field and increasing the distance of the retrieve and so on, by the third time of doing this she was hunting every blade of grass and now she is flushing rabbits up the dale.

Then you have to control them and you wonder what kind of monster you have created

Good luck

Dave.

[vizslahpr 0]

Thank you Dave C

But boy it is amazing to watch my favourite at the moment is a nice cheek wind, working away then he goes onto a rock hard point sometimes straight as a rod others bent double he wii wait for me to send him in i get a face full of cock fezie great

atb