retrieve whippet

[johnnywippet 2]

Hi can anyone give me any advise on training to retrieve...

 

My 16month whippet bitch has now caught 7 rabbits on the lamp. I worked hard with her early on retrieving a fur dummy and she retrieves rabbits to hand.

The last kills I let her feed up on after the hunt and she now will not retrieve to hand.

Any advice on the training to get her retrieving again??

 

Thanks

 

john

[rolysmate 49]

I"d say back to basics with the dummy for a start, give her a refresher course

[johnnywippet 2]

yep thats what I have done and she retrieves that fine but with a dead rabbit it's just not happening. Also started to drop short..only about a yard any advise how I could nip that in the bud?

 

Thanks

 

J

[rolysmate 49]

try either backing off from her as shes coming into you whilst encouraging her to come in or the complete opposite and walk forward to her giving PLENTY of praise when the bunnies in your hand, I"ve used and had success with both tactics

[johnnywippet 2]

Ok thanks will give it a go

[skycat 6,173]

What do you mean by 'feed up on'? That is a term normally used for falconry! Do you mean you actually let her eat the rabbit in the field????????? If so, and forgive me if I have got the wrong end of the stick, then there is the answer to your problem.

 

It is one thing to feed a rabbit to a dog as its meal, at home, at the regular meal time, but quite another out in the field: it really gives the wrong idea totally, doesn't it!

 

If you mean that you gave the dog rabbit to eat as its meal, then what do you normally feed? If you normally feed dry food, then the dog is obviously relishing real meat far more, and is now reluctant to give up its hard won prize in case you deprive it of a meal. I've never had a problem feeding rabbit to dogs and all mine retrieve what they catch, BUT they are fed on raw food anyway, be it rabbit, mince, tripe, chicken carcase etc. So eating a rabbit is no big deal to them.

 

Please let me know exactly what you meant and we can try and go from there.

[johnnywippet 2]

sorry for the misuse of terminology and yes this is a falconry term.

I let her feed on a rabbit in the field...this was a big mistake. She has dried food mixed with a bit a meat, normally mince beef.

[skycat 6,173]

Well now you know what has gone wrong I would continue to feed rabbit, but be aware that feeding fresh rabbit is one of the quickest ways for your dog to contract tape worm. Freeze the rabbit for 3 weeks before feeding to the dog as this will kill any worms and eggs inside it.

 

Regarding the retrieving: go back to basics, as has already been suggested. Start from scratch, and you should be able to overcome this mistake. How about reducing the overwhelming delight of eating rabbit occasionally by feeding a good raw based diet, which includes your previously frozen rabbit. You might be able to reduce the excitement over a bunny if the dog is coming into contact with rabbit on a regular basis in her food bowl. This also means that, to the dog, YOU are the one who is providing the rabbit: that's the important bit. YOU are giving the dog rabbit to eat, but on your terms, at proper meal times. Make sense?

 

The dog must see the rabbit as belonging to YOU, not her. If you can achieve this then the retrieving should come back. But don't be tempted to take her out catching again until she is retrieving dead rabbits, or at the very least, a rabbit skin dummy of the same weight and floppiness as a rabbit.

 

Once upon a time people fed ferrets on bread and milk in the belief that they wouldn't kill down whilst ferreting: but they also muzzled them or chopped their canine teeth off!!! Nowadays people realise that ferrets live much longer, healthier lives if fed on their natural prey: rabbit. Now I know that dogs aren't quite the same as ferrets, but more and more people are realising the health benefits of feeding raw meat and bone to their dogs, and an unexpected bonus to this is that rabbit fed dogs are unlikely to try and guzzle a rabbit in the field once they know that they'll be eating that rabbit when they get home: OK, not the same one as you need to freeze it. If you worm very regularly then by all means go ahead and feed fresh rabbit: only let it cool down, and don't feed it whole to the dog, just in case it gets the wrong idea!

 

I do feed whole rabbits to adult dogs who have the retrieving thing firmly fixed in their heads, but never to pups just starting out. Hope this helps.

[johnnywippet 2]

Thanks thats great will do. I've got her retrieving the fur dummy no problems but will now move onto dead rabbit.

I've been giving her raw mince beef reward at the end of each retrieving session, is this OK?

 

cheers

 

John

[skycat 6,173]

Personally I don't reward with food when retrieving training as the dog is more likely to only retrieve for food, and expecting the food can also cause the dog to drop short. Your praise, body language and delight at the retrieve should be motivation enough for the dog to retrieve, IF you have done the basics correctly. If you want to feed a few treats right at the end of a training session then there's no reason why not, but it shouldn't be linked to the actual retrieve IMO.

[johnnywippet 2]

thank you for your advise...lets see how i get on now

 

J

[whip x grey 276]

i have the same problem with my 10 month pup,,,when 8 month she would run off with her catch and try o eat it,,,,,slowly she started to retrive,,,was out this week she cuaght 2,,,,both she has retrived ,,,pretty much to hand,,,,when she catches ,,,,if she doesnt retrive,,,,i walk back 10yards from her knowing she wont just lev rabbit,,,,she carrys it towards me,,,,then i walk back again ,same thing she picks rabbit up comes towards me,,,ect ect

 

this is her a 9month,,,,not coming straight to me ,,,notice she,s retriving to side alittle,,,,but she,s gettin the jist,,,after photo i stepped back more,,,and she brought back,,,,every pup,s diffrent ive only did this with cos know she wont come away with out her catch,,,,best thing when pup,s is to keep ur cool,,,and practise makes perfect,,,,,other night she retrived rabbit she found that was long dead ,,,again insted off telling her to drop it ,,,maggots and all ,,,i excepted it off her and praised her

 

[rolysmate 49]

Didn"t pick up on the feeding bit, assumed you meant when you got home

[johnnywippet 2]

great advice guys thanks. Whippets are so much harder to train compared with my first dog a 1/4 collie x whippet.

 

john

[mally 832]

great advice guys thanks. Whippets are so much harder to train compared with my first dog a 1/4 collie x whippet. john

 

Hard to train, Looks like it was doing ok until you decided to let it eat it's catch it the field???? why you did this only you can answer. All i do is at the end of the night when i'm gutting the rabbits is give each dog a liver as a reward. I never ever feed rabbit with fur on.

 

It's going to be a long hard road to get your dog back to how it was, if it ever does get back to how it was.