Late Retrive Training

[DazAllison1 556]

I'm looking for abit of advice on doing some retrive training with my lurcher, I know this is gundog section but I thought would be best place to ask, she will be coming 11month and I haven't done any retrive training atall, I've just worked on recall,stock breaking and jumping and they are all spot on, I bought 1 of them tennis ball launchers today and the pups not even that intrested in chashing and picking up the ball let alone retriving it, she's had a couple of rabbits but they were not retrived so its something I'd really like to work on, any advice would be much appriciated thanks

[DanAdams 10]

Well if she was alright with rabbits but not interested with a tennis ball how about a dummy covered in a rabbit skin? If she will pick it up would you be able to call her to you and give her loads of praise when she gets it right. If she's alright on the recall would she hold the dummy and then when you call her, she might come to you with the dummy and then eventually start throwing the dummy for her to go and pick up and bring to you? Just an idea, I'm not talking from experience because as much as I would love one I cant get a lurcher at the moment so I think you'll have to see what others say, ATB with her Dan

[DazAllison1 556]

Thought about that mate, she's more intrested in parading around with the rabbit skin than bringing it to hand

[jrobsm1 5]

get some treats mate and throw the fur then make a big fuss soon as she picks it up to fetch back the give a treat then throwing further and futher and repeating itll soon match the retrieve with treats mate

[ftm 3,357]

make sure she is very hungry & the treats should work but DONT get angry with her if it doesn't work straight away as she will sense that & associate it with negative views on retrieving -make it a big happy game -roll about with her when she gets it right it has to be fun to her! as soon as she gets it right stop the game give her a treat [fuss etc ] & that's what she will remember -billy

[Inthesticks2013 0]

Time and lots of patience going off my experiences with other breeds of dog

[DazAllison1 556]

She has no problem going out to the fur but she's just picking it up and running around then dropping it when I recall her

Edited August 5, 2013 by DazAllison1

[Giro 2,648]

You could try it on a line mate...

 

Dont throw far and gently tug towards you once shes picked up..

[eddie3 9]

is there a good bond between you and the pup ? using your rabbit skin or training dummy, gently tease the pup with it then throw it out no more than 10 foot by this time the pup is focused on the dummy/skin once its picked then encourage the pup with its name and walk away from it if it starts to play around, in the pups mind your more important than the rabbit skin, if it leaves the skin and comes back to you this is ok , just keep on with this and in time the penny will drop.