Pup Retrieving With A Dead Rabbit?

[Dranny GLC 112]

I'm training my pups retrieving he 5 1/2 months old and he is growing out of his rabbit skin dummy I made a small one so it was easy for him to carry. Iv got a dead rabbit in freezer and was wondering if anyone uses them for retrieving by just throwing it 20 yards so the pup can get to grips with the size and weight. It's no a big rabbit so it should be ok to carry it.

[Suzy Ross 236]

Can't see size and weight coming into it when the dogs finally catching its quarry. Retrieve training is basically teaching the dog to bring what it has back to you. Unless your dogs smaller than a rabbit, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[21dangermouse 86]

I have been doing the same with my pup and also have been hiding a dead rabbit in the garden etc and getting the pup to find it. The pup loves it.

 

 

Cheers

[THLpatrick 555]

Can't see size and weight coming into it when the dogs finally catching its quarry. Retrieve training is basically teaching the dog to bring what it has back to you. Unless your dogs smaller than a rabbit, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[tote 856]

I'm training my pups retrieving he 5 1/2 months old and he is growing out of his rabbit skin dummy I made a small one so it was easy for him to carry. Iv got a dead rabbit in freezer and was wondering if anyone uses them for retrieving by just throwing it 20 yards so the pup can get to grips with the size and weight. It's no a big rabbit so it should be ok to carry it.

No need to throw it Dranny, drop the rabbit and send the pup out for it then as has been said already you can move on to hiding the rabbit and sending the pup to find it.

[Dranny GLC 112]

I don't want the pup hunting up but hidding it my encourage it to use it nose more than its sight but I will drop it in the field and put lamp on it but I think if I throw it and play fetch it will get to no its new toy and then once I start running live rabbits it will no to bring them straight back to me.

[Suzy Ross 236]

Reading this thread you could be forgiven for thinking it was gun dogs you were training not lurchers. Too much effort on unnecessary training IMO. Having an unskinned rabbit in the freezer to begin with when you have a pup is a no no for me. I like to keep changing the dummy rabbit skin as often as I can so it doesn't just become there favourite chew toy so i go through a few. Teaching a pup to retrieve in the back garden is great for initial training but once the real thing comes and the fields stench of rabbit, adrenalin thrown in, the dog will forget all instantly. To replicate as close as you can realistically with a pup, I like to practice retrieve when he's all excited before his morning walk. He is also focused on me and generally biddable. After a few retrieves correctly done we go a walk. My walk is a mixture of road, forrest tracks and open fields with no rabbits in them. You don't really want a pup to see rabbits close to fences at a young age. I feel it introduces a question in the dogs head, "can I catch it" which you don't want. You want the dog when it comes time, to think he can catch everything he chases. Anyhow, once he's had a run about the field I use another rabbit dummy I carry which is just a small coke bottle with rabbit fur around it. I throw that a few times, get him to retrieve it. I feel it's best to intricate several lessons out in our walk. I have him walking at heel with the lead off, teach him to jump fences, retrieve all without boring the life out of him and also in the environment where he'll be putting his lessons into use.

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Sensible advice...