Pup Advice

[Meeks 153]

Up till the weekend training with my young pup was coming along brilliantly.especially the retrieving part.she was bringing the dummy back straight to hand.i started making the retrieves longer,and she would happily retrieve the dummy from about 50/60yrds,although I could only get about 3/4 good retrieves before she started messing about.so been keeping it short.ive been out with her nearly every night but since Sunday it's like she's never done it before.running right past me,going round in circles and the odd time she looks like she is bringing it back she drops it about 3 or 4 yards short of me.any advice?i do keep the sessions short and sharp.i did manage 2 decent retrieves this morning right enough.she is 5month

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

I would say don't push it too hard. She's just being puppyish and messing about. The fact the she does retrieve sometimes says she isn't one of these what refuse point blank to retrieve.

 

Just take it steady and give it time. The penny will drop as it matures.

 

Maybe spend some of the time you've been doing the retrieve work to play a game of tug with a little rope or similar. It's great for bonding and every now and then you can throw the rope and watch her run back to you for more tug.

[nothernlite 18,089]

To much my we pups retrieved 3 rabbits that the older dogs caught the past couple days right to hand lol with not much training hopefully she will be a natural retriever her mother was

[Dewclaw69 484]

I think its just a matter of what works for your dog. I run a collie x and when he's not working he'll retrieve straight to hand. Out in the field he knows its a different game and usually on the first run will do exactly what you've described with a rabbit.

Tried using a dummy instead of a ball when exercising and he reacted the same with the dummy as a rabbit at first, though now the dummy is straight back to hand.

The more runs he gets in a night the better his retrieve gets. Some dogs like NL says just retrieve, others like this one of mine demand constant input. He is getting better but he's still young and strong headed but i'm hoping this season will mature him a little bit.

Good luck

[flipbull 1,139]

I think they get bored of the same thing. I used to change the game a bit. I used to cut reflector strip and stick it to a ball and drop it without him knowing and lamp back to it. Maybe have a tug rope with you and once pups retrieved, have a game of tug with it.

[Meeks 153]

Cheers lads.i'll maybe take it a bit easier.she has retrieved a couple half grown rabbits that I've thrown for her after my other dog has caught them.so she can do it.a need to remember she still very young.

I'll defo try a bit tug of war Gaz.cheers

[white van man 3,318]

I had this problem but he's come good. I tried a few things and they seemed to do the trick.

 

Have a selection of dummies/toys. I tried rabbit skin, gun dog dummy but his favourite is a stuffed sock!! He goes mad for it so I just do a couple of retrieves a day with that...no more than 4.

 

Play tug and make it interesting.

 

If the dog is dropping short then walk backwards and call her as she's getting closer (before she drops it)

Every now and than after a retrieve I give him the dummy back and let him have a run around with it. Once I'm ready I call him back in so he retrieves again.

A top tip I got from a gun dog trainer that I thought was barking mad but now I think works is where you retrieve. Get the dog to stay. Throw the dummy. You walk out and pick it up whilst the dog is in the stay position and return. I noticed a big change in my pup with doing this!!

If it's not happening on a said day then call it a day and try end on a high with something else. I have been out with dogs that never retrieve a dummy but do the real thing and visa versa. ATB.

Edited October 7, 2015 by white van man

[skycat 6,173]

Less is more. If the pup retrieves well once, leave it for a bit. Nothing puts a dog off so much as doing something over and over again, unless it is the right sort of Collie or terrier based pup that lives to do stuff with you. I didn't catch how old the pup is, but don't forget that variety is everything to most pups. And they can only learn as much as their brains allow at any given age. A long time ago they found that kids learned much better and more enthusiastically when they didn't have to repeat things over and over again, like reciting multiplications tables for ages. Make all learning fun for the dog, rather than a heavy lesson.

[Gareth12 225]

Mine going through same phase. Brings a couple straight back then decides to play about. I put it down to being young and either getting bored or just wanting to play ?

[Meeks 153]

Thanks folks.

[Casso 1,261]

Take a step back in the training, and have the pup completely chilled in your space

Wherever you do the training , go out without the retrieve item and get the pup coming into your space to feed, hand feed all his grub that day in your zone,

 

Pups don't understand when training stops and starts , every interaction with its owner is a feeling out process , you can't give it shit one minute at home and not expect it to be reflected in the training field

 

If and when you get a shit hot retrieve , quit , stop when the retrieve is at its finest , could be one or two don't matter , always leave him wanting more , when you finish on a good retrieve , praise and quit , your then leaving that it ingrained in his mind,

don't train with one item, have him bringing in first to get second, when he's retrieving from one side , throw the second to the opposite side , remain in the middle , you then become the axis he has to come to , to get what he wants ,

Let him drop the first , don't be looking to take the item , to him it can be a prize to small to be shared, until he figures out bringing in the first gets the second in motion, this works really well with hand shy mutts,

Most of all you can get all the advice in the world but folks need to develop a feeling for the dog, their is no one anywhere in the world knows the pup better than you, read his reactions, when he's getting distracted , find what attracts his attention, and observe at that age more than train,

Best of luck

[Giro 2,648]

Dummy on a line is great..

 

You can real them in and once they are in, have a bit tug ,patting and praise.