Two problems, hard mouthed and no retrieve.

[Attaboy 159]

My dog is coming on really well, catching good numbers and returning after misses (mostly), but his retrieve is not great and he crushes the ribcage. My dilemma is, do I focus on the retrieve, encouraging him back while he stands there, pulverizing his catch or do I go straight to him and get him to give me his catch before he makes too much of a mess of them? Neither issue is a big deal as the rabbits are still edible, the saddle and back legs are undamaged, and catches are often at close quarters so retrieves are short, but as I'm getting bigger numbers I'm working out what to do with all the rabbits so maybe better if they were less bloody. On the other hand, his retrieve has potential and I think it'll come good in time. Any thoughts?

[Guest vin]

work on the retrieve... get the numbers up and hopefully, he'll be too busy working to have time to chomp the bunnies.

Get him carrying stuff in his mouth for you while you're out walking him etc.. plastic pop bottles etc..anything at hand at the time.... teach him to hold it until you want it off him. Dare I even say..watch Purdey's progress video and work on the retrieve constantly. ( for me it was one of the most important elements of my dog's training and rearing )

There's nowt worse than retrieving your own rabbits all night...especially when you're on the hills.

Good luck fella.

[Busher100 747]

All the hard mouth dogs I've had stayed hard mouth but retrieve is fixable mate

[Black neck 16,041]

Work on the retrieve not much you can do about the crunch like what's bin said

[two crows 3,342]

one little bitch I had used to be live to hand about 9 out of ten then spit one at your feet and faf about catching it again that can be a pain when your in a hot spot, another one used to crunch every one, but you were not messing about straight on another, I know I would work on the retrieve every time, if your selling rabbits better ferreted anyway.

[Casso 1,261]

What should be worked on is how he relates to you,   will he sustain physical contact facing you with he front legs on your chest ? Or does he jump on and off , 

can he eat out of one hand while you rub him down or push him round , with the other or does it bother him 

will he walk beside you with a training dummy without chewing the f**k out of it , 

will he make physical contact on command , not just coming when called 

Can you engage his drive with a tug item 

and has he terrier blood in him 

[Attaboy 159]

Thanks lads, just come in from a couple of hours out. Wind was down a bit so had to work at it but got 9 again from the new land. Got a couple of half retrieves but nothing to get excited about. The catches though! He got some really tricky slips that I shouldn't have let him run but he nailed them anyway. God I love this game

I'll take your advice and work on the retrieve. Time for bed