# Black Lab-Goose Hunting Questions



## sdgoosehunter16 (Sep 22, 2009)

Alright fellas, I was recently gifted a black lab of great bloodlines (pick of litter, $1250) he has just turned 2 and is a bullheaded guy. he has come along way since i got him and has the blind figured out...however we will get geese on the ground out in the field and he'll go to them for the retrieve but will not retrieve them. he doesnt play with them or nothing just goes stands over them and smells it then comes back....he has figured it out twice but we have shot 15 birds over him. we retrieve dead birds at home but im not sure what to do different in the field. any help would be great!
thanks fellas.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

he needs to be force fetched


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## coyote sniper (Apr 15, 2009)

S&A hit the nail on the head there!!


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2012)

Has he been force fetched is my first question. If so then are you using a training collar and has he been collar conditioned. Sometimes geese take a little bit for the dogs to figure out but first before we can give good advice we need to know what tools we have to work with.


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## Meyer8043 (Feb 25, 2010)

I've been having the same problem with my dog also. He's been ff and collar conditioned and is a super soft dog. His ff is great with bumpers and ducks, he just lunges for them, but geese not so much. Tried fetch nick fetch, he didn't like that one bit, tried the ear pinch, wasn't having it. I have to get him jacked up and throw the goose and he gets it just fine. It's his first year hunting, I just think it will take some time working with the geese getting some more experience. He'll fetch a dokken goose no problem but must be something with the different smell and giant bird that must be intimidating.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

If a dog has supposedly been force fetched, but won't pick up a goose, I'd wager it either never was force fetched properly or wasn't completed.

You have to make sure whatever program is used is completed 100 percent with no fudging. Have you tried heavy objects? Lopsided objects? Bumpers of varying widths and lengths? I had Remy end on 20 pounds before I was satisfied. He's a 50 pound dog.


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2012)

Try throwing the goose in water. Sometimes that will help. I also agree FF was not complete if fetch nick fetch doesn't work.


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## mmduncan (Dec 24, 2009)

I agree with the FF. Also shoot some live flyers for him! Do both of those thing you will see a different dog IMO


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Get another dog out there that will retrieve them, stake your dog so he can watch but cant go, then praise the dog retrieveing until your dog is straining to go...then let him go first with the second dog released when hes almost to the bird, when he sees the other dog coming he will grab the bird, jealously is a powerful motivator with dogs it can turn one around instantly

works 99% of the time try to find a female dog that gets along with your male so you do have to worry as much about fights

FF is not something you train in hunting season


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## Fieldhunter2 (Oct 3, 2012)

How old is the dog? Male or Female? Trained or just counting on the blood line? Whether the dog was a dollar or $10,000 Geese are intimidating and the most important thing is not to put pressure on them in the field. Keep working with the dog outside of the hunt and it will come around. It is hard but patience is the key with teaching a dog especially with the big fatty's


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

When I bought my dog Sammi she was 2 years old and was only a pheasant dog. We I shot a goose she ran over and didn't know what to do. So when I got home, I played with it with her for about 5 minutes and started tossing it around and she then finally got the idea on what she should do.


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