# won't honor retreives



## knutson24 (Feb 16, 2009)

my 1yr old choc lab no matter what the situation will always try and take the training dumbing from my other dog when performing retreives. Both dogs are used solely on upland and I don't want this habit orccuring in the field and resulting in a torn apart bird. Any help and training advice would be much appreciated.


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## Fosse (Jan 5, 2007)

Are you sending them both at the same time?


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## Gunny (Aug 18, 2005)

Your dog thinks any bird on the ground is his. When training you may need to bring him to heel, toss the dummy, make him stay, then go pick up the dummy yourself every few throws to show him that this is your world and what you say goes. When you have the oppertunity to train with another dog, you should run with it. Remember that he is still young and you have time to work this out. Also if you are not re-enforceing with an E-collar you may want to check one out. If you are in the field, and another dog got there first, and assuming yours is trained to sit, and obeys well, blow the sit whistle and have him wait until dog 2 delivers the "package". And finaly there are some very good DVDs as well as trainers that you can look to for advise. This is important to correct as nobody enjoys hunting with a greedy dog...
or hunter. :wink:

Good luck

Gunny


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## knutson24 (Feb 16, 2009)

Fosse said:


> Are you sending them both at the same time?


Not really sending either of them. I'm just basically walking some short cover with them letting htem work it and then every once in awhile i'll throw a dummy. If i'm working on just retreiving i'll put them both in a sit and then send them out one at a time and he's fine then.



Gunny said:


> Your dog thinks any bird on the ground is his. When training you may need to bring him to heel, toss the dummy, make him stay, then go pick up the dummy yourself every few throws to show him that this is your world and what you say goes. When you have the oppertunity to train with another dog, you should run with it. Remember that he is still young and you have time to work this out. Also if you are not re-enforceing with an E-collar you may want to check one out. If you are in the field, and another dog got there first, and assuming yours is trained to sit, and obeys well, blow the sit whistle and have him wait until dog 2 delivers the "package". And finaly there are some very good DVDs as well as trainers that you can look to for advise. This is important to correct as nobody enjoys hunting with a greedy dog...
> or hunter.


I've tried all of the things you mentioned besides the stop whistle he hasnt been taught this but when ever i try any of the other things he doesn't want to retreive anymore. He just walks at heel and then won't do anything besides that. Its frustrating and then it takes a couple days to get his prey drive up again to get him to retrieve.


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## Gunny (Aug 18, 2005)

Sounds like he just has a "lighter" personality. I know this dog... I've had this dog. My first dog was very similar in that he would get discouraged if I was too hard on him. The cure for me was talking to Mr. Dokken. He gave me some good advice. He said that that dog needed *ALOT* of positive re-enforcement. He also said with a "softer" dog, make the training sessions shorter, and easier, which will guarintee success and build confidence. It worked for me with that pup, however he did not have the current problem you have.

I'm sorry I have no other suggestions for you other than being dilligent on your E-coller training, and maybe speak with a good trainer. There are a few that sponser this site.

Good luck

Gunny :beer:


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Sounds like your dog hasn't been trough a training program, therefore you have no tools to work with. If you have forced him and trained him in a methodical manor, you could make him pick up the bird. Now, you're screwed.

If you tell him to sit, he won't hunt.

If he hunts, he steals other dogs birds.

You have to back up and go at it in an organized manor. I recommend the Fpwl Dawgs DVD'S.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

gonehuntin' said:


> Sounds like your dog hasn't been trough a training program, therefore you have no tools to work with.


Concur, typos aside (  ). Sounds like you are expecting the dog to do things he has not been trained or prepared to do, and that you apparently do not have the tools in place through following a training program to correct issues...

Also, trying to train two dogs at the same time is a mistake & recipe for disaster. In your case at least the dog in question appears to not be FF/CC so still regards retrieving as a game to be played if/when/how it feels like it. By doing what you are doing, you are putting that dog in direct competition with the other for the object of the game. Seems to me he's reacting exactly how an untrained dog can be expected to. And you are setting him up to fail.

Only work with one at a time...


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