# Wont drop birds?



## huntrapper (Feb 15, 2006)

I actually have 2 questions, the first one being somedays i can play fetch for a full 20-30 minutes before my yellow lab gets bored (20 weeks) then other days she will retrieve it twice then just run to it and start sniffing around? The other question is that we try to have her retrieve the real dead birds she wont drop them in my hand like the dummy she wants to keep them for herself? Please tell me what i can do for both of these problems.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

#1 stop doing 20 to 30 minutes of retrieving with your dog, have a plan and go out and do a couple sets of marks and leave it at that, always stop with them wanting more.

#2 I don't know where you live but try and get together with a training group have someone help you with FF your dog.

Therer are some really good programs out there, that will take your dog from ground zero to a finished dog. I would get some DVD's or books and start over with the dog following a proven program. It always helps to have a plan.

Here are some suggestions
DVD set---http://www.finelineretrievers.com/ Fowldog set,
easy to follow, great info and reasonably priced.

Books--- Evan Graham series


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## SoDakShooter (Mar 17, 2008)

I think its a case of over training. I kind of have an similar reaction from my dog. He will sometimes not retrieve a dummy very well and will prance around the yard before returning it. But he does fine on birds and brings them to my hand. I quit worring about it since I think it is a result of boredom from retriving in the same small yard and the dummy can only be thrown in so many directions. I save wings and attach them to my dummies and occationally use those for training. It helps similate a real bird a little better. When I get serious before the season I will take him to a park/field and work with him in an entirely new environment. I also find that using a shock collar increases my dogs exactness 10 fold. I've been pretty hard on him some days with the collar but once its on now he knows if he does everything correctly there will be nothing but praise.


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