# Live Bird Training



## TEALMAN (Sep 27, 2006)

Bought a dozen chukars for my 9 month lab this weekend. She would flush them and find the dead bird just fine but did not want to bring them back. I brought my older lab out and let him get a retrieve in front of her then leashed the older lab. After that she did just fine as long as he was around, she brought the birds back no problem. Then I put him away and she did the same thing going to the dead bird but not retrieving it. She has been force fetched so I am a little baffled.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Sounds like a perfect example of a dog that could use force fetching. Get yourself a good force fetch program and follow it through to the end. By then, you'll have a dog that will bring you back just about anything, present it properly, and hold it until commanded to release (you know, so you don't have those instances where they stop three feet shy and drop it on the ground...)


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## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

Are you in town? Where did you get the chukars from? PM me if you want.


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## TEALMAN (Sep 27, 2006)

The dog was force fetched by a trainer. She does everything with the bumpers. I guess maybe she was overwhelmed with live birds. She is going out duck hunting for the opener so we will see what happens.

I got the Chukars at Oakwood Game Farm in Princeton, MN.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Well, if she was force fetched properly, she shouldn't have much of an issue. I'd take a dead chukar, freeze it, and then use it in standard training drills. Heel her (or sit her), walk out 20 paces, place the dead bird, walk back to the dog and send her for the retrieve. Put pressure on her with an e-collar (assuming she's been e-collar conditioned properly) if she doesn't fetch it immediately or drops it prematurely. Do this a few times until she does it right.


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## TEALMAN (Sep 27, 2006)

Slayer,
Thanks for the advice. She has not had an ecollar. The funny thing is the one chukar I shot fell in a pond and she retrieved that one perfectly. The trainer was geared toward waterfowl so I think most of her training was in and around water. I am taking her out this weekend and see how she does for ducks. If she doesn't bring them back I may have to find another trainer because I don't have the knowledge/time to get her back on track.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Yeah, that sounds a tad sketchy. Not saying she wasn't force fetched, but if it was done properly she should have NO issues. And maybe "properly" isn't even the right word....maybe "completely" would be more accurate. Sounds like the trainer made it to the one-yard-line and kicked a field goal instead of going for the TD. If you want a bullet-proof, 100-percent retrieving dog, force fetch needs to be executed from beginning to end without missing steps and without shortcuts.

Work her this weekend and be sure to praise the ever-loving bejesus out of her when she does stuff right, and get on her a bit when she messes up (if it's something you're sure she knows how to do, that is). And invest in a good e-collar. Some people don't like them, but they're a good tool in the hands of a knowledgeable dog owner. Notice I said knowledgeable (not saying you aren't but in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing, e-collars can be the opposite of productive). Use the e-collar to enforce corrections the dog already knows and is purposely disobeying. I know a lot of guys who just fry the dog whenever it does something they don't like, and wind up confusing the poor pooch more than anything.

Anyhoo, good luck on opener! Try to keep things positive and make the weekend fun. Remember, you're shooting dumb birds over a fresh dog. Don't harp on her for not being perfect. Sounds like she enjoys the water, so you might be pleasantly surprised by the end of the weekend.


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## TEALMAN (Sep 27, 2006)

Well had a good opening weekend with the pup. Shot easy limits both mornings this weekend. She did great on the birds she could see fall but I needed to help her on the blind birds. No issues with dropping the birds or not bringing them back. Could tell the trainer had worked her in duck hunting scenario's more so than upland.


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