# Force Fetch/Trainer Advice



## MNDAK (Sep 22, 2009)

First of all I'd like to say that I have been following this forum for a couple years and really appreciate all the experience and knowledge I have found here. Here's a little background, I am a first time dog owner with a 2 1/2 yo male lab. Last summer I brought him to a trainer for some basic obedience, fieldwork, exposure to birds etc. He spent about 3 months there and progressed fairly well, although his main problem was that his retrieves were sloppy. He would run out, pick the bird up, start bringing it back, stop half way, drop it, screw around with it, pick it up, start bringing it back, drop it 6 ft away from you, etc. At the time the trainer felt that force fetching him would clean up those problems, but a full season of hunting might help the situation too. So we decided that I would hunt him for a season and revisit force fetch the following year. In general I was pleased with how he performed during his first season, but his retrieves continued to be sloppy, in both upland situations and on the water.

So earlier this Spring I talked to the trainer and we decided to give force fetch a try. I brought him there in mid-April. Over the course of the summer it became very difficult to contact him to find out how my dog was progressing. When I was able to contact him, he would tell me the same thing, that they are making progress but it's taking some time. That's fine with me, I'm patient and I understand that you have to work at the dog's pace. But I was hearing the same thing for 3 months, and it really didn't seem that they were making any progress.

About a month and a half ago I get a message from the trainer saying that they're close to finishing force fetch. I try to contact him unsuccessfully for a couple weeks then I finally get a message from him last week saying that I can pick up my dog soon. I get hold of him and he tells me that he gave up on the force fetch a couple weeks ago because he was afraid that if he progressed any further my dog might quit retrieving. I was shocked. The trainer said that he got my dog to hold pretty well, and carry the dummy around but could not get him to pick up the dummy off of the floor. He said that they could continue down this path, but it would take an uncertain amount of time, we would lose some or most of the hunting season, and it might not give us the results we were looking for. He made the decision that hunting him another season would be the best approach and that we could resume force fetch after the season.

I'm frustrated. I am a novice when it comes to dog training, but I just can't believe that the trainer needed 5 months to discover this and then tell me 5 days before duck season. I like the guy, he seems to be well respected and clearly knows what he's doing, but I have lost my trust in him. I think he has too many other things going on and can't give my dog the attention he needs. If I had known this earlier I would have brought him somewhere else. Maybe I have unreasonable expectations of the trainer, but I feel that most of the summer was wasted and very little was accomplished. At this point I am going to hunt him as much as I can, but beyond that I'm not really sure which way to go. I don't feel that I have enough knowledge or experience to force fetch him on my own and after my experiences this summer, I don't plan on returning to this trainer. I would like to speak to another trainer about my situation, so if anyone could recommend someone if western MN or eastern ND that would be great. I would also welcome any other advice you might have on how I should proceed. Thank you very much.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Depending if you're willing to send the dog to someone for a short period of time to finish up force fetch, I know someone in Fargo that will help you out. I'll shoot a PM your way.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

PM sent


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

You got ripped off and good. A dog is in and out of ff in six weeks, obedience and all. What a jerk. I'd try to take the dog home, then send him a check. I'd send him a check for one month of work.

The guy is a crook.


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## NDhunter14 (Oct 17, 2007)

Get your dog, obviously the guy can't be that good. If he thinks hes going to ruin your dog, he probably will. If your lucky he hasnt already done so.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

3 years of no fetching, and my dog decided to fetch, to me she had to get over the feel of the feathers, not sure if the non-fetcher needs time or what.


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## MNDAK (Sep 22, 2009)

Stu_Loves_His_GSP said:


> 3 years of no fetching, and my dog decided to fetch, to me she had to get over the feel of the feathers, not sure if the non-fetcher needs time or what.


I don't think it's a problem with feathers. The thing is, he likes retrieving birds, has OK drive, but his retrieves are just sloppy. The trainer and I made a plan to force fetch him this summer to clean up this sloppy retrieving. What doesn't really make sense to me, is that about half-way through force fetch, the trainer thought he might stop retrieving if they went any further with it. Other knowledgeable individuals have told me that properly force fetching a dog should not hurt it's drive. I'm not sure if that's true, but it raises concerns that perhaps this trainer wasn't taking the best approach with my dog.

Also, to the trainer's credit, he only charged me for a month, because that's what he felt he accomplished. However, it's ridiculous that it took 5 months to do one month of work.


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## fetchingfloyd (May 12, 2009)

17 years of force fetching and all but one dog in that time were completely done in a month or less, the 1 oddball was an older GSP that had little retrieving desire so it took two months. from this i will say if your dog likes to fetch and it takes more than a month, something is dreadfully wrong with the program. i am FF'ing a chocolate lab and it will be done in less than 2 weeks of actuall FF time. do your homework when you send out a dog to be FF is all i can say.


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## floortrader (Feb 5, 2009)

I have been a pro horse trainer for 40 years. The would is full of would be animal trainers. Most fail many are crooks sounds like you got both. If a good trainer found a rare dog that could not be trained to force fetch he would probily know in a week.


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## thohleit (Aug 25, 2008)

Man that is just not right. I have FF a few dogs over the years and it only takes a month or maybe a lttle longer for some of the dogs that fight you . I would not let send any money to him at all and make sure he does not train again.

If the guy said he did not want to hurt your dog or make him quit retriving by forcing him he must of not been thru the force fetch process much or any.

All dogs are different some go thru the ff process fine and some are brought down and do not want to fetch but if the process was done correct they will come out of the of that mood.

:******:


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