Lab pup not real interested in retrieving... Thoughts?

[acrocker]

So I've got a new black lab pup - "new" meaning that she's now 4 months old and full of P & V. Now, my last lab was a pup 11 years ago (She passed last October), so I'm trying to remember how her training went, but I'm pretty sure that she was hot to retrieve right out of the gate at 8 weeks; not so with this one.

She is mildly interested in a fender and might chase it for a toss or two if she's in a good mood, but most of the time she just looks at me like I'm stupid for throwing it, even after I try to get her excited by teasing her with it and tossing it in the air. and waving it in her face. If I put some duck wings on a fender, I can keep her attention for maybe 4 or 5 tosses, then she's done.

I've read and been told that a lot of pups don't really get the retrieving 'fever' until they are 6+ months old - has anyone else had experience with that and is this something I need to be worried about, or is it likely that nature is going to kick in and make her the hunting and retrieving machine that I hope she can be? I'm hoping this is a case of my own impatience, but a friend of mine got a lab a month before me and his dog can't stop chasing whatever is thrown for him.

She comes from a very well-known and reputable breeder, and has excellent blood lines, so it's in her genes - that shouldn't be an issue.

Anybody have any ideas or experience with this?

[Duckslayer89]

Food reimbursement every single time brotha! She will be interested. Something she likes. Little chunks of bacon or something.

[skipjack]

I am not an expert but have had luck training the couple labs I have raised.. what works for me is keeping them excited.. when I throw the dummy and she picks it up I run the other way. If she drops it game over but when she catches me I let her know she did good... doesn't take long to get the idea. As mine gets older every once in a while she picks up the dummy and starts back slow or the other direction I just have to run like she is missing out on something and she remembers.

[Colin]

"Developing Drive and Desire" bill hillman videos on youtube. Doesn't matter that your pup is older than the one he's using. Follow along and be patient. Sounds like pup has some drive just needs it teased out. I could offer my thoughts on what you should do but nothing I say will be as valid as what Hillman can teach you.

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[brew]

don't give up on her and keep doing what you are doing...labs are smarter than most people.  had one once that i started to train but wanted to get him more education so i took him to a place in McKenna for a couple months...they eventually told me i should have bought a different dog from a more reputable breeder..he wouldn't do anything for them but once i brought him home he was fine with me and i regretted taking him to them...he only wanted to work for me and he was fine after that...no he wasn't gonna win any field championships but he retrieved the hell out of waterfowl for me and was the best hunting/family dog i ever had...

RIP Gator...you were the best dog i ever had the priveledge of hunting with

[huntnfmly]

Some dogs are driven by food reward others are driven by praise.
4-5 retrieves is perfect you have to stop before she does leave her wanting more

[aaronoto]

Not a lab, but my WPG wasn't really interested in retrieving when that young either.  She was about 4 months old before she really took to it and it's just taken off from there, she goes crazy for a bumper now (she's 1 year old) but I still don't throw one more than 3-4 times during a session. 

I'll go against what others might say and recommend not pushing it - throw a bumper one time once or twice a week and that's it.  It has to remain fun - don't keep throwing it if she's not interested.  Once she gains a little more interest you can start tossing a few more.  Once she really starts going crazy for it, begin to make her work for it - the toss/retrieve should be her reward.  As a bonus, you'll be amazed at how well your dog will listen if they know they get a retrieve if they follow directions

[Happy Gilmore]

I'd quit working after four months if i never got a paycheck at the end of the week too.

Get the pup some birds. Scent isn't a bird. Scent is the same as a plastic bumper. It's just a smell not a reward. If you scent a bumper every day all it does is nothing. They need live excitement.

[Waldo84]

Stop throwing something she doesn't like. Take a break away from retrieving for a week or two. Let her be a puppy. Then after a week long break grab her favorite toy and start playing with her with that and toss it once MAYBE twice and when she chases after it make it a huge deal. Don't force her bring it back (if she does then thats great too, but don't force it) just make it a big deal that she chased it. And when you do catch up to her, don't take it from her right away. pet her and love on her with it in her mouth, then take it. Then put it up for 2 to 3 days. Wash, rinse and repeat until shes jumping out of her skin when she sees her toy. Pretty soon you'll have a dog that chases anything you throw. The series mentioned above from Bill Hillman on Youtube is a great 7 part series and totally free. Here's the link to the first video.

Also: BIRDS!!! apparently they love those things.

[wildweeds]

Banty chickens, cheap, easily obtainable,tough and can fly a lititle bit. Only problem will be if you have chickens or plan to get some in the future.

[Happy Gilmore]

It's finding a balance. I'd say almost all pups in training, including every one I've owned and trained will go through a phase. You need to balance birds with work. Too many birds at young age will cause issues just the same as not enough birds.

[Stein]

I think she will come to, ours was a bit late (in my mind anyway).  One day it started really picking up and now she will throw a ball for herself to chase around the living room.  At one year you can be worried if they aren't crazy into fetching.

[ForestDump]

I've found that retrieving training is done pretty easily when they're young. Pups love picking things up and they want to be around you constantly. I turn it into a game when they're little in the house. Throw or slide the sock, small rag, small ball(almost anything) a short distance and the pup will usually pick it up and come looking for me. When they get back to me I'll give a little bit of hotdog. I keep these sessions very short.

[Schmalzfam]

How is your pup doing now?
I was gonna ask if she was teething?
Seems about the age when they start.
I used to toss items that were more ply able at that age.
A canvas bumper down the hallway and a little treat when they brought it back, even if they had the drive, they got rewarded the same

[acrocker]

She's getting better, almost 8 months old now, still not crazy excited about it but she'll get up for a few throws every now and then and will return items to hand. She's good for about 4-5, maybe 6-7 tosess on a good day, and she's just done - drops the item and just moves on. I've had her out on a couple duck trips this year, just to let her see the other dogs work and hear the guns, and she is interested in carrying the ducks around in her mouth but not crazy about jumping in the water to get one. She did go really nuts over a covey of quail, though, just sniffing and rooting around where they had been sitting, so maybe she's telling me she's going to be an upland dog...