need help force fetching

[hitman2]

Hello
Do a lot of reading not much posting, but I have came to my wits end with problem.
I have a 8 month old black lab male that I can not get the hang of force fetching.
I know most of it is my lack of training skill, I am self training for a couple reasons one is the satisfaction of training my dog my self and the other is I do not have the $  for a pro trainer.
Here is where I am, he will  retrieve 5 or 6 times out of 10 then he will go out sniff and come back , I can stop him and make him go back he will sniff and come back again .
If I go out he will wait until I get close  and then grab the bumper start to come in and drop it.

If any one can point me in the direction of  a trainer in the SW WA area around Vancouver I would relay be thankful

[JLS]

I'm certainly no pro, but here are my thoughts.

Have you transitioned from ear pinch to collar?  If not, I would back up to the training table and work on reinforcing the fetch command with ear pinch and then e-collar.  Once the dog is 10/10 on this, then work on going further out in front from the ground.

You are asking him to do something with no option for immediate correction and your dog knows this, hence the reason he won't comply until you get to him.

[hitman2]

thank you for your post.

I have spent the last month with him on the bench working with him 2 to 3 times a day to where he will fetch and hold all day long. As soon as we move to the ground it is as if it is his first day. I have tried to use the caller with the ear pinch and he will stop retrieving all together
it takes me a good day of fun bumpers to get him back to retrieving. put him back on the bench and he works like a champ, when we go out side he will jump up on the bench and start looking for the bumpers.
I have tried to just force fetch on the ground and he will do ok right there get away from me it is the same old game try the caller to in force, he quits.
I am just stuck not knowing what to do.

[Colin]

Seems like your missing some parts to your FF. Probably best to get with a pro. Lots of guys down in your area. Andy Fontenot (centralia), Doug Shade (sauvie  island),  Tim Higgins (longview), Keith Hartley (longview), butch Higgins (cathlamet). Also there is a new Hunting Retriever Club that Lee Salmon of wind river labs is a part of as well as Tim and Butch... newaukum HRC. Andy and Doug are at the Master Nationals not to return for a few weeks. I've run AKC master tests or trained with all the above people and they are all very nice honest folks and good dog people. Recommend stopping your training of FF until you touch base with one of these people. Internet advice can be good but FF is one of those things where you don't know what you don't know and you can't learn it all from a video or book if you want to do it right. Just my opinion though. I'm glad as he'll I went to a pro to be taught how to FF my dog.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[scottcrb]

 

[dc]

Butch Higgins is a master at force fetching dogs.  I'm guessing the others mentioned are also great.  I had Butch train a dog for me many yrs ago and he did a great job. 

[shootem]

Another for Butch Higgins. He did a great job with my dogs.

[hitman2]

Thank you for the info

that is a good list of names. to start with, I will start with Lee as that is where I got my dog this spring from one of her bearding.

thank you again   

[JLS]

Sounds like a disconnect in the collar transition (possibly not the right amount of stimulation), and you'll get a lot more out of working with someone in person than reading here.  Good luck with your dog.

[Markhoran]

Total Retriever Training with Mike Lardy. Expensive but Mike will walk you step by step. Has multiple phases to follow for forced fetching.

[Schmalzfam]

I agree with sending your dog to Butch Higgins. He is amazing. I trust him 100%. He isn't the type of trainer that has one style and your dog better fit it. He adapts his approach to your dog. In my mind that shows how great he is with knowing the different personalities and the right approach to take. Can't go wrong, I promise.