Definitely not! It actually teaches them positive traits that aid in duck hunting. How to use their nose, how to use their eyes, sharpening their brain by learning new things. All things that translate to retrieving ducks too. They use their nose and eyes for finding ducks. Constantly learning new things equates to a smarter, better, duck dog. The best hunting dogs aren't just good at duck hunting, or just upland hunting, or just swimming. They are well-rounded. It is like a football player who also runs cross-country. Does the cross-country running make the football player a better football player? Absolutely!