Teaching a dog to retrieve question

[sirfunkeybut]

I got my dog a canvas dummy to aid in training my pup, my question is. She will fetch inside all day long but as soon as we go outside she looses interest? I make it as fun as possible but still no go. She will literally run to the dummy and glance as she keeps running by, how can I get her to fetch outside?

[RadSav]

Usually a case of "I'm just too excited Dad!"  Run her outside every day.  Our girls get an hour run every day and they still get too excited to retrieve balls or dummies at times.  You can break their spirit and discipline it out of them.  But I always hate to do that.  Especially when they go into extreme hunting mode and retrieve every bird we've ever put down.

Try going to a mowed or tilled field with few smells and distractions.  Then ease her into a more varied environment with bunny and bird smells, brush etc. 

I let the girls chase bunnies because it makes them happy.  My guide friends curse me to no end for doing it, but I guess that's the difference between puppy kids and working girls.  We still take over 100 pheasant, quail and chuckars each year and they retrieve them all.  Even our big girl who has never once retrieved a ball or a dummy inside or outside.  Something about a live bird that makes all the difference.

I've been blessed to have a number of outstanding natural bird dogs over the years.  However, I would not ever claim to be an expert bird dog trainer.  I'm sure there are a few on here that have forgotten more about training them than I've ever known.  So never take my bird dog advise as gospel.  Though I do know it has worked for us in the past.

[sirfunkeybut]

Thanks    I'll take whatever advise I can get. She does act like its more of a chore than something she wants to do, but she will retrieve all day in the house, one throw or a hundred. Normally I go for about 5 min. a sessions twice a day and hide it from her.

[whitey]

Just keep trying to catch her interest. When she does pick it up and when she brings it back (even if its near You) give her alot of praise.
She will get it. Like you are doing keep it fun.

[Special T]

It  sounds to me that you need to do 2 things... Excecize you dogs a little more, and then try and work them. I know my Chessie gets too amped up, so i try and run him a little before duck hunting...
The second thing might be using the Force Fetch Training method... I used to think that it would break thier will, but am now convinced that it helps me communicate with my dog better. 

[whitey]

Harley and Me in Our little honey hole.



And he just keeps getting better..

NOTE: The blue Tri-Tronic collar working like a dream

[JJD]

I had a male lab that did the same, he later became a retrieveing mainiac. 
How old is your pup?  Don't expect much at the pup stage.
Simple fix.  Put the pup on a long lead and stop the pup with it when it attempts to run by or run off.
Anytime bumpers and / or birds come out (or any kind of attempted training) the lead is on till the pup/dog is well under control with commands or another way to enforce the command given.  Allowing a pup to disobey commands at an early age will cause you grief down the road.  At under 12 weeks, I have the pup just drag a leash around when outside, helps them get used to the feel of it.  Yeah, it gets hung up on stuff once in a while, but the pup will likely free itself by manuvering around, or you can come to the rescue if it's really jamed.

[SpringerFan]

As already pointed out, when they are in familiar surroundings (their yard / house) they will behave differently than when they get a nose full of other scents.

The checkcord is a good idea. I use it on our new pup once every now and then to reinforce the come in the retrieve.

The only other advice I would have is not to over train. I only do 3 to 4 retrieves at a time and only twice a week. You don't want them getting bored. It seems like that frequency wouldn't teach them a thing, but it really does work.

When we train with birds, there are usually only a few retrieves as well during several runs.

Hope this helps.

[Jerbear]

I have trained my last two dogs, with pheasant wings.  My Lab will play games with a ball and I don't mind.  I have him sit and stay, then go hide the pheasant wing.  Come back and tell him to find the bird.  when he finds it, he is told to fetch, and that is  what he does.  didn't know until I took him on his first hunt that he it a natural pointing Lab.  The pother dog I trained with a wing was a little female Brit.  Same results.except she didn't point.  Good luck.  A good working dog makes life worth while.

[Skyvalhunter]

everyone needs a honey hole

[sirfunkeybut]

She's gotten alot better, I read that there was a possiblity she was teething and that could have been causing her not to want to bite down. Shes turned into quite the retriever now, I really apreciate the advice   

[ghosthunter]

How old is she?

I took my pup to a ball feilds or park lawn or school playfeild after hours. New ground every night. And check cord for a pup is your friend. Make the check cord the length you want her to hunt up land at so you can keep her close 40 yards???. For retreives just let her drag the cord as far as she needs too.

[sirfunkeybut]

She just turned 8 months old, I take her to a different park at sunrise and in the evening

[Happy Gilmore]

Keep him on a 30' check cord all the time. Work on "Here" (recall) a lot and don't worry about the fetching part until the dog comes to you 100% of the time you call him. He's probably lacking focus and learned he can give you the middle finger. Once he comes to you 100% of the time, leave the check cord on him and start working a periodic fetch/here command.

Seen many times someone says the dog won't retriever or lacks retrieve interest. Often, it's more a lack of focus and the dog has very little recall/here taught. Teach coming on "here" is an absolute and dog MUST obey every time. Usually, just that "here" obedience often helps the dog understand retriever better and can iron out the problem before it gets bigger...especially if you have no intention of force fetching the dog.

AFTER "here" is a 100% no-nosense command working ALL the time....

Try throwing him your toy/bumper. He hopefully runs to it, picks it up. At the same time command, "here". No good boy, happy time jolly fun, just "here"(not angry or mean just even tone.

When he comes back to you with the object, throw him a party. Good boy..atta dog!!