Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: david0 on August 13, 2012, 07:57:44 PM
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My lab has lost interest in fetching the past few training sessions. Is there anyway to get him excited again? He will run out to the bumper like he wants to get then just licks it and lays down. Could he just be too hot? I just tried tying a duck wing on his bumper and that didn't work either. Should I give him a break on fetching and just go back to some basic stuff? Right at the end of training today he did bring back a few.
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Maybe get one of those toys that you can put the dog treat in the middle :dunno: Doesn't he like tennis balls :dunno: Get him fetching a tennis ball, and tell him "bring it here" or "here" right before he starts coming your way.
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how old is he? it could be a teeth issue, and the heat may have him slowed down....
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He will be a year in October. I think the heat could have something to do with it. Ill try to take him to the river tomorrow and see if he does an better.
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I have 3 different types of bumpers for my younger dog. The hard rubber ones with bumps she'll retrieve, but tire of. The canvas one she does better with, but also tires of. Then I have one of those bumpers that's made of the foam she loves. It's one of those that looks like a duck. She'll retrieve that all day. With her I think it came down to comfort of carrying it in the mouth.
You might try a canvas one or one of the foam rubber ones and see what happens. I just use the duck looking one now as I want to get her plenty of reps building up to season.
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My money is on teeth. Can't remember when the permanent teeth come in.
Or maybe over training. It has to be fun for him. Maybe stop training for a week and just give him some happy bumpers. Tease him with them get all excited about it than toss one or two a short distance. No rules just play.
The other thing make sure the family is no wearing him out before you get home. If he has been playing all day with the kids he might be wore out when you get home.
Heat is a problem find some water to play in.
I had strict rules abut my kids playing with the dog. Not till after training.
Stop on a happy note and always before he does.
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Maybe a couple live pigeons.
Tie their wings and toss the for him.
Where you located I like throwing bumpers for dogs and greeting the excited. I am in Mount Vernon.
Sometimes when my dog had a off day, I just isolated her in her kennel for a couple days. Food water, patt on the head nothing else. Than play bumpers. That would jump start her again.
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Stop on a happy note and always before he does.
Permanent teeth are normally in by 6 months. My bet is making it a more comfortable retrieve and fun for the pup.
Your right on with the "happy note" ghosthunter. This is something that is a must. I always end my sessions when my pup completes a text book retrieve. Then I take the toy and praise the heck out of her. She eats that up and wants it to the point she works to make it happen.
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You might be able to spice it up with a helper . Put someone out 60-70 yards with a duck call and hey hey hey. Have them throw the bumper.
One year is the teenage period for dogs.
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not sure when labs get permanent teeth but have had other breeds have an almost reoccurance of puppy teething and sore mouths right around 7 months :dunno: try a new environment(river or lake/pond) try different styles of bumpers.....our retrieving dog loved his duck (foam training duck) and was easily bored with the hard rubber knobby bumpers, but would fetch canvas in between the two...and tennis balls were great until he decided to crack them like an egg :chuckle:
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first thing to do is relax.. you guys have probably just been overdoing it in the heat. try working first thing in the morning while its cool, many of the evenings lately have been too damn hot for my labs to work.
its easy to over do training and fun fetching when duck season is just around the corner. even the most zealous pups can get burnt out fast when its hot out. also keep training sessions short and fun, I will take one good retrieve per session over a couple dozen sloppy ones.
be careful with the heat, its possible for a dog to get overheated even if its swimming or soaking wet. remember that dog is still working his arse off climbing up and down the bank and swimming, so if that water source isn't sufficiently cool you could be doing more harm than good. :twocents:
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At about age two our bigger springer decided she no longer wants to fetch balls, toys or bumpers. For the past six plus years she carries around a ball most everywhere she goes, but will not retrieve for nothing. But when it comes to killing birds she is a retrieving bird busting machine. I think once she figured out what the game was about she thinks I'm trying to pull a fast one on her with fakes. She thinks she's too smart for that - dang brat! I've never given her too much grief for it. As long as she still produces in the field I call it all good.
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bored. Put it away for a week. Take him out, throw two bumpers, put him away.
Find a different way to exercise him.
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My dog will get bored sometimes... He will just look at me when I throw the ball, then go lay down... After a few days he will want to play again. If its hot out he will go get the ball twice, then just quit. If I push the issue and try to keep playing with him he will just destroy the tennis ball in about 2sec and drop the pieces at my feet and walk away. Generally I push the issue if I am going to be gone for a few hours and want to wear him out. Although I have learned when he is done its over, because otherwise my tennis ball bill triples... He is almost to smart for his own good sometimes...
Sent from my sniper hide...
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Thanks for the tips. I think its just the heat. He is doing just fine this morning.
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+1................... repetion is a good thing but in small doses,better to chuck the bumpers once and have it be a snappy out and back retrieve,quit on a good note and then repeat the same drill the next day or eight hours later .You do NOT need to run the dog until it fails so that a correction is needed............... that's not training that is OVER training with a negative ending.When you get to that stage,the dog will get flustered and continue it's downward spiral until NOTHING is right and THAT"S when they nuke down and won't play funny little reindeer games anymore.It's been proven that a dog has about a twenty minute attention span,thus that's about how long it should take to get a specific owner desire ingrained.................. on multiple days of course,start small and continually build on the big picture.
bored. Put it away for a week. Take him out, throw two bumpers, put him away.
Find a different way to exercise him.
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That's what I usually do. 5-10 minutes. I had at the river yesterday and he was having fun chasing stuff for a couple hours so I think he is fine. I even sent him down river for a lost sandal and he found it!
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I brought the Go Pro down with me and got some video of him at the river
