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Getting dog to retrieve dead duck after used to rubber one?

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:40 pm
by CAJUNDUCK
she does everything perfect with the rubber fetch mallard but i brought home a real one i killed saturday, tried to put them side by side and let her relate the 2 and she smelled at it allot, then i threw it out there in the pond and she charges after it gets to it and stops and starts sniffing and smelling it but wont pick it up, how do you get them used to this?

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:07 pm
by stumpjumper
If she is not forced fetched then you need to start there. You can find alot of good books to teach you how to do it or send her to a pro. Smartworks is a good book to follow and Lardy has some good ones as well. Good luck and may all your birds be greenheads :wink:

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 4:29 pm
by quakwacker
I had the same thing happen to me with my 6 month old.
I took the bird and put it in his mouth and held the mouth shut for a minute or two.
I did this 2 or 3 times and he finally caught on.

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:10 pm
by vern3
The only reliable fix forever is as stumpjumper stated FORCE FETCH

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:18 pm
by rollinthunder21
what is force fetch?

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:27 pm
by Chocolate Seal
good one for gator! Take it dude!

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:04 pm
by LastFrontierLabs
Here is a fairly decent explanation of force fetch.
http://www.wildfowlmag.com/tips_strategies/jsforcebreaking/

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:38 pm
by rollinthunder21
how exactly do you teach force fetch? just dont get it

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:07 pm
by goosebruce
dogs picked up birds a long time before force fetch as ever invented. A dog should be force fetched, but that has nothing to do with picking up a duck. Take some time sohwing the bird... putting in her mouth is a good start. dragg it in front of her, whooping t up, making a big deal. Might take a couple throws to get her picking it up, but it'll kick in. Worst case, let her see another dog pick it up, or get a wing clipped pidgeon and let her see it flop around. Dogs should be bird crazy, not made to pick them up. Now some dogs will need control of the mouth to enable to deal with birds correctly, but that desire to have one in their mouth needs to come from them, before you try to control it. travis

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:25 am
by CAJUNDUCK
yea, i tried putting it in her mouth and getting her to hold it and sometimes she would for a few seconds but didnt seem to interested in doing so, ill just have to work on it a lil more, worse case ill go get her mother and bring her to the house one day and get her to chase it a few times and bring it back and maby it will click from there. 8)