Retrieval Problem

Sparviter · Retrieval Problem

Hi all.

My Brittany is now about three and a half months old. I have been doing retrieval work with tennis balls and he usually fetches the ball back to a distance of a couple of yards from me, and then lies down and drops the ball. I did not want to chastise him to begin with incase he got confused and put off retrieving. Should I be doing something to make him deliver to hand now, and how should I go about it?

PS this is my first pup, so I am gratefull of any advise. He is to be used for hawking, not shooting, so the retrieve is not the be all and end all.

Many thanks.

Lee.

guy

Lee - he is only 3 1/2 months old it doesn't matter - let him play.

A couple of trick however
Have another 'retrieve' to offer him in exchange
throw another retrieve behind you so he has to come past you (do this in a corridor, natural or contrive)

Topaz did not retrieve at all when he was a year old.

Sparviter

Thanks guy.

People keep telling me not to worry about things as he is just a pup. I just worry about the ballance between rushing his training, and letting him form bad habits.

guy

I think i would encourage him to run in to the retrieve. You can teach stop later. Dogs that run in mark better than stationary dogs - look at dogs in the park chasing tennis balls.

kiwi

BenB

3.5 months! Whoooaa Let the puppy be a puppy. Damn she is retrieving and showing you respect. All in good time

Slowly slowly catchee monkee!

Sparviter

Perhaps I am being a bit thick but a few peole have said to let him be a pup for a while, and I just dont get it. Rolling Eyes

Am I rushing him by getting him to retrieve at all? How do you know when to teach the retrieve, and when to make sure he delivers to hand, or anything else? Do you really just go off the the pups age, and expect him to do certain things at certain ages?

countrygirl

All pups do things at different ages they arnt all the same, as you have said you want him for falcony why are you worried about retriving? having said that I have heard the brittiany arnt natural retrivers and as such if you want him to retrieve in latter life you will really need to encourage him now.

Caz

Sparviter

BenB

My point is that it helps to build towards what you are utlimately working towards but you need to be realistic at this stage. By the way everything i type is honestly my own opinion and subject to be wrong - just what i feel from having had a few dogs.

I think it boils down to expectation management. I hope my dogs show their natural aptitude in retrieving as pups but if they are crap at it then it is not a problem as the retrieving training comes later and can be reinforved when they know what should be expected of them.

No idea if that makes sense.

Sparviter

kiwi

there is no set age for training, no one can tell you to start training next tues for example, you own the pup, you live with the pup you will see when he starts getting more attentive with games and play use this time to mould him slowly.
very young pups don't retain any training that will benefit them in later life apart from basic things like manners and coming when called, anything else should just be play time fun, like fetch the rolled up sock.
let the pup be a pup, they are pups only once Wink

BenB

there is no answer!!

Depends on the dog in question. Maybe the best thing is to say is that HPRs develop far slower than springers etc But will learn in good time.

I used to have springers and have trained a good lab for shooting. When i got my first GWP (only 3 years ago) the best advice I received was to chuck away every book I had read about training a gundog.!

Pitbull

without seeing the dog and yourself in question it is hard for people to give advise. But 14 weeks is extremely early for me. Personally I wouldn't bother at this stage. This is the age of the pup understanding where it fits into the pack structure, and the rules of the pack. Once the pup is solid on it's feet, ie not tumbling over, like you see the andrex dog doing in the adverts into the toilet roll. Once it is at this stage then very little retrievel. Remember the dogs bones are soft at this stage, and you do not want to be putting undue stress and pressure on them. Dogs do last a while, but you don't want a dog burnt out at the age of 6.

But If you are wanting to do a little bit of retrieving, then I don't know if you are doing this, but lying down with the pup. as you said it is only a few yards. On the way back with the retrieve it may feel a little intimidated if you are standing or even kneeling. I have heard of people training in the sitting position, so when the dog retrieves, it is at stomache height, that way latter on down the line, and the handler is standing, the dog comes back with its head held high, delivering it up to the stomache area of the owner. The next few months is about understanding your pup. Its emotional strengths, and weaknesses. One thing you will know about forums, is it is even more confusing with various peoples differing veiws.

swainsons

Oh my word.... friggin Brittany's.

My advice is simple. DONT play the retrieving game at this point. Pup is to young. Rather teach him to COME to you. Get small biscuits and call the dog to you, let him come all the way and reward with the biscuit when he is really close to you, even better if he is between your legs. The basics are far more important at this point than anything else

Do this for 3 months and that will be ingrained. Try again with a sock, Brittany's love socks, if it fails, go back to recall command.

Patience is the key. Rush it and you will have a Brittany that will have to go for force fetch.

Regards,

Leon

guy

good one Leon - after all a retrieve is only a recall with something in the mouth.

When i had my first Brittany I thought I must train for this and train for that. I am now working with a fourth - if she doesn't do it today there is always tomorrow.

A trainer I spoke with once said to me how do train a trick like 'give a paw'? or 'roll over' do you keep at it and get on the dogs case or do you say 'oh well we'll try that again tomorrow'

I do however know the frustration one can feel about what a pup can and cannot be expected to do - perhaps it is better to look at another way - some consider a dog at three years old should be 'trained' and by five is experienced. So there is actually rather a long time available to an amateur handler / trainer.

swainsons

Hello Guy,

Time is all you have with a dog. My younger Brit still has the tendency to drop game a few feet in front of me and not bring it to hand, but with a dummy she does not do that. How do I fix it, time, time in the field with her showing her the way I want it.

On my last shoot, she retrieved, to hand, (not everytime) francolin, guineafowl and duck. She even fetched a duck that fell smack in the middle of a dam. Brilliant.

So, just dont rush it, its not worth it.

Regards,

Sparviter

Thanks to everybody. Very Happy

Lee.