My dog does not want to grip firmly enough

to pick up and/or bring bigger ducks out of the water.

My golden retriever Lucy just started her third hunting season. I don't get to kill a lot of birds for her but her "light bulb" came on at the end of last season. At our blind, she has to climb out of the water(not that hard) and she will bring in a bluebill or smaller duck. Yesterday she left two mallards at waters edge because she does not want to pick them up. I tried forcing her to hold the mallard but she just does not want to grip them firmly enough.

Any suggestions?

You have not provided enough information about your dog for a response. What training has your dog had ?

All her training is from me, and I am no professional. She has had forced fetch training, and she will retrieve and hold bumpers until I take them. I am not looking for a competition style performance. One of my mallards yesterday fell in the marsh. She went in there and found it after swimming back with the one in the water. She just would not pick up
either of them.Attachment 10103

Yesterday's resultsAttachment 10104

I think you need to work on the delivery. It sounds like the dog swam all the way back to the blind with the bird. I think that the fetch command is designed just for your needs but it also sounds like force fetch was maybe rushed with your dog.

If the climb is not easy, why not get the bird from the dog while she is still in the water and then haul her up? That is what some do when working a dog from a boat. Also from your second pic, it looks like her climb with a large duck might be hard to do.

From what you wrote I assume she is Force Fetched??? Go back through Force Fetch and make it harder, bumping the block, hitting the block, jumping over stuff, pulling the block with your hand, heeling and jogging and correcting her when she drops it. She only lets the block go when you command its release. Lots of praise when she holds it. Sounds like she just needs a brush up. Duckdon

Yeah, patience has been required with this one. My last dog Lulu, loved to carry a duck from the pier to the house to show off. Lucy will carry a small duck, but only because I am making her hold it until I take it from her.

Darren: The system says I do not have enough posts to reply to your PM, so thanks for your reply. I like the idea of forcing her to hold the dead mallards in the training yard, rather than at the blind. I really want to keep the hunts fun.

Just an observation...is she wearing a choke chain while hunting??? Not a good idea! Good luck with the hold persistence will payoff.

Sell Lucy and get a real hunting dog, or revisit force fetch. Just like sit means sit, hold means hold!