I have a 2.5 old lab that will do 100 yard double marks and blind retrieves as far as you can see. She duck hunted last season and picked up about 50 birds. But when we went to her first hunt test she did not even pick up a bird. She ran in a junior test and acted like she has never seen a mark before. She had a straight 75 yard mark across a ditch and she marked it. When I sent her she ran about 15 yards and made a hard left hand turn and ran liked a scolded dog for about 100 yards and I stopped her. Then I tried to handle her to the mark and she refused about 4-5 cast so then she went to the truck. That afternoon we went back and ran that same mark and she smoked it and even worked on her casting and she was fine. The next day the first mark was about 60 yards down a hill. Mark went up dog marked it and I sent her. She did the same exact thing as the day before 15 yards and hard left hand turn and running out of sight. I am sure you could see steam coming out of my ears. I called her back and onto the truck she went. I have passed 2 dogs at the senior level and 1 on the junior level and I have never seen anything like this before. I have no idea what is going on with her. Any suggestions would be great.
you never know what they are going to do...........mine did the same thing in the last series of the derby, across the canal made a left to la la land, and kept going.
Hmm strange one, do you mostly train alone, or a select group? Maybe she's having issues with the chaos and "strangers", or just doesn't know what is expected of her at a test. I had a hunting dog didn't like new people. Didn't like gunners being out in the station,when she went to get birds. Didn't like the judges being behind her, nor the gallery. Of course she also didn't like dead-birds out of wingers, or a canned hunts, when she was used to live birds, gun-shots and being in charge. I started training with a bigger group, taking her to training day, more chaos etc. I got her used to whole custom of a test, and what she was expected to do. Of course the biggest change was I got her used to the idea that I didn't care what she didn't like; she still had to do her job.
Most of the training is done with me the dogs and a bird boy. She has been to a few training days but it has been about a year ago. Being around all of the extra people is the only thing that I could think of that caused her to be like this. Just curious if anybody else has experienced this.
She may be afraid of crowds.
I had a similar dog 20 some ot years ago. She was an excellent dog to train,marked well,loved people in the group yada yada yada. At her first hunt test I could see her change her behavior a little. Stepped up to the line, called for the birds and sent her on my number. She immediately spun around and found my truck and hid underneath it.
She was sold as a hunting dog and the guy would call me now and again to tell me she was the best hunting dog he ever had.
Pete
Lol first time my pup saw some white shirts out in the field she went beeserk, Had to run and say high to everyone, but couldn't decide who first! I just started laughing and looked back at the pro and asked if him ever saw that before, a big NOPE! I called her back and had him toss a duck and she figured out what all that white was all about. After the fiasco she made me proud and got me invited to the group, I just wish work hadn't picked up so much I never made it back. My loss.
They definitely get keyed up in a different way and they have no collar.
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