mouth problems

[max]

my dog will pick up the bumper by the ends or by the rope randomly.ever third or fourth retrieve, I correct him and place in mouth correctly with command to hold, but continues to do it any advice.

Thanks
Max

[i_willie12]

Had this problem as well as have alot of people. I took the ropes off of mine and put 2 inch to 1 inch pvc reducers on some of my bumpers. It helped but you cant put reducers on every bumpers for ever, is the dog FF it could be time for that. Mine isnt yet cause its to close to hunting season to start it. I plan to do it after season in the spring.

[Jason Brion]

Just realize that a duck doesn't have a rope. JMO

[wetland_retrievers]

You didn't leave us any training back ground for your dog. But it sounds like FF has not been completed either way.
Definitely go back and "teach" a proper hold. Stop doing what you are doing right now. Go back to addressing that specific issue. What I mean is you can't just correct him in the field while you are tossing marks. Address this in a formal session in a quiet and undistracting part of your home. Hold means hold in the center and not mouth the bumper until it slides to the end. A tap under the chin or on top of the muzzle will be a correction for this as well as saying hold when you do so. Now if this problem develops when you are picking up of the ground during your force session. You can start using those dowels and dumbells that only allow your dog to pick up in the center or you can do what I do. Just put tyraps around the ends of the bumper and cut them off long(about an inch)(about 4 will do at different angles). They become uncomfortable to your dogs mouth and they will learn to pick the bumper up in the center.