breaking when hunting

[cj6530]

My 2 year old lab is starting to break in duck hunting situations. Its his first season. He is 100% reliable in training. He really only breaks if I shoot. Should I correct him with the collar if he breaks? How much stimulation? Do I keep on the collar even if he keeps going? I am worried that to much of a correction will hurt his desire to retrieve in a hunting setting. What do I do?

[Pete]

You can try re-enforcing with little nicks before you stand up and shoot. It works well,,,but it depends how you train whether it works for you or not. So the birds are coming in and you say sit nick --nick,,,low level and see if your response is positive. I do it this way all the time with young dogs and normally they do not break.

Do this in training first before going to the field. Of coarse there is more to it than saying sit-nick -nick but in essence that's all it is. Read dog,, temp the dog,, issue rein forcement,,,blend it together.
Pete.

[JoeOverby]

Leave your gun in the truck and work your dog. Let your buddies shoot your limit. Its well worth sacrificing your shooting in your dogs first season for the long-run payoff. I tell every one of my clients this exact thing.

[BlaineT]

can you lay down the gun and let your buddies shoot and you work with the dog and then you're free to make whatever applicable corrections are needed without worrying with shooting ducks and handling the dog?

[BlaineT]

dang. Joe we was t yping at the same time.

[archer66]

Breaking is serious enough that you really do need to fix it like the other guys said......which I know you are trying to do or you wouldn't be talking about it here. I'd restrain the dog either with a hand on his collar and a soft but firm SIT or DOWN or PLACE or whatever command you are using. Another option is a short tether with a quick release hook that you can unhook easily when you are ready to send him.

[cj6530]

You can try re-enforcing with little nicks before you stand up and shoot. It works well,,,but it depends how you train whether it works for you or not. So the birds are coming in and you say sit nick --nick,,,low level and see if your response is positive. I do it this way all the time with young dogs and normally they do not break.

Do this in training first before going to the field. Of coarse there is more to it than saying sit-nick -nick but in essence that's all it is. Read dog,, temp the dog,, issue rein forcement,,,blend it together.
Pete.

What do you do if the dog breaks and by the time you get your gun down he is 15 yards out charging towards a downed duck? If I don't shoot.....he is steady when I am whispering to him to sit, sit sit. It's mostly when I then decide to pick the gun up again.

[gdgnyc]

Are you hunting by yourself or with friends? I think the best thing you can do is have other people shoot while you pay attention to the dog. Look at what you are teaching the dog right now---you say sit, you shoot, the dog doesn't sit stay but instead rewards himself with a retrieve. What does the dog think you really mean when you now say sit? Every time he breaks he is reinforcing the incorrect behavior. I think that the longer this goes on, the bigger the problem you will have in fixing it.

[Johnny Drew]

Great info given here. I would hate to see said dog get injured due to a break. Work the pup and don't shoot. Good luck.

[cj6530]

I have been doing what most have suggested. If I do shoot and he still breaks.......do you do a heavy correction if he is already half way to the bird?