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RylanB

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello there I have a Boykin Spaniel and he has been through force fetch. Here is the problem he has the drive for bumpers and birds and goes crazy then after about 10 retrieves he is done. He will see you throw the bumper and he just sits there. Has anyone have any recommendation's or similar issues with your dog.

Thanks
 
#5 ·
This needs repeating. At a training seminar everyone was asked to demonstrate their dog's OB skills. One young man's
retriever was absolutely flawless on lead. When this segment was completed, the next session had each do a retrieve
thrown for the handler's dog. Their dog was to then demonstrate doing a simple retrieve. When the young man's turn was
next, a bumper was thrown a short distance as he said "Sit!" The dog would absolutely NOT leave his side to retrieve.

As an aside, the trainer running the seminar asked each person what their profession was (after their retrieve). The young
man's response was that he was a recently retired army drill sergeant. :oops:
 
#6 ·
RylanB said:
Hello there I have a Boykin Spaniel and he has been through force fetch. Here is the problem he has the drive for bumpers and birds and goes crazy then after about 10 retrieves he is done. He will see you throw the bumper and he just sits there. Has anyone have any recommendation's or similar issues with your dog.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Am in the "reduction" camp on marks. No need for countless meaningless marks to the same ole' , same ole' place, over and over again.
Make those Singles count and serve a purpose tossing into some cover, using terrain, water, etc..It's the quality, not quantity of marks that make a huge difference.

Sooner or later, (preferably sooner) those marks need to come from other places other than from your side, (an assistant downfield tossing them) and out in front of your dog.

Challenge your dog on marks yet keep him successful!
 
#7 ·
I'd be curious to know what is happening in those 10 retrieves in the way of discipline/demands on the dog, since you say the dog has been FF'ed, are you putting any pressure on the dog to make these retrieves? What is the release command? how old is the dog, how long out of FF?

Like others have mentioned --- a drill seargent attitude can have a big impact on a dog's desire (probably esp so with a boykin)- this includes on things like steadiness, delivery, obedience - and can happend slowly over time, or very quickly. Boredom/too many reps (same ol same ol). Trainer's attitude (if you act bored, the dog will pick up on it).
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Thank you swamp Billy. And Tobias he is not pressured to go get them we have him sit and then he will go after them right now we are trying to keep it fun and I forgot to say in the post some days he is out of it if he sees it he will just sit there. He just turned 1 today actually he went to a trainer the last 4 months he has trained multiple premium gundogs the first month was obedience then he moved on to FF. He said I don't want to keep taking your money if he will not be consistent with it.
 
#9 ·
Given all of that, I'd keep retrieves to a minimum - 2-3 at a time, maybe 2x a day, tops. Make it the most fun you possibly can -- timing wise, try to time these sessions right before meal time, or at the very least, after he's been crated for a couple of hours....
Do you have any access to live birds? That would be the next step, I think, esp if you plan to use your pup as a hunting dog. Chasing a clipped wing pigeon can really turn a dog on, but you do run the risk of the dog deciding the only thing he wants is the 'real thing'..... still, I'd think that risk might be worth taking.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Thanks for that information he does best after he is kenneled outside because he has so much energy. The trainer had live pigeons and attached them to a check collar he did great with that and also did a couple without the check cord and he mastered that he likes real birds a lot more than bumpers but don't have access to any pigeons would have to check into that.
 
#13 ·
KwickLabs said:
This needs repeating. At a training seminar everyone was asked to demonstrate their dog's OB skills. One young man's
retriever was absolutely flawless on lead. When this segment was completed, the next session had each do a retrieve
thrown for the handler's dog. Their dog was to then demonstrate doing a simple retrieve. When the young man's turn was
next, a bumper was thrown a short distance as he said "Sit!" The dog would absolutely NOT leave his side to retrieve.

As an aside, the trainer running the seminar asked each person what their profession was (after their retrieve). The young
man's response was that he was a recently retired army drill sergeant. :oops:
Click to expand...
It is a challenge to train a dog to do things right while leaving the most natural
instinct in the dog.
 
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#16 ·
Git that little devil excited (see what Bill Hillman does) and then throw a couple (2), then play excitement again. Maybe throw 2 more. Play excitement again and then go do something else. Our BS only gets maybe 5 or so at a time and she just turned 1. She got 4 retrieves on frozen ducks last thursday and that was it.
Kidd is FFd but we have not moved to piles yet. Quite soft is my sweetheart.
BTW my labs never get enough to slow the excitement down, if they do we quickly move on to something else at the first indication of losing focus.
Easy to overdo when things are going well and hard to fix when they go down the drain. Pro trainers have their tricks but as an am I am not able to pull the tricks off as well as they can.

ps retired so I have time to waste and don't mind doing so.
 
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Discussion starter · #17 ·
jacduck said:
Git that little devil excited (see what Bill Hillman does) and then throw a couple (2), then play excitement again. Maybe throw 2 more. Play excitement again and then go do something else. Our BS only gets maybe 5 or so at a time and she just turned 1. She got 4 retrieves on frozen ducks last thursday and that was it.
Kidd is FFd but we have not moved to piles yet. Quite soft is my sweetheart.
BTW my labs never get enough to slow the excitement down, if they do we quickly move on to something else at the first indication of losing focus.
Easy to overdo when things are going well and hard to fix when they go down the drain. Pro trainers have their tricks but as an am I am not able to pull the tricks off as well as they can.

ps retired so I have time to waste and don't mind doing so.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that information.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
I am going to add to the post the opening day of dove season we took him hunting and got him out of training for a day he went crazy every gun shot he got exited and every bird he saw he brought back to the point where we were holding him back during the gunfire.
 
#19 ·
RylanB said:
Got him out of training for a day and he went crazy every gun shot he got exited and every bird he saw he
brought back to the point where we were holding him back during the gunfire.
Click to expand...
Going back to my original post - "too much OB in the beginning will stifle the drive of a retriever". However, in
turning a retriever loose to simply "run amuck" and out of control exhibits the other end of the dog training
spectrum. What has been described is often called "training on the job". A sequential program is taught and
practiced in a building block process. An attempt to put the "roof" on the house before developing a foundation
often leads to the inefficient and often difficult process of "fixing stuff" later.
 
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