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Hello Everyone -
New to this forum. I am training my current 8 month old Lab for duck hunting, just as I did with my previous Lab, following Wolters book GameDog, as well as some tricks from a Retriever Club I went to 10 years ago (they've since disbanded I believe). Anyway, everything was going really. My pup knew all the basics (sit, stay, come) on and off leash, and was retrieving bumpers to hand 100% of the time, land or water. Then I introduced a blank .22 gun shot. Well, that sent him running under the deck. Scared the crap out of him. My previous Lab never flinched from day 1, so this threw me off. I got very frustrated with him as I repeatedly tried to get him to retrieve with a gun shot. I realize I should have stopped sooner than I did and backed off the gun shots....at least moving the gun shot further away with the help of my wife (I shot it right over his head as if we were hunting). After that day (about 2 weeks ago), I backed off and went back to no gun shots (next time I'll start with the gun further away).
That said, my biggest concern now is not how to re-introduce the gun shots. Rather, a bigger concern, my pup now runs to the bird/bumper, and now just stands or sits right next to it. He won't pick it up and he won't return it to me. If I start walking towards him, sometimes he'll pick it up and then return it to me. Sometimes. Often, he does nothing but sit or lay down next to it. I'm totally confused on what has caused this (the gun shots?) or now to fix it. I mean, this was a pup who was returning retrieves, with or without whistle twills, on or off land/water, 100% of the time, no questions asked. Now, its like I never trained him at all. Even once I walk up to him, I'll give the command GET IT, [I use "Get it" instead of "Fetch"] and he'll just look at me.
I'm so frustrated. He's 8 months old and was doing so well, and I feel like I've ruined him starting a couple weeks ago with the gun shots.
Thoughts? I appreciate any help I can get.
-AJ
New to this forum. I am training my current 8 month old Lab for duck hunting, just as I did with my previous Lab, following Wolters book GameDog, as well as some tricks from a Retriever Club I went to 10 years ago (they've since disbanded I believe). Anyway, everything was going really. My pup knew all the basics (sit, stay, come) on and off leash, and was retrieving bumpers to hand 100% of the time, land or water. Then I introduced a blank .22 gun shot. Well, that sent him running under the deck. Scared the crap out of him. My previous Lab never flinched from day 1, so this threw me off. I got very frustrated with him as I repeatedly tried to get him to retrieve with a gun shot. I realize I should have stopped sooner than I did and backed off the gun shots....at least moving the gun shot further away with the help of my wife (I shot it right over his head as if we were hunting). After that day (about 2 weeks ago), I backed off and went back to no gun shots (next time I'll start with the gun further away).
That said, my biggest concern now is not how to re-introduce the gun shots. Rather, a bigger concern, my pup now runs to the bird/bumper, and now just stands or sits right next to it. He won't pick it up and he won't return it to me. If I start walking towards him, sometimes he'll pick it up and then return it to me. Sometimes. Often, he does nothing but sit or lay down next to it. I'm totally confused on what has caused this (the gun shots?) or now to fix it. I mean, this was a pup who was returning retrieves, with or without whistle twills, on or off land/water, 100% of the time, no questions asked. Now, its like I never trained him at all. Even once I walk up to him, I'll give the command GET IT, [I use "Get it" instead of "Fetch"] and he'll just look at me.
I'm so frustrated. He's 8 months old and was doing so well, and I feel like I've ruined him starting a couple weeks ago with the gun shots.
Thoughts? I appreciate any help I can get.
-AJ