good or BAD

[wabbit slayer 16]

We were out walking our dogs one day, me with my 12month old lab and the wife with her 6month pug. all over this land are small ponds surrounded by holiday caravans, so cause their is plenty of water about the place is full of ducks, on the water, walking about, and just chilling out.

Anyway my dog sees somthing and bolts to the right out of my view near some caravans

next minute she came running back with a duck hanging out of her mouth. after i called her a few times she ran over to me and handed it over. the duck was ok but looked shaken? So i gave it a shove back into the air wherby it came straight back down into the nearby dyke. my lab jumped to her feet and threw her self into the dyke after it. anyway the duck seemed to be able to swim faster than my lab so it made its escape.

My wife was not best pleased saying You only said she went after rabbits!

I used to take her rabbiting as a pup then stopped cause i was told she was too young and had got into the habbit of always wanting to hunt when we were out. anyway i am just starting her off again. Would you say she was out of order going for the duck or just following her hunting instinks? I was unsure wether to punnish her or not. what do you think?

[Lab 10,979]

Your wondering if you should punish your Lab because it retrieved a duck live to hand? ......I think you should punish your wife........

[wabbit slayer 16]

I agree :-) bad wife :-(

it did take her a few comands to come to me though.

[Lab 10,979]

Its still a pup mate.......I'd guess with your post you've never trained it too do it so its just a natural instinct. You should have praised it and count yourself lucky you could have a nice wee dog on your hands......

[The one 8,535]

Should of praised her ,too late to do anything after the deed is done

[Mooch. 177]

The crime was committed as soon as the dog ran off but the retrieve live to hand is obviously a good thing. You missed the chance to punish for unsteadiness but the retrieve should be praised. Punishment when it returned with the duck could result in the dog being unwilling to come back to you ( ie

[Mooch. 177]

ie the dogs last action.

[Dave C 63]

I agree with mooch

The dog is just doing what comes natural, its up to you to control that by making her steady and only go hunt or retrieve when commanded.

[stroller 341]

i have a friend who was thrown out of Henley regatta when her lab caught a duck and ate it in front of the posh crowd. it wasnt a working dog and this reply has no real bearing on your problem but its a good story.

 

I have a lurcher that catches all sorts of birds, moorhens are her favourite ive never taught her not too as she is a mooching dog. but i wouldnt allow my gundog to riot like that.

[ftm 3,357]

you should have the dog on the stop whistle asap -billy