Spaniel Wont Retrieve

[fay 75]

my pup is coming on well except she wont retreive she picks up but runs with it she 4 months now ive tried doing it in a small room but shes not bothered how will i go about fixing this atb

[Casso 1,256]

Is that the one you been scruffing and slapping ??

[fay 75]

wat u on about

[fay 75]

casso what are u on about scruffing and slapping please enlighten me where your getting this from as i dont even no who you are

[skycat 6,172]

I think he's referring to an earlier post you made about the pup when she was 11 weeks old and you scruffed or slapped it for growling at you over a bone, or some food. By doing that, you would have damaged the trust and potential bond between you and the pup, and they never forget that you failed to understand them.

A dog will only retrieve something it has chased, or something of value, if it trusts you completely. Break that trust, and you may always have issues when it comes to training, especially retrieving. Retrieving involves the dog being in one of two, or three places in its mind. It may retrieve because it has been force trained, using pain, or it may retrieve instinctively through its breeding, or it may retrieve because it sees you as the best place to be when it is in the 'zone', in prey drive, feeling on a high about catching or carrying.

A dog that doesn't trust you won't retrieve because you failed it somewhere along the line. I'm not just the pot trying to call the kettle black. Many years ago, I ruined the trust between me and a lurcher pup, and she never retrieved to me. She'd retrieve to someone else out lamping, but not to me: even now, I feel ashamed of how I failed that dog by not understanding that most basic knowledge of trust, and all that it means.

 

On a more positive note: have you tried playing tug games with your pup? This can establish recall and retrieve through play, and if you're interested, I can send you the articles I wrote on the subject. Pm me your email and I can send them.

[fay 75]

lol that was for tearing the hand of me shes grand now after that she never did really like brining anyting back even befor i scruffed her for biting

[fay 75]

tanxs skycat for your post i was told to try scruff her for biting and it worked

[Philluk 181]

Who told you to scruff a pup

[Philluk 181]

Sky is right bond and trust are important, tonight when I was in pet shop I bought some of those chews they look like a thick straw, my dog 2 yrs old was chewing One on the rug, I went down with my face close and bit the chew and had hold of it in my mouth he started to pull away whilst wagging his tail then we sort of played tuggy with it, then he let it go and started to lick my face laying on his back and playing.

 

That's trust, bonding and respect.

 

When you have that you can expand on it lose it and you have to work harder it can be done you've not done permanent damage you just have to tread more carefully

 

Note to self don't do it again they taste like shlt and you get bits stuck in teeth

[fay 75]

lol its on the post have a look and see the answears i got off people every 1 to there own i had no choice with youg kids in the house last ting for them to get bit but that was a lil vase that didnt last long shes grand now and has alot of trust in me she tinks its agame by running so i walk the opposit way so she will come to me

[socks 32,253]

Just sounds like an exuberant spaniel pup that wants to tear around with its prize .... Let it run around and when you see it slowing down or getting bored with the toy call her in and then give her massive praise .... As for a puppy aggressively biting I stop that instantly with a scuffing and a growly voice and I have never had any trust issues ... My dogs will run past as many people as you put in front of them and any obstacle to bring me their catch ... There are people on here that have seen them do it ........

[fay 75]

tanxs socks i did sort the biting out wht i did worked she is not afraid of me i have her going well so far except the retrieve part which to me is a the first ting he should b doing see when she goes off ith im not 1 for walking over to her then she will get use to that which i dont want she is a playfull dog and obident so far just thi art i need to work on

[bird 9,598]

I think he's referring to an earlier post you made about the pup when she was 11 weeks old and you scruffed or slapped it for growling at you over a bone, or some food. By doing that, you would have damaged the trust and potential bond between you and the pup, and they never forget that you failed to understand them.

A dog will only retrieve something it has chased, or something of value, if it trusts you completely. Break that trust, and you may always have issues when it comes to training, especially retrieving. Retrieving involves the dog being in one of two, or three places in its mind. It may retrieve because it has been force trained, using pain, or it may retrieve instinctively through its breeding, or it may retrieve because it sees you as the best place to be when it is in the 'zone', in prey drive, feeling on a high about catching or carrying.

A dog that doesn't trust you won't retrieve because you failed it somewhere along the line. I'm not just the pot trying to call the kettle black. Many years ago, I ruined the trust between me and a lurcher pup, and she never retrieved to me. She'd retrieve to someone else out lamping, but not to me: even now, I feel ashamed of how I failed that dog by not understanding that most basic knowledge of trust, and all that it means.

 

On a more positive note: have you tried playing tug games with your pup? This can establish recall and retrieve through play, and if you're interested, I can send you the articles I wrote on the subject. Pm me your email and I can send them.

a 100% with they never forget skycat , my young dog never bonded to me I know that, he bonded to Bryn my other lurcher, you can see it easy in him. when I bring them out of there separate kennel +run, he will wag his tail a bit and that's about it.But bring Bryn out his kennel , Buck all over him want to play and licks his face, deff more happy to see him than me. lol . But Buck will retrieve rabbit right to me no prob , and do as he told with all his training . And got to be honest really, as long as he does his job in the field what I had him for , that all that really matters to me, if he likes me or not . but skyat right dogs never forget, how they been treated, so if you can keep it nice and easy with any young pup, no dramas when its very young you can end up with good dog. my biggest prob was lack of patience when I was younger , all my family are the same, my old man used to say feck having a dog bloody things get gold fish its easier he was feckin right .Now I am older I am a lot better, prob as I don't take the hunting so serious as like I used to, as long the can catch kill something that will do me , life to short to worry about a feckin dog

[Mickey Finn 2,732]

4 months is pretty young. Too young to expect much in the way of obedience. But I would avoid teaching her to make mistakes going forward. Retrieving in a play setting should be structured so the pup has no choice but to return to you. Hallways are the best for this. Otherwise you could construct a narrow runway in your back yard. (garden). This way the the pup must run towards you. when she gets close you heap praise and make a fool of yourself. Just do a few at a time, and never pull the toy from the pups mouth. Distract her with praise, then pick it up. People who advise playing tug of war with a pup are not raising reliable gundogs.

 

ATB

[Philluk 181]

4 months is pretty young. Too young to expect much in the way of obedience. But I would avoid teaching her to make mistakes going forward. Retrieving in a play setting should be structured so the pup has no choice but to return to you. Hallways are the best for this. Otherwise you could construct a narrow runway in your back yard. (garden). This way the the pup must run towards you. when she gets close you heap praise and make a fool of yourself. Just do a few at a time, and never pull the toy from the pups mouth. Distract her with praise, then pick it up. People who advise playing tug of war with a pup are not raising reliable gundogs.

 

ATB

I play tug of war in a gentle way with mine, he loves it. We play we work and he is a reliable gun dog 2.5 yrs old a working machine whistle trained and will return a rabbit to hand or jump up and give it to me.

 

I agree you should be careful but it's a great way to encourage a dog that doesn't retrieve that well. I just do it when I'm playing with him.