Dog Not Retrieving!

[Attaboy 159]

I'm looking for some advice to help me to get my 2 year old lurcher to bring back the bunnies. His first rabbit on the lamp last season was textbook, but with cruel irony, he hasn't  done it that well again. He started killing them which I didn't  mind too much as he isn't  messing them up but still retrieving. Now, I'm lucky if he brings them back at all, despite going back to the retrieve training with rabbit skin dummy.

On the positive side, he's  catching most of what I slip him on.

[bird 9,594]

7 minutes ago, Attaboy said:

I'm looking for some advice to help me to get my 2 year old lurcher to bring back the bunnies. His first rabbit on the lamp last season was textbook, but with cruel irony, he hasn't  done it that well again. He started killing them which I didn't  mind too much as he isn't  messing them up but still retrieving. Now, I'm lucky if he brings them back at all, despite going back to the retrieve training with rabbit skin dummy.

On the positive side, he's  catching most of what I slip him on.

 (2 year old )   how old was the dog when you had it ?  , sometimes  just enjoy the dog for what it is, ok it wont retrieve , but could be worse it might not catch  lol     its only a rabbit mate, regards retrieve training  dogs get fed up with it big time, my best retriever  my big dog  only ever had couple with the dummy , he wasnt botherd so i left it , and let him catch and kill , he brought back no prob, ,  and not all lurchers will retrieve  anyway  no matter what you do just chill and enjoy the dog for what it is.

[Saltmoon 2,208]

Mine will retrieve tennis balls rabbit skin dummy all the time every time. He's only had a couple of real bunnys but he will catch them and just stand over it I don't mind that to be honest as my old bullx is have to chase after him before he ate it so I'm happy for him to stand over it and wait for me. Plus the fields I go arnt that big so not much walking to get it 

[Attaboy 159]

Thanks Bird, got him as a pup, only just turned 2. For various reasons I didn't get out much with him last season but he was retrieving then (mostly). 

He gets bored of retrieve training quite quickly so, like you say, I may just not bother.

Like you say, he's catching well, that's the important thing and it's only a rabbit. It might come right again as the novelty wears off.

meanwhile, I can live with being a Labrador myself!

[shaaark 10,136]

6 minutes ago, Attaboy said:

Thanks Bird, got him as a pup, only just turned 2. For various reasons I didn't get out much with him last season but he was retrieving then (mostly). 

He gets bored of retrieve training quite quickly so, like you say, I may just not bother.

Like you say, he's catching well, that's the important thing and it's only a rabbit. It might come right again as the novelty wears off.

meanwhile, I can live with being a Labrador myself!

As bird, and yourself, have said, alot of lurchers can get bored with retrieving training very easily/quickly. As pups I only do 2 or 3 retrieves then stop, a couple of times a week when they're roughly 10 - 12 weeks, and that's it. Then until they start working I'll probably give them 1 or 2 retrieves every couple of weeks or so. I think retrieve traing is THE most common part of training which is massively overdone.

My best dog for retrieving though, would retrieve NOTHING, and I mean nothing, until I started working him. Then every rabbit or hare he caught would be retrieved straight back to me!

[shaaark 10,136]

I should add that I am NOT the best dog trainer by far, but I also find when retrieve training with a pup, don't be in a rush to take the ball, dummy or whatever, off the pup, and let them have a good rag about with it, they normally come back to you with the dummy for another go, and you're then already halfway there. Works every time for me. I know this isn't really answering your question, but maybe of some help in the future. Good luck mate

[Black neck 15,162]

Kick the b*****d

[two crows 3,342]

47 minutes ago, shaaark said:

As bird, and yourself, have said, alot of lurchers can get bored with retrieving training very easily/quickly. As pups I only do 2 or 3 retrieves then stop, a couple of times a week when they're roughly 10 - 12 weeks, and that's it. Then until they start working I'll probably give them 1 or 2 retrieves every couple of weeks or so. I think retrieve traing is THE most common part of training which is massively overdone.

My best dog for retrieving though, would retrieve NOTHING, and I mean nothing, until I started working him. Then every rabbit or hare he caught would be retrieved straight back to me!

most of the gundog boys over do it to, and neglect steadiness, I have a cocker bitch pup here who gets bored with that, and wont retrieve she is rock steady all I do is leave one ore two car dusting mits round the yard and do nothing she will find and retrieve every one every time, without any prompting, she will work two days most weeks all winter with my pack and be a gooden at the end, try letting him retrieve some thing he wants to carry, might work.

[Attaboy 159]

This is all good to hear. I thought I hadn't done enough. 

[Casso 1,256]

As the man said and well put , don’t be in a panic to get the perfect retrieve with pups 

the pup should be in the same head space with an object on its own and also in your space,

holding something prized in its jaws while moving around your space is a predatory act,

if you think about it, no pup walks around  with a prized item in the wild without going unchallenged unless they are the most predatory in the pack, it’s a state of mind a feel good state

retrieve in pups should start from a carry, can the pup carry a prized item along side, without feeling venerable without going into a submissive/ preylike state, 

if the pup is older, get a handle on how it interprets food , it’s also highly prized, and mostly always given space, get the dog making contact for food , it ups the ante on addressing its confidence around you,  get it pushing into you to handfeed , a dog can’t hold onto fear while making physical contact with us 

The more trusting a dog is , the more conifident it is with items it values, the easier life is all round 

 

[two crows 3,342]

at the moment the dogs are bringing apples to me all the time, they eat them so after I accept it I give it back, I feel this creates trust and shows I don't want to take every thing  away.

[Dinosaurs 2,008]

On 01/09/2018 at 12:17, Black neck said:

Kick the b*****d

You been talking to mushroom?? Atb

[LurcherLad1998 61]

Just walk away mate, minght loose odd rabbit but should get hang of it soon enough atb