[tjlab]

I know I am not good at this gundog training lark....not the proper stuff, obedience I am fine but really only just getting into shooting.

Diva, now 3.5yrs old has been gold good citizen trained but got very bored with classes so we decided to take her out with the gun. Only on our farm retrieving rabbit or pigeons.

The thing I need help with is not her finding them (although thats another problem we do have because she wont always listen to me, but does get there in the end!) its when she has found the rabbit picked it up and is heading back to me, she goes soooo slow.......plod plod plod. Now Diva is fast, she goes out fast and then hunts for it not madly but keenly, picks it up and plods.

Now when we do this at home or training with dummys, tennis balls etc she is fast....100 miles an hour fast. Gives it to me in my hand in front of me. But give her a dead whatever and its plod plod plod. When we train she gets lots of encoragement, if I crouch down and fling my arms open and call "Diva come" she does. But when we are in a field in the dark, with hubbie waiting to drive on and get the next rabbit I cant do this.... he would kill me for scaring them off!!! And ban me and Diva from going again....!!

How do I get her to come back to me with a bit of speed......?????

Thanks in advance

Trace x

 

[Ettinsmoor]

That's interesting Trace! Not sure I can be a lot of help because its normally the other way round. Slow on the boring old dummies but mad keen on the real thing.

Could it be that she wants the rabbit for herself so is reluctant to deliver it to you?

You could try doing some retrieves with the rabbits the next day, so you can put in all your encouragement and see if that speeds her up at all.

 

[tjlab]

It could be Jill, we did have issues over baby ones.... and her trying to eat them but we got over that one, I did have to be very hard on her over that and I thought I had done that all wrong but now if its little and not much left she will pick it up and bring it back ok.

I do try the rabbit or bird the next day and on her own when I can encourage her, but she still plods...and plod and plods..... swap for a dummy or ball or anything else and its much faster.

I have never tried fur around the dummy...should I try that??

Told you I am rubbish at this

Trace x

 

[Becs]

I did have to be very hard on her over that and I thought I had done that all wrong but now if its little and not much left she will pick it up and bring it back ok.

Maybe she thinks she has done wrong if she got in bother for eating them/not bringing them back previously, and so now she is cautious about coming back to you?

Just a thought.

Becs and The Gang

 

[rach_willibob]

What's her breeding Trace? Is she a ploddy show dog? :wink: :lol: (Joke)

 

[Ettinsmoor]

Well Trace I asked because one of my Weimaraners was rather reluctant to bring game back to me. She did because she knew that she must but she really did want it for herself. She started out life as a "pheasant eater".

I did manage to improve it a bit by using cold game and yes rabbit fur put on dummies, but I have to say it never completely disappeared.

 

[tjlab]

Rach no, she isnt a Deeds pup......... ha ha she will kill me for saying that!!

She is a small bitch and extremely fast, until she gets a rabbit or pigeon in her mouth. I remember Di when she walked with me not long ago saying as Diva speeded past...."who the hell was that, cos she is b****y fast!!"

Becs the little rabbits didnt come til the end of our shooting season when the wheat was higher than them, so she had retrieved hundreds of rabbits before the little ones came along and we had the battle of not eating the little ones. So I dont think it was that.

She has had a few months off now and so we will start again soon and I will do the dummy and fur, and cold game as Jill suggests with lots of encouragement.

I fear you are right though Jill, she wants them really to eat, and thats my fault as well...!!! Until a yr ago I allowed them to eat the odd freshly caught bunny. But not anymore, after the neighbours poisoned pheasent carcases and one of my dogs got hold of one. :evil: (she recovered ok I must add, luckily)

Thanks guys

Trace x

 

[JohnW]

Is she fast with a Dummy Trace?

Regards, John

 

[tjlab]

Yep she is John, its just the rabbits and pigeons.

Trace x