[duhunter5]

I've got a female golden retreiver.We got her so that she could duck hunt with us. But she will just NOT pick up a duck. Does anyone have any suggestions? PLEASE HELP! :help:

 

[gsphunter]

Does she have any natural retrieve with dummies or will she not pick anything up? How old is she? Did she come from a working blood lines? Alot of golden retrievers have become really watered down due to the popularity they have as pets.
After asking these questions, here is a possible solution.
It sounds like you need to force fetch her. This method uses pressure to train a retrieve into a dog. A good source for you to look at is Smartfetch by Evan Graham. Another book you could try is the NAVHDA Green Book. Force fetching should cure your problems.

 

[duhunter5]

The funny thing is, is that shell pick up a dummie or even a wing. But when it comes to the real thing she jus wont do it. I think that shes 7yrs. old. But I dont really know if she had it in her blood.

 

[gsphunter]

If she will retrieve dummies and other things than I would recommend reading the book I mentioned on Force Fetching and make sure you follow the steps exactly as they tell you because this is a high pressure training and something that you do not want to mess up.

 

[SteveInTN]

Did you say the dog is 7 years old?

If that is the case, I don't think the Force Fetch is really a good idea. Definately NOT a good idea for a novice trainer. Consult with a local Pro to see if they would even consider doing it. Otherwise, try to convince the dog that real birds are fun. If that doesn't work, get a puppy and start 'em right!

Just my opinion...

:thumbsup:

 

[98ramtough]

yeah seven years old is pretty late to start advanced things like force fetch. Try freezing a dead duck, and get her super excited about it. Work with her on real short retrieves in the yard, once she picks that up move to the water. Just keep your patience and work on getting her excited and I am sure you can get her to get downed ducks..... (If she likes to retrieve)

 

[duhunter5]

Thanks guys for your advice ill try my best. Although ive even tried the frozen duck method. So how can i get her "excited about it?"

 

[IBBoykin]

Their are many dog training books that discuss the aspect of force fetch retrieving. This is the exact purpose for which it is intended, even though some people think all dogs should be force fetch trained. Keep in mind, when it comes to force fetch training, you cannot stop until the training process is totally complete, otherwise risk ruining the dog. I reccommend you hire a professional trainer to do this for you, in order to get the best results.

 

[98ramtough]

Thanks guys for your advice ill try my best. Although ive even tried the frozen duck method. So how can i get her "excited about it?"

chase her around the yard wearing a pink dress blowing a kazoo swinging the duck... Roll around in bacon fat and swing the duck!

Seriously, just find what excites the dog, and associate it with the duck....

Mike

 

[gsphunter]

Sorry guys I was saw 7 and thought months and FF was something he could consider in the future. I would imagine though that a 7 YEAR old dog could still be FF it would just take much longerMy one year old shorthair will retrieve, but it is sloppy and inconsistent. I am going to start her on it after season this year so I don't have any interruptions in training.

 

[duhunter5]

On that note even though she is seven she can run nostop forever. And is in AWESOME SHAPE.