# Softening up the mouth



## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

I have another question about my dog and training him up right. He is a small mut lab mix but he has a great instinct, nose, energy plus he is fairly obedient to wistle and voice commands. He retrieves a bumper forever. My problem is bird retrieves. He is smallish so he has trouble with pheasant sized birds but is OK with dove/quail sized birds. But he tears the crap out of the birds. I shot a pheasant the other day not a pellet in the breasts or legs but the dang dog nearly destroyed the breasts with his teeth. Is there a way to change this or do I just use him on flushes not to retrieve?


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## threshershark (Sep 7, 2007)

It is a "fixable" condition with most dogs although it usually does take time.

Personally I would go through a force fetch cycle with the dog. Start with hard objects like a thick wooden dowel under controlled conditions, progressing to frozen birds when you think the dog is ready. Then move to freshly killed birds, still under controlled circumstances where you can discourage biting immediately and praise compliance.

This is usually not a really big time commitment, but consistency and repetition are the key. Take 5 minutes a day and work on it every day.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

+1


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## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

Thanks for the help. I'll give it a go.


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## Ironman (Sep 7, 2007)

You may have a problem if the other breed your dog carries was a terrier or the like, which are notorious for killing first (even if its already dead) and then retrieving.
If the mouth is really hard, you might want to start with a metal wire brush in a sock rather than a wooden dowel. It will get his attention real fast that he should not bite hard, but pick up and carry with care.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I used to have a friend who used barbed wire for this purpose, he would take about ten feet or so of it and wrap it around a retrieving bumper, if he thought it was necesssary he would file the sharpest ends down a little before using it, but it will definitely break a dog of hard mouth in a hurry. other ideas include carpet spike application to a wood dowel or such, they embed and still leave a sharp protrusion that accomplishes the same thing. Maybe bundling some carpet tack strips together point side out would do it.
I also read somewhere that if you take a cork dummy and drill/cut small shallow holes in it, then jam steel shot pellets into the holes (BB or Larger) just below the surface level of the cork, then it makes for an uncomfortable bite if they get too rough. Course my silly dog thinks the height of fun is to chew shotgun brass into tacks. But then he does have a very soft mouth on game too. :?: 
Variations on this theme will probably work for you.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Here's an excerpt from Dave Duffey in this month's edition of _Gun Dog_ :


> ...very hard plastic dummies are stupid...dogs seem driven to munch, gnaw, and chew on hard objects, possibly an atavistic urge dating back to their bone-chewing days...the difficulty hunters have lately been experiencing with hard-mouthed dogs has been exacerbated by rigid training dummies, wooden retrieving bucks and other hard objects...The exclusive use of hard dummies can cause hard-mouth in retrievers and contributes to difficulties in getting a gun dog to fetch "naturally".


For training purposes, Mr. Duffey goes on to advocate using the semi-soft plastic dummies with knurls and knobbiness. Or better yet, the new fake ducks with wobbly heads like the Dokken Dead Fowl Trainer or the Real Duck dummies.

I would also add that I agree with Ironman. The mix in your Lab could be wreaking its genetic revenge.


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