# Real birds?



## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

OK, so have been doing a lot of work with my new friend with dummies. Got her retrieving them awesome. Well, I shot a Grouse back 2 weeks ago or so, brought the bird home and tried to do some training with her. She absolutely refused to take that bird or retrieve it. I took her out duck hunting today and same thing she went after the downed bird but refused to touch it. Can you get past this or is it all over? How do you get her to get the real birds? Thanks again guys.


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

Keep at it!

You can always force fetch your dog also.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

Get a pigeon, lock the wings, and turn it loose. You'll see the prey drive come out and the trepidation melt away.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

I appreciate the feed back. do you know where I could get some pigeons? Anyone got some for sale around southern Utah County?


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## hunter_orange13 (Oct 11, 2008)

what i'm training my dog with is a 2 lieter bottle and some duck wings rubber banned on. she LOVES it! but i do not know much about training dogs. i just got a collie a few months ago as a pup and i want to try and train her. haha and i'm only 15...


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> I appreciate the feed back. do you know where I could get some pigeons? Anyone got some for sale around southern Utah County?


KSL classifieds always seems to have some for $3 to $4 each.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> Get a pigeon, lock the wings, and turn it loose. You'll see the prey drive come out and the trepidation melt away.


+1, but I'd just pull the flight feathers and let that pigeon try to flap away and move like a real bird. That is, unless the dog shows fear. Then I'd lock the wings.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

Again, thanks for the info. I have her retrieving a dummie with a pheasant hide just fine. Yet she is not keen on real birds I can't figure it. I went out duck hunting and got another duck and was able to finally get her to accept and keep the bird in her mouth. Thought I was doing good but no dice through it and she wouldt pick it up. She'll accept it from hadn 3/4 of the time now and follow me around carrying it. But 1/4 of the time she doesnt want anything to do with it. So tell me more about this force fetch? Thanks again guys.


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

USMARINEhuntinfool said:


> Again, thanks for the info. I have her retrieving a dummie with a pheasant hide just fine. Yet she is not keen on real birds I can't figure it. I went out duck hunting and got another duck and was able to finally get her to accept and keep the bird in her mouth. Thought I was doing good but no dice through it and she wouldt pick it up. She'll accept it from hadn 3/4 of the time now and follow me around carrying it. But 1/4 of the time she doesnt want anything to do with it. So tell me more about this force fetch? Thanks again guys.


Here is a couple good articles about it that I have used to Force Fetch a couple labs with good results. You also might want to get some hands on advise from a trainer as FF can be a difficult thing to go though.

http://www.oakhillkennel.com/library/force/force1.html
http://www.oakhillkennel.com/library/force/force2.html

Mark


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

SUCCESS!!! I was able to get her to retrieve one of the ducks after some quality time together. I was able to end the session with her returning the bird to hand releasing on the command "Give". Thanks for the help and the Links. Hoping that she remembers it tomorrow when we try it again.


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## cornerfinder (Dec 4, 2008)

Its about the smell. Its foreign to them. Try scenting your dummy’s or bumpers. First introduce them to bumpers or dummies and then gradually add more and more scent. And remember to praise them they want to make you,the leader of the pack happy. you can buy scent at any sporting good store. or juce one of your ducks.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I was going to suggest that you do exactly what you are aparently doing already. Keep encouraging her, have patience and let her know that the way to please you is to bring back all those lovely little dead feathered critters that daddy shoots.
As she has now retrieved a bird, you are aparently going about it the right way, or a good approximation. Just keep it up and I am sure that she will come along just fine. 
That being said, Force Fetch is one of the single most valuable things to go through with your dog. It will make her BELIEVE that she has absolutely no choice in the matter, and MUST retrieve what you tell her to. That will help avoid problems in the future.

I did not force fetch my lab, and I STILL have to convince him that there is something out there for him to find, if he doesn't see it fall, it does not exist for him, and he WILL NOT go look for it, most of the time anyway, until I throw a rock or cattail or something similar to prove to him that SOMETHING is out there to be fetched. :roll: 

When he IS convinced though, he will hunt it down if it takes an hour. :mrgreen:


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