ORIGINAL: sportsman22

I've been training my Springer Spaniel for 5 months now. He is a very fast learner and is starting to quarter the field.

Last night I made a stupid mistake while doing simple retrieving excercises. I have a bumper on a rope that I wind up to swing and throw underhand. After about three tosses, I wound up a little harder than usual and right before I releases Riley made an attempt toward the bumper and I hit the left side of his mouth. He is not as eager and is more shy to train. I learned a lesson the hard way and hopefully it is just temporary.

With my stupid mistake, I just want to let everyone know that you should consider the safety of your dog while training.