ORIGINAL: bwhunter501
ok well heres another question. how would i go about introducing my lab to ducks and geese?
Next time you baga goose and duck, take thewings from them and put them in ziplock bags-bags for specific ducks, bag for geese. Each has it's own scent so make the training scents exactly as they will be when the dog encounters them in the field. My buddy's lab has a great nose for upland game but he wouldn't retrieve a downed bird.I cut the wing off a pheasant and teased him with it and got him excited then threw it and my buddy gave the fetch command as he does with the dogs toys during play time. The dog ran over grabbed the wing and brought it right back to him. He has retrieved every upland bird since. The geese are another story, He came across his first goose and didn't know what to do with it because of it's size. We have started working with him using 4 goose wings tied together around a sand filled canvas dummy. The wings give off the scent and feel of the birds feathers while the sand adds weight to the dummy. This has worked well and he now retrieves all types ofbirds. Make your training sessionswith him short about 15 mins and train often if possible 3 or more times a day. As a pup his attention span will be very short so 15 mins is on the long side. And always try to end the session on a positive- if he fails to grasp what it is you are teaching go back to something he already knows and does well, have him do it, praise him and give it a rest for awhile.