I have a Boykin Spaniel that is almost two years old. She delivers to the hand 99% of the time. She casts well in water. But when I send her on a blind retreive on land, she goes spastic. If she doesn't find the bumber or Doken in the first couple of minutes, she just runs around the yard hap hazardly. She knows the sit/look command. If she is not retreiving, I can do one blast on the whistle and she will sit and turn to look at me 90% of the time. She will also do this in water 99% of the time, I think it is because the water slows her down. I feel like when she is doing a blindretreive on land, she gets so excited and wants to get find the bumper for me so bad that she is oblivious to the whistle. She disregards the whistle doing blind retreiveson land, especially when in the back yard. I have not forced fetched her and I don't think I have it in me to do the ear pinching. She doesn't have this problem on sighted retreives. I was wondering if an e-collar might aid me in stopping her.

How many confidence drills have you done? It is hard to learn what has not ben taught. What I mean is that the hardest thing to do in life is to teach a dog to run a straight line. How many bumpers you got, and have we got access to a field where bumpers can be seen by the dog? Something with a slope, you want the dog to see the bumpers. Reason being when you send dog "back" it learns through repitition that the bird or bumper is there. You don't have to start out big Start out short 40-50yds. You should be able to see it getting comfortable in this distance, then graduate up to 70, then 100.Remember you are teaching, 3-4 bumpers in the pile at a time, don't over do!!Thisshould also helpmellow out the panic mode. Force fetching is not hard just takes time, I found the toe pull is better for myself, it is all in timing. This style works well for me, which does overlay into the e-collar. You can back step ino your ob, to re-enforce the whistle sit. And when she starts accepting and you have got her responding well on the whistle command. When you hit the whistle to stop, let it sit there for little bit, you stand there readyto cast or to correct her movement. This will help calm the nerves. You'll see it relax, then nice and easy, cast. You see where I am goin with that?? You don't understand ask I will help you work this out for you. If I lost you, or you got any ques. you can re-post or e-mail [email protected] Or feel free to phone 859-985-2918, Thanks Jonesy "Jonesy's Gun Dogs"