Frustration
 

I brought my black lab out hunting with me for the first time. He is only 7 months but i thought he was ready. Been training him all summer and throughout the training he did awesome.... darn near perfect. I shot the first duck and i know he seen it land...... he watched it come in... and when i shot it it landed 10 yards away and he just looked at it and then to me as if to say.... you get it..... i went out and got the duck in my chest waiters and the dog followed me out... he picked up the duck and brought it back with him..... i tried to take it away from him with all the commands i taught him during training... i told him to sit.... he did.... i told him to give and i put my hand on the duck... he had the thing in a vice grip and would not let go....

How do i fix him not letting go of the duck?

and

How do i teach him that when i shoot and drop a duck... he goes and gets it?

RE: Frustration
 

Take an get the dog in front of you, kneel down to him, an put your left hand on the bird, an right hand....pet down his right side, when you get to the hind quarters....just in front of the hip, is an area of skin callled the hind flank.....loose skin between leg an belly.....you take your hand an pinch it, and at the same time say drop, Dog should release the bird, and go to the pinch....the instant you feel it spitting out the bird, stop the pinch, an pet an praise. Now you might have to pinch a lil bit harder, or pinch the skin an roll it. You got the feel of the dog, I dont. Some people will say blow in its ear, it works, but I wont, just not comfortable with. You are welcome to pm me, an we can discuss more if you would like. ok? Thanks Jonesy

RE: Frustration
 

tailcrackin is exactly right, the loose skin right before the dogs hind legs is the spot to pull/pinch. Done it many many times w/ rabbits & waterfowl.

RE: Frustration
 

Good advice on the letting go.... the following is what worked for me...
To get him to go get the duck. Its back to yard or at least field work. Stand with him at heel. with your shotgun. shoot and throw bumper or better yet have someone else stand behind you and throw it. repeat and repeat and repeat until he associates the gunshot with him having a retrieve you will know when he starts the association cause he will want to jump the shot.
Kind of like when you are introducing the gun to the dog.
Eventually he will be breaking on the shot. that will remedy the (not wanting to get the bird) but now you will have a breaking problem. and that is easily corrected with correctly timed shock collar correction and the sit / heal command.

RE: Frustration
 

It's kind of funny in a way. Train the dog to perfection but when the dog is on birds, everything goes out the window. There's a gentleman who owns a britt in which he's planning on hunting this season. My suggestion, go to the public hunting grounds before opening day because they release pheasants the day before. He thinks he's got the dog well trained but the dog hasn't seen a bird before. I just can't wait to see the dog once it finally comes across a bird.

RE: Frustration
 

thank you everyone for the advice and i plan to use it once it stops raining

RE: Frustration
 

Is this dog FF?