Has anyone had a Lab on a retrieve bring the bird back fine but then drops it once, maybe 2 or 3 times before coming to heel and holding the bird? The drops are always close to me or around me. I have repeated retrieves over and over day after day and this is a habit I can't break. Any help?? [:@][:'(]

The cure = Force Fetch (FF).

How old is your dog?
What training book are you following as your guide?
I don't know of any modern training book that doesn't have a chapter on FF.

By repeating (bad) retrieves "time after time and day after day", you are just training him to continue to drop the bird.

Doc is dead right! You need to revisit hold and fetch. Dobbs website has a few good articles on these topics. I think it is www.dobbsdogs.com Visit the library section of the site.

Good Luck and Good Training

Drake

My Lab is almost three years old and has been force fetched. He will do good retrieves with a dummy, but put the bird in his mouth and his training goes away. I think some of it came from when he was almost a year old and we were hunting doves. He did a good job at first, but after a few birds he started refusing to retrieve or pick the bird up. So back to force fetching and retraining after that. I have never used him on doves since but still does the drop as he gets near a person. Generally finds birds well, flushes them and goes immdeiately to a downed bird, only won't continue to bring the bird in right to heal. I have had other dogs I've trained, and this is a first time habit for me which I can't get trained out of him. He will hold and fetch after he drops it and etc., but will not bring all the way into heal without a drop or two.

If your dog is properly FFd, he won't be dropping birds.

You need to re-visit FF with birds.

Doc is right on! A PROPERLY FF'd dog will not be dropping birds. If you tell him to fetch something ......a can , a brush a stick.....he better fetch it. No Exceptions.


Good Luck and Good Training

I'd agree with everyone's answer of force fetch.
Watch the dog on the return and when you see her/him get ready to drop the bird try a verbal reinforcement like hold (if you used it during FF) or a quick heel.
Another one you can try is with a water retrieve. Start close to the water so the dog doesn't have time to drop the bird. Slowly increase distance.
And if you only have trouble with birds and not bumpers, then you probably need to use more birds.
Just my two cents.

LV.. Is your dog collar conditioned? I had a similar problem when my boy came out of the water...he would drop...shake....then pick up the bird. I put him back on the check cord.....worked on short water marks when he went to drop the bird he got a nick....after 2-3 nicks he stopped dropping. I only suggest this IF YOUR DOG IS CC'd.

Good Luck and Good Training!

Drake