I got a great question from Dave C. He has a nine year old lab that loves to retriever pheasants but does not like to retrieve ducks. This actually has happened to me at a AKC field trial. I always train with pheasants and never thought about what my dog would do to a fresh shot duck. Well I found out in a hurry that my dog went out to the live flyer and he wouldn't pick it up. I was just dumb founded that this could happen. I went home that night with a fresh dead duck and threw it for him. He ran out to the duck and looked at it and then looked at me and he refused to pick it up. I called my dog back and took him over to the dead duck and made him sit while I put the duck in his mouth. What I did was reinforce what hold means. I made sure he held the duck on his own. When he was holding it I gave him positive reinforcement. I told him when he did really good and when he didn't hold the duck I told him "NO" and put it back in his mouth. This step may take some time. Some dogs can be very stubborn and some dogs say ok and I will retrieve it. I usually do it for about 5 minutes and then I take a break for a couple minutes and let the dog have some fun and then right back at it again. The session should last no more than 15 minutes of working time. I try to do this a couple times a day.
After a few days of doing this I will throw the duck again and see if he will retrieve it. Usually they will, but if they don't then you just need to keep doing the process with them.
What I have learned over the years is that some birds have a bad taste on their feathers. Dogs sometimes don't like ducks and woodcocks.
Great question! Keep sending them in.
After a few days of doing this I will throw the duck again and see if he will retrieve it. Usually they will, but if they don't then you just need to keep doing the process with them.
What I have learned over the years is that some birds have a bad taste on their feathers. Dogs sometimes don't like ducks and woodcocks.
Great question! Keep sending them in.
