When is enough enough ?

[Hepe]

I also have to add that i think it's admirable to pay for training trying to solve things, i know i wouldn't have been hard pressed to do the same.

Helene

[pontbeck]

It may be it's a difficult dog, really, the thing is, if it's the dog being not so good then moving him on might be a good idea but i think we all here sort of hope it's something you can solve by doing something differently to solve it. That's why it might seem that we 'blame' you for the irritating stuff, i know for sure i don't. So don't take it personal that we seem to pick on you rather than the dog, thing is, we can't talk with the dog. And yes, it's confusing with advice which goes against each other for sure, i understand that bit too.

Helene

That's why I'm asking a) about the pro-trainer and b) about the pedigree
If a good pro-trainer has struggled to suitably progress a young dog over 2 months, then it may be a very difficult dog (or not the best trainer....)

I have to completely agree
At 13 months it's too early,IMO , to pass the dog on. You say the dog retrieves it's the delivery that's the problem. If that is the case I cannot believe this will not be resolved. I have a 22 month old bitch I bred, she would play around but now is 100%

[Megsdad]

Fenboy I feel your pain!
You've way more experience than me as I've only owned my one dog.
I've been through every training problem reported on this forum and attended numerous training classes. Met some of the top names and had conflicting advice.
I'm not going down the 'bond with your dog' route here!
But the best advice I got from an old contributor to this forum (like Voldemort we cannot mention HIS name) was:
'Don't 'train' your dug. Learn to play with it'. Indoors and outdoors make it fun for the dog. Believe me it works. Look on YouTube for inspiration? I get my cocker to retrieve the tv remote and hold it until I said leave it. Loads of games like that then translate to outdoors. Your dog is no age. Don't give up!

[Judy]

Yup and playing is bonding its a two way thing!

Fenboy, I'm sorry I misread 8 weeks as a month, time flies when yer old! Have you tried other things besides dummies? Find something he likes and try throwing that instead, wouldn't recommend the TV remote though, he's a Lab he might eat it.

[eastie]

If you're asking on here if you should get rid, you probably think you should. Follow your gut, it's your dog, and your relationship with it. Why would you buy a dog with such poor breeding if you wanted to work it anyway?

[fenboy]

If you're asking on here if you should get rid, you probably think you should. Follow your gut, it's your dog, and your relationship with it. Why would you buy a dog with such poor breeding if you wanted to work it anyway?

Two reasons , A, I am a idiot and B, I know someone who had a pup from the dams previous litter that made a very good working dog.

But it is not a mistake I will make again .

The reason I am asking on here was interested what others thought , and hopefully someone would hopefully tell me "it will all be ok in the end" type of thing.
My honest instinct is I would like to give him more time , the trouble being if I do and it does not work out it will be another two seasons of wildfowling pretty much ruined.

As always replies differ some saying get rid others saying stick with it

[fenboy]

Yup and playing is bonding its a two way thing!

Fenboy, I'm sorry I misread 8 weeks as a month, time flies when yer old! Have you tried other things besides dummies? Find something he likes and try throwing that instead, wouldn't recommend the TV remote though, he's a Lab he might eat it.

He will not be getting the TV remote Judy , he is and will remain a outdoors boy and is quite content as such.

He is happy carrying anything around from logs to bricks its purely getting him to deliver really.

I have had a couple of suggestions that may help.
I did try what Hepe suggested tonight as he was due his tea, recall for a handful of biscuits no problem (recall alone is not bad ) repeated it a few time , then thought sod it in for a penny in for a pound tossed the dummy out , recalled and he was straight back with it , so I may give that a try and see how it goes without using the dummy too much .
I realise this may leave me with another issue to solve later down the line though.

[Nonehpets]

If you're asking on here if you should get rid, you probably think you should. Follow your gut, it's your dog, and your relationship with it. Why would you buy a dog with such poor breeding if you wanted to work it anyway?

Two reasons , A, I am a idiot and B, I know someone who had a pup from the dams previous litter that made a very good working dog.

But it is not a mistake I will make again .

Fenboy you are not an idiot and there is no reason why the dog cannot make a good working dog if you still want to work at it with him. Every once in a while each of us meets a dog that we don't gel with as well as others and I think Milo is probably yours.

I suspect this particular issue is rooted back in your earlier frustrations with similar retrieving issues and this shows that what seemed like a resolution at the time wasn't enough or was limited before it became totally ingrained? I think Milo is pulling your chain because he knows he can get away with it.

Now you can see what is going to happen here already? everyone is offering you different advice and the camps are forming for get rid of Milo or persevere ... that really is a decision that ONLY YOU can make. If you went to the trainer I believe you were advised to contact, from what I know of them, I can only think that that person does not consider this issue to be the highest priority in Milo's training needs but that it is fixable.

I think you need to make the decision first as to whether to stick with Milo or move him on. Then I suggest you pick out the piece of advice that makes most sense to you and pursue that - either use PM to ask for more information from the poster or do some research on it yourself ... otherwise you will tie yourself and Milo in knots. Then having decided on steps to make - do it and keep doing it; when a problem arises training out the problem is rather like taking antibiotics - if you stop the penicillin early the bacteria grows stronger and more resistant to medicine. Every time we try to fix a dog training issue if we stop at the first signs of success old habits creep back stronger than before.

Cathy

[Solo]

a friend of mine had the same problem .if the dog drops dummy just put it back in its mouth and tell it to hold and back away from the dog till it comes to you it will come to you . if dog runs away with dummy just turn away and walk away from the dog he will come to you at some point . sit down he come to see what your doing stroke his head but dont take dummy until he is looking at you . then plenty praise

[fenboy]

a friend of mine had the same problem .if the dog drops dummy just put it back in its mouth and tell it to hold and back away from the dog till it comes to you it will come to you . if dog runs away with dummy just turn away and walk away from the dog he will come to you at some point . sit down he come to see what your doing stroke his head but dont take dummy until he is looking at you . then plenty praise

I have really tried this approach to death ,yes the dog will eventually come to me if I sit / stand still or walk away , it may take upwards of 10 minutes though.
All the praise in the world has not changed his attitude towards it though and the next retrieve he gets generally ends the same way .