pulling up grass

[guns and gossip]

Hi all,
So oscar has been going to gundog classes since he was about six months old, and he seems to when he is fetching the dummy he pulls the grass up around the dummy rather than just bringing the dummy straight back. Has anyone else every had this issue, could it be the colour perhaps?

Lauren

[Rascal]

How long has he been doing this? Can you think of anything that triggered this behaviour?

Don't think it's got anything to do with colour at all but possibly perceived pressure from the dogs point of view?

Rascal

[guns and gossip]

It probably started about a month into the training, it's not a constant think. He always does it right next to the dummy, whixh made me think it may have been the colour. Not really no, because as soon as he picks the toy up he brings it back. It's almost as if he is looking for the dummy using his month.
Lauren

[Rascal]

How much retrieving are you doing with him?

Rascal

Edited to add:- As he ever been physically corrected for running in or going for another dog's retrieve?

[guns and gossip]

Not that many as we take it in turns throughout the class so he probably does about two of each retrieve. Also if we do the retrieves on a hard surface he does do it, so it's very strange. It's not just grass he does it with all toys that are thrown for him on grass.

[dogwalker]

The first thought that springs to my mind is "is his sight okay"

[trekmoor]

I think my mind is running along the same rails as Rascals.... I think your dog is a bit worried about retrieving and is doing the grass chewing as an alternative to picking up the article.IF that is the case then you will need to avoid any show of annoyance before, during or immediately after any retrieve. Try to put the fun back into retrieving for the dog, maybe allow it to run-in , praise the dog as it reaches the dummy, praise the dog as it returns with the dummy and forget all about "fancy" presents including sitting presents if you have been doing those.

There is a "posh" name for what your dog is doing but I can't remember what it is . Something like "displacement activity" maybe ? It is not an uncommon behaviour from dogs that feel a bit under pressure.

You could try doing some retrieves from water and it need not be deep water ,just 6 inches of water will do as grass does not grow in water. Similarly , you could try a retrieve under thick fir woods with no grass available to the dog.

Wullie

[Rascal]

Hi Lauren,

Remember we can’t see your dog so unless you can answer our questions we are blind (no pun intended) to the situation. I’m guessing that he can actually see the dummy given that he arrives at the fall of it?

1. What happened just before he started this grass plucking? Was he physically or verbally corrected or was another dog in his presence corrected at all?

2.You say it’s not a constant thing, so where does he do it well and what is different to when he does the grass plucking?

Rascal

[Naj]

Displacement behaviour would be correct, Wullie. I would throw the dummy in cover, so the dog can't see it.

Naj

[Alice]

One of my dogs does this if she is considering blinking the dummy. She gets RIGHT to it, and then dithers, worries and starts pulling up grass. I think I inadvertently caused the worry by over-correcting her for blinking it, and so the whole process has become a bit fraught to her.

I get over this by not giving her time to think about it, and thus not start the grass-pulling displacement activity, by verbally encouraging her as soon as she's hovering near the dummy and then enthusiastically recalling her once she's got her mouth on it.

What does Oscar do if you recall him whilst he's pulling up grass? Ignore you? Come bounding back? If so, with the dummy or without it?