ESS WONT RETRIEVE

[Gignesthai]

must just add to the above, that this wasnt planned this way, i was holding the two dogs, while others were being trained by someone else, and whilst i got bored thought i might just see what i could get to happen, and lo and behold having no expectations to succeed maybe was the clue as the dogs were under no pressure with no right or wrong, just a little game that we started!

[trekmoor]

Try a tennis ball or similar with a bell inside it. Play football with it while appearing to be having a great time and pretty much ignore the pup while making it easy for the pup to nudge or maybe grab the ball if it wants too. If this works begin again with a ball without a bell in it. Sometimes sound can do what sight can not.

..........I think that is the first time I have ever advocated the use of a ball with a bell in it ! I have used toys that make noise with several pups that showed no interest otherwise. It's a case of suck it and see where noise attraction is concerned.

Wullie

[Drummer]

I'm certainly no expert as I'm very new to gundog training but I can tell you what's working for my ESS that was refusing to retrieve, soft toys especially those with a squeak in them, I even managed to find some pheasant and duck shaped ones that are sort of dummy shaped with a handle for throwing, it caused great hilarity in class but it worked and now she'll go for a puppy dummy covered by a smelly old walking sock too, in fact at Saturdays class I managed to get her to do a marked retrieve through a rail fence and over a ditch for that