Dropping bird

[ips]

Can't really see what she is doing from the time you sent her till the time she brought the bird up to you but it sure seemed like a long time for a short retrieve? Maybe the bird was running? Or was she messing with it on the pick up? Anyway cant comment on that. It is also hard to tell if she is simply repositioning the bird or messing with the bird because she would rather not give it up but if she does it often and/or it gets worse then I would assume the latter.

Thanks for input, it was a runner as it happens but i also thought it was a long time finding it regardless. If we assume for the time being that its the latter then how do i fix it ?

[chrokeva]

Well I can only tell you what I have done but you will have to figure out how you want to proceed with your dog.
For me there comes a time when I stop asking a pup to do what I want and start telling the dog what I want. So I will speak harshly if they mess with the bird and tell them to "fetch it up" "come". In your video you are clearly asking the dog to come with your open arms but if I was to assume this to be a fully trained dog that is not what I would do. When my dogs are trained and they are not doing what they have been trained to do I have no problem with telling them they are out of line with a harsh tone and that really is all it takes. They have no desire to fight me but they do need to understand what I expect and I try to be clear on that.
That is what has worked for me but everyone has there own style so that may not be a approach you would want to take.

[ips]

Thank you

[Judy]

Looks like she has trouble extricating it from the hedge, live bird too so it would have been intent on going in the wrong direction! Her piddling about with it is something I've seen a lot with my Cockers, maybe it is possessiveness as thats a normal Cocker trait in my experience! I've never been unduly bothered by it as I don't compete and I do get the bird every time.

[ips]

Looks like she has trouble extricating it from the hedge, live bird too so it would have been intent on going in the wrong direction! Her piddling about with it is something I've seen a lot with my Cockers, maybe it is possessiveness as thats a normal Cocker trait in my experience! I've never been unduly bothered by it as I don't compete and I do get the bird every time.

Thanks Judy
Its good to know that its not uncommon.
I will pay more attention as to if its restricted to pricked birds and if its only pheasant

[ips]

Oops.
I have inadvertently deleted the vid (was sposed to be deleting another one..doh) will try and upload again later

[munstyman]

Oops.
I have inadvertently deleted the vid (was sposed to be deleting another one..doh) will try and upload again later

I'll wait then

[crackerd]

Oops.
I have inadvertently deleted the vid (was sposed to be deleting another one..doh) will try and upload again later

I'll wait then

But in the meantime, munsty, don't, erm, let go of your thoughts, and let them go off in the wrong direction!

MG

[Nickheref]

My view is some dogs are just more prone to doing it, I see it more in cockers though. I have had one springer do it, she was never happy picking up anything bigger than a partridge and anything larger would be picked by a wing, neck or a leg and half carried half dragged back almost necessitating putting them down at some point. It irritated the hell out of me, especially as she was a big strong bitch and could easily carry a cock pheasant flat out. When she was young I tried everything I knew to try to alter it but she would not except runners where she learnt it was easier but anything dead we were back to square one. Eventually I accepted it, as Naj says you can make things worse through pressure. At 6 years old she has finally started carrying everything "properly" and is a much better retriever for it.
But this bitch never ever carries anything for fun whereas a younger bitch is always bringing me things like scrubbing brushes, plant pots etc etc and will carry them until I take them off her.

[ips]

Well that went much better, one and half hr walk around my boundaries, she didnt need any encouragement to get hunting like previous outings so she is begining to
"get it" Anyway the day producedd 4 pheasant flushed and a small covey of partridge but i could only get a shot at one (for various reasons) but one in the bag for two shots (first shot connected but wasnt clean kill) she worked well and retrieved to hand this time without putting it down however i whistled her in continually so that did the trick, plus she flushed a tight sitting hare in a stubble field and sat to flush