DUMMIES TO GAME

[simon406]

i have had my 16mnth old black lab on dummies then dummies with duck/pheasant wings on for retrieving training.
an opportunity has come that a mate in work has been out shooting and i can have some rabbit..i see it as the ideal opportunity to get McRae on cold game..how do i make the transition... do i need to prep the rabbit in any way so it lasts (i have seen pheasant in stockings and used that way for retrieving) and what is the best way to set up a retrieving situation with the rabbit? can you throw it out like a dummy? i dont want it falling to bits lol

many thanks simon

[Hepe]

What i do usually is i make a normal retrieve or two with a dummy, preferably longish rather than short. Then if that goes well i just throw the game instead of the dummy the third time and usually that works rather fine. If the dog wants to sniff a bit before picking up i don't worry, nor do i worry if they put it down a few times on the way back to peek at it. Mostly it's either pick up fast and drop close to handler to check what it is or the other way around, check what it is before picking up and then straight in.

Helene

[trekmoor]

Depends a bit on the dog but I often make sure my hand scent is on a dogs first cold game retrieves ........ it provides a link to the "usual."
Wipe off any blood first and remove any poo from the rabbits rear end.......dogs often become distracted by these rather than just picking up the rabbit.

Wullie

[Trailblazer]

I got mine interested in cold game (rabbit) out in the garden and threw it a short distance and let him retrieve, didn't worry to much if he ran in. Did this a couple of times and then stopped. Carried on with this during the next few training sessions and added some longer retrieves with dummies. As he became more confident with the cold game I did some hunt ups and stop to whistle and sent him back for a dropped rabbit, increasing and decreasing the distance as he became more confident. I then just progressed his training from there using cold game. I do, however vary the items being retrieved during any training so he dosen't become bored and to make it a little more interesting for him. When it came to feather I did the same. Have no problems now with any game he retrieves.

[Polmaise]

Have no problems now with any game he retrieves.

what would you do if he didn't?

[Trailblazer]

What I should of said is "I have never had any problems with game retrieves". If I did I would go back and slowly start introducing it again, but I never have so must be doing something right.

[holmes-long]

"i have seen pheasant in stockings"

Oh really? Is that a 'specialised' website?

[simon406]

I have now been given some game (rabbit) what is the best way to keep it fresh and how long can it be used for training..I was thinking of just putting it in the fridge after each session to keep it fresh?

[t jack]

I have now been given some game (rabbit) what is the best way to keep it fresh and how long can it be used for training..I was thinking of just putting it in the fridge after each session to keep it fresh?

Freeze asap what you dont need now, re-freeze after each session, but obviously throw away after a few sessions if its looking a bit

[simon406]

hi all
i brought my game home for my training session and started the session with a few simple retrieves throwing the dummy out and recalling in for deliverance... no problems.i then threw out the rabbit a short distance and made him wait before casting him out..he ran out, got to the rabbit and started licking it and sniffing it.. i brought him back in and tried it again but the same happened again..is there a way/technique i can get him to pick it up and retrieve?

many thanks simon