Dropping on delivery

[Crackley]

Hi all, have trouble with my cocker dropping cold or warm game short on delivery. She'll hold tennis balls or dummy's until I say 'dead'. Tried getting her to just 'hold' but proving virtually impossible, like she doesn't want it in her mouth. Oh, and she'll also hold fully feathered dummy ok. Look forward to any advise!
Cheers Shane

[Hepe]

Maybe a gradual change, get the wings off the bird and tie them to a dummy (ducttape, rubberband or the like) and train with that.

Helene

[Crackley]

I've done this helene and she'll deliver perfect!

[Hepe]

I've done this helene and she'll deliver perfect!

Hmm, then i have to be evil and ask for a short video snippet of her delivering a) a dummy and b) game. After we seen that, we can give advice. It can be so many things and it's hard to judge without watching. So get your smart phone out pronto! Or take her to pick up, that usually solves the problem rather fast.

Helene

[Naj]

When you say that 'she drops it short', how 'short'? Is she dropping it a yard off or 6 yards off or while at your feet while waiting for you to take it off her? Have you tried walking away & calling her to heel & taking it off her while 'on the trot'? If she drops it close have you tried simply walking in to her & taking it straight off her before she has had chance to drop it? If you've tried teaching 'hold' with a cold bird then the usual initial reaction is for them to spit it out & resist any attempts to put it back in. And how old is the dog?

Naj

[Crackley]

Just been in back garden to have a trail run before the misses comes home to film what's happening. Threw out a dummy, perfect delivery. Threw out a feral pigeon amediatly after- perfect delivery! Maybe this is the answer! I'll keep this up in the garden, dummy then bird, and hopefully it will also happen out in the field. Should things change I'll try turning and walk to heel like u said Naj, hadn't thought of that.
Just to add- she dropping about two foot short and she just turnt three.

[Gundogguy]

When you say that 'she drops it short', how 'short'? Is she dropping it a yard off or 6 yards off or while at your feet while waiting for you to take it off her? Have you tried walking away & calling her to heel & taking it off her while 'on the trot'? If she drops it close have you tried simply walking in to her & taking it straight off her before she has had chance to drop it? If you've tried teaching 'hold' with a cold bird then the usual initial reaction is for them to spit it out & resist any attempts to put it back in. And how old is the dog?

Naj

Exactly. Many times our movement will give dog a pause to continue recalling. While still carry object. Our movement will break the normal and give the dog a reason to follow 'Our" new behavior. Change in our behavior is good in trying to change the dogs behavior.