Swapping Birds

[KMYN]

Seen this happen before, otherwise decent enough picking up dogs that swap birds during retrieves. I was curious what normally causes it?

Is there something in particular that is usually the cause or is it not generally any one thing?

[Naj]

Multiple rewards to choose from and a lack of or breakdown in training. It’s a normal part of distraction proofing the retrieve to train the dog to deliver what is in its mouth regardless of returning through scattered dummies or seeing them flying through the air. In the field, however, a dog could be on its first retrieve and have a bird shot within clear sight and its first instinct might well be to spit out what is in its mouth and run over or just run over and swap birds. Or it might be out of sight and returning with a retrieve when it comes upon another bird and swaps without you knowing and you have a developing problem. This is hard to replicate with dummies and often hard to immediately intervene with in the shooting field so a problem behaviour easily develops in the context of picking up. That’s why it pays to very carefully introduce a young dog to picking up and be very selective in when you send it to retrieve until confidence in reliability builds.

Naj

[Rough_mut]

I caught my dog do this once, dropped a dead bird so he could follow another scent. I was fuming! Right up until he came out with a runner!

[Aimeetess]

Funnily enough my 5yr lab struggles with this, shes been a purely picking up dog for 4 years now.
If a bird falls next to one shes picked, she'll swap and pick that one, not always but occasionally. I use to get mad, but it makes no difference whatsoever. Shes usually sent on runners so I think any movement she thinks it may run and will swap to that one. When training my OH didn't do much multiple dummy work with her as hes said and it shows as well when doing dummy work. I've been trying recently to mimic it (so difficult!) by putting 2 dummies at a good 20ft distance but in view when running back, and sending her for one shes a lot better than she was. Yet still, the second dummy is to close, or she fancies it she'll still get confused and pick both, then bring one back. Even if they're exact the same dummy. She'll ignore the recall or me shouting LEAVE until she picks which one she fancies then plod back. I just can't seem to get it out of her head.

Where as my young Cocker I've tried to mimic it, throwing a dummy out while hes coming back, next to him, sending him for one with one 10ft away but in view. Putting 2 dummies out, pointing to which one I want and so on. Hes learnt to only bring the one back he was sent for so far, great, yet doesn't mean he won't do it with birds. It is difficult for them to not pick up bad habits when in the 'real shooting' world I suppose..

[Springfield Pointers]

I caught my dog do this once, dropped a dead bird so he could follow another scent. I was fuming! Right up until he came out with a runner!

I've seen a dog, on the way back with a bird in it's mouth, draw in on scent, hit a solid point and produce another bird for the gun.

[trekmoor]

Yes, I have seen that too. I was amazed the dog could scent another bird of the same species as the one already in her mouth and point it from 4 -5 yards away.

Bird swapping --- ever watched a child released into a room full of new toys ? Much the same thing happens.

Wullie

[Rough_mut]

I caught my dog do this once, dropped a dead bird so he could follow another scent. I was fuming! Right up until he came out with a runner!

I've seen a dog, on the way back with a bird in it's mouth, draw in on scent, hit a solid point and produce another bird for the gun.

I do wonder how they can tell when they have a bird in their mouth? I know the sense of smell is stronger than I can even imagine but you would of though excitement would get in the way!

Rm

[Judy]

My smart ass Flatcoat was coming back with a Partridge runner when a lightly pricked cock Peasant dropped in front of her and legged it. She looked at me, looked at it, nipped the Partridge, dropped it and ran after the Pheasant. Other than that unforgettable event I don't think she ever swopped birds on a shoot day. I have seen some of mine drop a dead bird and go after one thats resurrected itself and run but thats encouraged anyway. Common enough situation when sweeping at the end of the drive.

I've not had one go into headless chicken mode though, at least not yet. I suspect its something to do with a lack of training as all the ones I've seen rushing about picking up and dropping birds are basically untrained.

[Rough_mut]

My smart ass Flatcoat was coming back with a Partridge runner when a lightly pricked cock Peasant dropped in front of her and legged it. She looked at me, looked at it, nipped the Partridge, dropped it and ran after the Pheasant. Other than that unforgettable event I don't think she ever swopped birds on a shoot day. I have seen some of mine drop a dead bird and go after one thats resurrected itself and run but thats encouraged anyway. Common enough situation when sweeping at the end of the drive.

I've not had one go into headless chicken mode though, at least not yet. I suspect its something to do with a lack of training as all the ones I've seen rushing about picking up and dropping birds are basically untrained.

I think sometimes you can forgive a dog for doing something it wasn't trained to do, because it was the right thing to do given the circumstances? To me, that's what a good dog Is!

A robot that just does exactly what it's told, and does this for so long, i think would fail at this?

Almost like sending your dog to a fall area of a 'stone dead' bird and keep stopping it and bringing it back to the fall area, only for the dog to ignore you and come back with a runner... been guilty of this a few times and now like to think his nose is significantly better than a lot of guns eyesight and ability to know a dead bird from one that's not dead! I have had a few guns telling me he's gone miles away, it's definitely there by that tree, now I laugh and say if he's going that way.... hes on to something! Nd 9/10 he comes back with a bird! (It might not be the same bird but it still counts!)

Rm

[Springfield Pointers]

I caught my dog do this once, dropped a dead bird so he could follow another scent. I was fuming! Right up until he came out with a runner!

I've seen a dog, on the way back with a bird in it's mouth, draw in on scent, hit a solid point and produce another bird for the gun.

I do wonder how they can tell when they have a bird in their mouth? I know the sense of smell is stronger than I can even imagine but you would of though excitement would get in the way!

Rm

Excitement, RM? I'm referring to sensible, measured, contained and calm pointers, not those barmy spaniels