Picking up

[Clodagh]

My young lab is being hopeless at picking up a pheasant, she is good with dummies although can get overexcited, but although dead keen to pick up a pheasant she just can't get her head round it! She is just over a year old and I have only tried her on one, she sort of plucked it then ended up dragging it by its wing. (It was a very dead small hen, only about 20m from me). She didn't break the skin, so I don't think was trying to eat it, but seemed to be trying to pick it up without putting her mouth right round it.
She is only my second gun dog and the first one was a natural. Anyone have any suggestions? I have hoarded a pigeon and a pheasant from yesterday to practice on. I have tried a pheasant in a stocking and she faffed around with that for ages as well, is it becasue they are so much heavier than a dummy?

 

[Dry Rot]

Alec will be along in a minute but I would suggest throwing the bird, let her get to it and start the mouthing, then you whistle and march off purposefully in the opposite direction.

She now has two choices. Stay and mouth the bird and miss out on what you are going to do next. Leave the bird and follow you. Or pick up the bird and in her haste carry it properly (which she will have to) and follow. That's three. Oh well.

When she catches up to you, turn smartly with lots of caressing baby talk, put your hand under her chin, and some would recommend taking it quickly from her. In this last stage, I tend to hold my hand under the dog's chin and quite vigorously scratch/rub the base of an ear with my other hand, then quickly remove the bird and continue the vigorous ear scratching with both hands. If she is reluctant to release the bird (as she might be, it's HERS!) just gently press her lip against her teeth and push the lip between her teeth to open her mouth with one hand -- that way you won't get bitten. And, yes, it can happen! And then remove the bird). The ear scratch is a very powerful reward indeed for a dog and you can combine it with lots of praise.

Three retrieves like this a day is one too many. Plenty of time for the multiples.

My invoice follows under separate cover.

 

[Clodagh]

Thank you very much, DR, I hoped you or Alec would come along and reply.
I won't try any more today, but hopefully Mr Pigeon will hang in there for a day or two and I can try again tomorrow. (He had a difficult death...). Will update you, and hopefully not bore you to tears!