# Dog Training Question



## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

I have a question I figured I'd try running past people here. I have a 1.5 year old Boykin Spaniel. We've had a great first real year of him hunting so far. He retrieves ducks from water amazingly, he made a 60+ yard retrieve today on a duck that was diving on him and swimming away then brought it right to my hand. However retrieving from land is hit or miss. The same duck that he brought me jumped out of my hands and onto land (not my greatest moment) then I shot it 15 feet away to finish it. The dog refused to pick it up again. He'd just walk to it and stare at it then come back. The next bird I shot 10 minutes later in the water he again brought right to my hand. He will find and flush pheasants, then he'll find them on the ground once shot, but if he's close to me he will just stand there and lick it. He'll do long retrieves (100+ yards) with no issues. He brought me one that I thought we'd never find as it was just tipped and went down 150 yards away. It's the close ones that he won't get.

Any ideas why he will pick up 100% of birds that are in the water and so far 100% of birds 50+ yards away but he won't fetch birds from 20 yards away? It's almost like he just thinks I should get the easy ones. Better yet how do I fix it?


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Every dog is different, and I honestly don't know if you can train that difference out of him. My buddy's GSP is a case in point. He was injured and laid up during pheasant season, and the dog "knew" they should be out hunting!

His wife actually suggested to me that it would help the dog's attitude a lot if I took her out hunting. So, I did. I choked a lead through the hole in the passenger door handle and tethered her to it, but she rode beautifully the whole way to the club. 

Once we started hunting it was easy to see how happy she was just to be out! And when she put up a bird I felt a lot of pressure. Not just for me, but for her! Well, I whacked the bird, and she retrieved. She brought the bird close and started looking around for her master, who wasn't there! She retrieves for him alone! 

Once she realized she couldn't see him, she just sat about 20 feet away. I approached her slowly, talking calmly to her, and eventually she gave me the bird. I cleaned up her mouth and we kept hunting. 

I took her out for quite a few weeks after that, and we had a lot of fun. But she never would retrieve to my hand! That was reserved for Bruce! And I don't think that behavior could be trained out of her, either.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

I have seen a few dogs that refuse to retrieve within a certain distance to where you are. GSP, Brittany, Lab, even an English Setter would not pick up a bird if it was fairly close to it's handler. Normal distance they were champs, but up close, I guess they're smart enough to figure out that you can pick up your own darn bird !


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

My GSP won't retrieve if the bird is close to me but will bring them back from the field. That and so far this year he's brought back a grouse that he caught on his own. Last weekend he also brought me two pheasant I didn't shoot. One was wounded and the other no one had shot. I think he was on point for the second one and it moved and he grabbed it. He came running back to me with it and it was putting up a heck of a fight. He's 2 1/2 and this is his first year of truly retrieving for me.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

You need to force fetch the dog and teach the dog to hold. Otherwise the problem that you are having will persist. Force fetching should be done early on and before you hunt the dog.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Personally, I don't see this as a big problem at all. I don't particularly care if my dogs don't/didn't retrieve birds I could see or were knocked down really close. As long as they find and point birds and catch cripples is what I really care about. Some dogs are naturals at retrieving, some aren't. Retrieving problems can be "fixed" by a pro trainer(but It won't be cheap!)


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