Thanks Guys for reading and commenting.
It is interesting the opinions about force fetching. I have always had natural retrievers. May last spaniel would fetch anything I throw. IMO if I had a natural retriever like a lab that didn’t retrieve, I’d be really upset and question the breeder’s stock.
I know FF is an accepted practice in serious dog training competition dogs, but I have never had to do it and I have seen a lot of “competition dogs” that I wouldn’t want to hunt with. IMO a dog with proper breeding shouldn’t need FF.
I have always started my dogs retrieving at a very early age. In the house, in a hallway with all of the doors closed. For a dumbbell I use a rolled up washcloth. To her dying day, my last Spaniels eyes lighted up whenever she would she a roiled up washcloth. She really got jealous when I was training my Gordon, Jack. Jack did fine with this from the beginning. It was his birdyness that was his undoing. As a pup, many times he would go out to the bird and when he had it a feather would float away. He would drop the dead bird and chase the feather and many times point it when it stopped. ( He also points reflections, shadows and flashlights).
I actually had to teach him that he was after a “dead bird”. I did this (with love from my wife) by keeping a couple of frozen ducks in the freezer. I would hide them when Jack was out and tell him “dead bird” after he came in the house. Started with the same hallway routine as the washcloth dummy. When he would get the duck, I would lead him into the kitchen telling him to show my wife what he had. He became very proud that he could find these dead birds and bring them to her. Once he became good at that I bought the pen-raised birds and made big progress last season. It is just those darn doves that screwed us up. I have seen a lot of dogs that won’t retrieve them.
I am happy it worked; I know this dog had the proper breeding. Gordons are interesting dogs. It is like living with an eternal 4-year child. At this point I am proud “dad” of a loving dog, with a fantastic personality. I am confident we are going to have a lot of great hunts together.
Jerry
