I'm in need of some advise. I have a one year old chessie named "Gauge". She is a great land retriever. But as soon as try to train with her in water, its a differant story. I can't control her. Not even with a collar. I can make her heal, launch the bird, send her, but when she fetches the bird she'll pick it up for a second, then drop it and start chasing anything that is floating by her. How can I break her of this? Please help me! Thanks for any advise

What real training has she had up to this point. Any force fetch yet? Force fetch will help a lot with this problem.

Lisa

Thanks for your reply,
I havn't trained her to force fetch yet. I havn't had any trouble in the field. I have trained her to sit on the wistle, both of the over commands, Back, and heal. She will deliver a bird to hand, and release on command. I don't know what happens when she hits the water though. I can't even take her off the check chord at the moment, or it's down stream we go!

Bill,
It's hard to make a long distance diagnosis buuut you could be seeing the actions of a "Water Freak" at what stage only you would know? Either way play it coservative and stop water work ASAP! until after F-F. If it's just issues of being non-forced they will be cleared up or if in fact it is "feaking" then you will give her more focus on the task at hand ALA retrieving, period!
Good Training,
Dave B.

Bill,

Basic obedience starts with SIT (a non-motion command); then progresses to HERE (this seems to be what your "little witch" is missing- a motion command, But Babs ALWAYS KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE!) Here is the most enforcable command; of course, this depends on what length you are willing to go to! Example: you should have seen the look on one such "witch's" face when I could no-longer stand watching her give her "trainie" the paw; I waded out from my station(I threw the bird) and snatched her by the collar, dunked her a few times and told her "trainie" to call her in. She promptly picked up the bird and returned to him! She still thinks I'm a little NUTTS (along with her trainie!); and you know what?- she's smart enough to know that SHE'S RIGHT!!! Ron certainly is right, (on another string), about BRAINS. The last command is HEEL, an abstract command, if you will.

Here means HERE 100% of the time, not just when you feel like it "witchie-pooo"!!!!

Best of luck!

Bruce

Bill
You could alleviate all your problems by getting a Labrador. I have a couple and they are Idiot proof. We almost never have those problems you described, but when we do the problems just go away by pushing the buttons on our Tritronics.

Well anyway HAPPY NEW YEAR.

WWRS

But aren't Labs common!

If I got a lab, I would miss out on all the swimming I had to do this summer.

It’s common for labs to get blue ribbons!!!!