# bird dog eating birds



## winchestersowner (Oct 7, 2010)

hey guys trying to get my 3 year old lab trained up to be a bird dog. she is on the birds like no other but wants to eat them. how do i stop here. she wont play fetch so what do i do. my male lab loves to play fetch but also does the same thing and trys to eat the bird. HELP!!!!


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## Kasomor (Nov 29, 2008)

"HERE" means "HERE"

A dog that is running to you with the bird can't eat the bird.


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## captainjack (Apr 6, 2009)

"HERE" means "NOTHING" when the dog's eyes glaze over and they decide it is their bird. I have the same issue with a 4 1/2 year old. Been told many things and tried many thing to fix it. While much better now, still can't trust the dog without a collar on so I don't run him in tests or trials and since it is no fun for me or the dog when he displays this trait, I don't hunt him either.

There is a trainer named Pete who frequents RTF that may be able to help you out. Send him a PM.


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

That is why you use a collar to "unglaze" his eyes.....

as long as there is the problem, don't run him with out a collar or he will figure out that he can do it without the collar, someone once told me that you should not run with out a collar until the dog has not had to "use" the collar for at least a month.


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## captainjack (Apr 6, 2009)

limiman12 said:


> That is why you use a collar to "unglaze" his eyes.....
> 
> as long as there is the problem, don't run him with out a collar or he will figure out that he can do it without the collar, someone once told me that you should not run with out a collar until the dog has not had to "use" the collar for at least a month.


Fritz, if you've never had one, then you just don't know. I quit running tests and just ran my dog in training for 18 months using birds from fresh to nasty. I never had to use the collar once for a bird handling issue. Drove 5 1/2 hours to a test, and the dog wouldn't let go of the 1st bird he picked up until we were back at the truck. Scratched day 2 and drove 5 1/2 hours back home. Trained some more and went back 6 months later. Same thing happened again.

Even now that he has improved a great deal, I don't think it was worth the effort and wouldn't do it with another dog. It's just no fun at all, and that is why we play the dog games, for fun.


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## captainjack (Apr 6, 2009)

Pete is the trainer's user name on RTF and his web site is http://www.goosebusters.biz/


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

I have several friends that battle "sticking" or Freezing birds. that is not the same as eating birds. SOunds liek this guy is trying to get his dog to bring back the birds. ANd HERE means HERE and use the colalr to enforce. I do have a dog that gets mouthy returning with "less then fresh" birds. I fixed it by enforcing HERE!

Freezing is another issue entirely, and I do feel for you.


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

winchestersowner said:


> hey guys trying to get my 3 year old lab trained up to be a bird dog. she is on the birds like no other but wants to eat them. how do i stop here. *she wont play fetch *so what do i do. my male lab loves to play fetch but also does the same thing and trys to eat the bird. HELP!!!!


What back ground does this dog have, training and otherwise. A three year old that won't play fetch is a bigger problem then just bird handling.


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## Sue Kiefer (Mar 4, 2006)

How about F.F.???
Forced drop command???
Sue


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

I will agree that the sticking freezing problem is a way different deal and not easy to fix cause dogs that do it, probably have been to enough tests that they know when and where the force command can be enforced.

I would bet that a three year old that doesn't play fetch, has not been force fetched.

W-owner, I see this is your first post. At this point, this is likely something that you will not get fixed for hunting season. You best bet would be to start over with basic obediance etc with the dog and start building a foundation of cooperation. If there really is no retrieving desire, and a bird dog is what youa re after, you may be forced to make the decision to add a new pup to the house and perhaps find a pet home that will be happy with a lab that is a pet. But Like I said, start over with OB work, follow a proven program, (lardy, smartworks etc) and see if you can salvage this dog for NEXT hunting season. I am guessing, and forgive me if I am wrong, but I am GUESSING that you may be learning the hard way that dogs don't come trained. You have to work with pups from puppyhood to develop the dog you want to own.


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## Clayton Evans (Jun 26, 2008)

Training and testing are two different games. I had a 4 year old bitch that had never ate a bird but at a test last series of the master picked up the second bird , exited the tall grass, layed down and preceded to eat the bird. I was devistated, went back to the camper, drank a few and pondered about what I had just seen.
I waited until everyone had left the grounds, found a nasty duck and went back to the mark where she ate the duck. I sat her at the line, walked out and threw the mark as a stand alone returned to her and sent her. She did just as she had done previously. I quitely walked out and when close enough I jumped onto her and scared the be-jesus out of her and she has never ate another one.
Also had another dog that I sold to a cousin that ate a bird at every test. Finally I ran the dog in his first senior and never had a problem so I figured out it had to be the handler was doing something that was causing it.
I saw that he was allowing the dog to return on his own sweet time so we toughed op on Ob with the here and heel commands and has finished senior and now three masters with no problems but you have to be on top of it always.
Clay


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## Kasomor (Nov 29, 2008)

Freezing is different then eating the bird....as has been pointed out.

I pray that I never have a "freezer."

My youngest, if I'm not paying attention when hunting, would like to go bury the duck. Doesn't want to eat it until it's marinated I guess. 

"HERE" does mean "HERE"


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## James Seibel (Aug 20, 2008)

winchestersowner said:


> hey guys trying to get my 3 year old lab trained up to be a bird dog. she is on the birds like no other but wants to eat them. how do i stop here. she wont play fetch so what do i do. my male lab loves to play fetch but also does the same thing and trys to eat the bird. HELP!!!!


I have fixed this problem more than a few times. 

No# 1 Force Break or Force Retrieve Train your dog 
No# 2 Collar Condition your dog to COME here when called 
No# 3 Patients is a virtue , you can solve this with time 
No# 4 You may have to use collar pressure to stop the eating so that is the reason for the force retrieve to get the dog back retrieving . I use frozen birds before the fresh birds once I start using birds. 

I am sure other on this forum can help you also , but feel free to PM and I will give you my email and phone number. 

JIM


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## Swampbilly (May 25, 2010)

limiman12 said:


> I would bet that a three year old that doesn't* play fetch, * has not been force fetched.


..Or has even _played_ much FETCH in the past without it...



> I am guessing, and forgive me if I am wrong, but I am GUESSING that you may be learning the hard way that dogs don't come trained.


.....Lemme' know when you decide to run for president...You've already got 1 vote..


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

Swampbilly said:


> ..Or has even _played_ much FETCH in the past without it...
> 
> .....Lemme' know when you decide to run for president...You've already got 1 vote..


Any one that voluntarily subjects themself, and their family to running for president, let alone being president should be automatically disqualified from contention for lack of good judgement......

Gov, rep, or senate, MAYBE ;-)

That would be a riot though, dig up the south lawn to make tech water, rip out the rose garden for some native grass fields for upland work, pattern blinds on the mall....... what do you suppose the secret service would think of live fliers?????


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## captainjack (Apr 6, 2009)

Do any of you think that you should have to force fetch a dog in order to get them to play fetch? I'm of the opinion that you force fetch as the first step in a force based program to teach the dog how to turn off the pressure and to clean up bird handling/delivery problems.

If the dog doesn't have enough natural desire to play fetch, why bother with it?


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## winchestersowner (Oct 7, 2010)

hey guys thanks for the input. dog "USED: to play fetch. but got tired of it real quick i guess. so she hasnt really played or anything like that for a while. never really take her hunting. she has one heck of an eye when it comes to seeing the birds in the yard and sits and points. same with my male lab. i think im goign to try to make him a bird dog. he will play till he is dead. so maybe try to work with him. i wanted to use her because she minds so much better. he is a little skidish. but he has humting in his blood. my bitch was breed for show. so i think will work with him. never used the collar but been looking into getting some.think its time to invest


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## limiman12 (Oct 13, 2007)

captainjack said:


> Do any of you think that you should have to force fetch a dog in order to get them to play fetch? I'm of the opinion that you force fetch as the first step in a force based program to teach the dog how to turn off the pressure and to clean up bird handling/delivery problems.
> 
> If the dog doesn't have enough natural desire to play fetch, why bother with it?


agree 100%


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Kasomor said:


> "HERE" means "HERE"
> 
> A dog that is running to you with the bird can't eat the bird.


not all the time, some can multi-task;-)


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