Hello

Can anyone help? I have a 5 month old lab bitch that we are starting to train, the problem is that she doesn't like picking up a dummy. she will run over and sniff it but we can't get her to retrieve. Any ideas? also.... she has an older brother well step brother a four year old springer that has developed a very hard mouth he keeps crushing birds when he picks them up, any ideas how we can break him of this habit?

Thanks

email holly197611@yahoo.co.uk

Are you making her sit and wait before she goes out and gets it? If it's her first time with the dummy, get her interested in it in your hand and then throw it. Don't get her to sit and wait, let her go out and get it straight away. At 5 months, you aren't asking her to do anything formal. That can come later.

If she doesn't like retrieving dummys, try her with a rolled up sock or a tennis ball. At this stage, it's fun, nothing stressful for her. You've got plenty of time.

Helen

Many gun dogs trainers will actually start with the 'hold' part of the retreive first - rewarding the dog for holding will encourage them to then pick up the dummy, and later to actively seek it out..... This is how I trained my rescue ESS to retreive.