By Charlie Jurney

Photos by Lee Thomas Kjos of Kjos Outdoors

Presented by SportDOG® Brand 

(Originally published in Summer 2024 issue of California Waterfowl)

Even if you and your retriever had a fantastic waterfowl season, it’s good to honestly reflect on things that could have gone better and things to work on for next fall. This is especially true if you have a young dog that’s still learning what’s all involved in the job description. We all know that our dogs get away with things in the heat of the hunt. This usually happens simply because, as hunters, we tend to focus on calling in birds and shooting them. And when we’re focused on hunting, we’re not focused on our dogs. I promise you that your retriever knows when you’re not watching him closely, and that opens the door for all kinds of chaos. 

Here’s a scenario that I’m sure you can imagine. You shoot a duck and send your dog to retrieve it. So far, so good. While your dog is on its way back to you with the bird, you and your buddies are high-fiving and talking and pretty much doing everything except watching your dog. Next thing you know, your previously reliable retriever has dropped the duck at the edge of the water and is running down the bank looking for another bird, or just generally running around and having its own type of fun, because, why not? 

At this point, perhaps you give a stern command for your dog to pick that duck back up and bring it to you. Whether it complies or not becomes a moot point, because another flock of mallards is dropping into your decoys and it’s time to shoot again. In all the excitement, your dog’s indiscretion is forgotten. Pretty soon you all have your limits , and everyone goes home happy. But ... the lesson your dog learned on that day is that there are no consequences for not completing the job.

Sloppy bird handling is more likely to start with dogs that didn’t complete their force-fetch training. A retriever that isn’t force-fetched isn’t really a “finished” dog. I’m stating that as my opinion, and I’m in mighty good company. Oh, and also, because it’s true.

I can’t give you a lesson on force-fetching here because it’s a topic unto itself and it would require 100 times more words than you want to read. So, if you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with force-fetching, I suggest finding a reliable pro retriever trainer (that means one that comes with credentials and references from satisfied customers) and talk with him or her about your options.

Now, let’s suppose that you did the force-fetching yourself or had someone help you with it or paid good money for a pro to handle it for you. Yet, somehow this problem with dropping birds has come up and you’re genuinely surprised about it. What to do?

Assuming a dog was reliable about fetching and holding before hunting season, I handle this problem by going back to a simple but effective drill known as “walking fetch.”

Walking Fetch

I do all my bird-problem resolution with walking fetch. For example, one simple exercise that’s great for reminding your dog of the importance of holding a bird and not releasing it until you say so is to take a freshly killed duck, have your dog fetch it up and then do obedience drills while it holds the bird. You can walk your dog at heel, literally for several minutes at a time, while it carries the duck. This might not be very exciting for either of you, but you must do it because holding until you say it’s OK to release the bird is mandatory for a finished retriever. Depending on how well your dog is complying, you might need to stay in this obedience-drill stage for a few sessions.

Triangle Drill

From there, I go to a “triangle” drill, which means I place three bumpers or birds at the corners of an imaginary triangle, several yards apart and in plain sight. With the dog at heel, we walk from corner to corner, and each time we come to a bumper, I command, “fetch.” I’m expecting my dog to lunge and grab the bumper. You can repeat this drill as often as needed until your dog is picking up every bumper, every time. And, as a reminder, if you’re having trouble getting compliance with walking fetch, it’s possible that your force-fetching didn’t go nearly as well as you thought it did and you or your pro need to revisit it.

Retroactive Training

When you know your dog is crystal-clear about fetching and holding on command and you’re getting perfection with walking fetch, there’s another step you can take if logistics allow it. If you’re able to get to the hunting area where you had bird-handling problems last fall, go back there, and create a training drill that simulates a hunt. Put out some decoys, use a helper to throw a freshly killed duck (or have him shoot a flyer if regulations allow it) and include a gunshot for the mark. Send your dog for a retrieve and then insist on the hold and heel and related obedience commands everywhere from the water’s edge and into the blind itself.

This retroactive training works because dogs are so place-oriented. Setting this up in a situation that feels like an actual hunting trip, especially if it’s a spot your dog is familiar with, amps up the excitement a notch and gives you the chance to make your point that you require proper bird handling no matter what.