Motivation issues...

[Matt Duncan]

She's my keeper pup from my Lefty X Koda litter. Bourbon Bay's The Other Woman call name "Jolene"
Here she is at 7 weeks, for some reason I can't seem to get her very motivated..

http://s808.photobucket.com/us...zpsf07d7b28.mp4.html
http://s808.photobucket.com/us...zpsd95767cb.mp4.html

[FlintRiverFowler]

I had a lot if trouble getting mine motivated at first I was really worried about her. Now at 7 months old she goes crazy when I pull the bumpers out. Just can't get many retrieves done in this heat and humidity without her gettin winded.

[Goldfish]

Mine still has no drive to retrieve I'd say do everything you can to make sure it's fun. I should have concentrated on that way more than trying to get her to do what I wanted

sent from a phancy fone

[Matt Duncan]

I was being sarcastic... I take it the videos didn't work. The girl is a bulldozer on the pigeons!

[Redbeard]

I was being sarcastic... I take it the videos didn't work. The girl is a bulldozer on the pigeons!

I didn't see the vids but suspected you were being sarcastic

[Matt Duncan]

Ok how do I post video Red?

[jehler]

Ok how do I post video Red?

asking the right guy

[Goldfish]

I was being sarcastic... I take it the videos didn't work. The girl is a bulldozer on the pigeons!

More. Photobucket is dumb on my dumb phone

sent from a phancy fone

[Matt Duncan]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXd2rKdsDYw&feature=plcp
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTDjCCz6EPI&feature=plcp

[Redbeard]

Ok how do I post video Red?

asking the right guy

ha! Smartass

[Redbeard]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mXd2rKdsDYw&feature=plcp
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTDjCCz6EPI&feature=plcp

whatever ya did worked. Cool video

[jarbo03]

Cool vid, good lookin pup.

Sent from my new unbroken fully functional phone

[assateague]

Matt, how do you clip the wings? I have access to all the pigeons I want for training, but don't have the slightest idea how to clip them. Also, have you ever locked them? Some trainers I've seen/watched prefer wing locking them, which looks easy enough, but I was wondering which you prefer and why.

Thanks!

[Matt Duncan]

I just pull the flight feathers off of one wing some use masking tape on one wing. For puppies I don't need them to fly so that's the easiest for me. I don't lock the wings but if you have a timid pup and want to avoid having the pigeon flap too much and scaring the puppy that's a good method. I want more action out of the bird to develop bold fearless attitude towards retrieving. Sometimes locking their wings restricts them more than I prefer. Pigeons are cheap so just yank the feathers out and use it for a few days or until it croaks then it becomes a froze pigeon for later training. The litter I have here now started chasing the pigeons at 5 weeks or so and they go to their homes tomorrow already swimming efficiently and retrieving live birds. Not bad for 8 week old pups so IMO the earlier you can start the better.

[assateague]

Ok, thanks for killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. The next question was going to be "when". The breeder already started them on live birds (week 5 as well), and the swimming begins as soon as the weather lets up up there for him as well. Another week for me to get ready.

Thanks!

[Rick]

The next question was going to be "when". The breeder already started them on live birds...

If you want this Griff to point, and the breeder already has him birdy, he probably shouldn't get his lips on another one for the next few months. If he were mine, I'd be doing pointing work with birds he can't catch and use bumpers for all of his retriever training until he's got both down pat before retrieving birds.

[assateague]

Thanks Rick! His pointing work will consist almost 100% of snipe and rail, so yes, I do want him to point. I'm tired of trying to go kick up some of either after an unsuccessful duck hunt, which generally turns into an unsuccessful snipe or rail hunt, also. Whenever I do get one, it's pure dumb luck. While I know very, very little about training a retriever, I know even less about training to point. I'm relying on the NAVHDA green book at this point, but welcome any input (such as what you just provided) from those with experience as well. The last thing I want to do is have my ignorance ruin a dog. At least I do know that I don't know, but that only goes so far.

[Rick]

A lot of people seem to have used it, but I thought the NAVHDA green book a poor one, or at least the '90s version I had was. But then I've been waterfowling with "pointing" dogs since the '70s and have my own ways.

In your shoes, I'd take hard look at Julie Knutson's book on training pointing Labradors to see how she teaches and joins the two disciplines. Have heard good things about it from both "pointing dog" and "retriever" specialists, as well as folks wanting two in one.

[assateague]

Thanks Rick. Just ordered a used copy from amazon. Although I almost crapped when I saw "from $100.12 new". Used was still $20, but I'll live.

[Rick]

Knutsen sells it new signed for $47 and Gundog Supply unsigned but new for $44. Sounds like someone on Amazon is hoping one really is born every minute.

Pup won't give a rat's tail whether its new or not.