Pass Along PDJ
April 2008

Fine-Tuning the Retrieve
by Lisa Price

y friends' shots shifted the pheasant’s flying line before it dropped out of the sky into a thick hedgerow. Everybody groaned—it was going to be tough to find. My dog Josey hadn’t seen it fall, and the bird could be hung up in the bushes.

I gave Josey a tap on the head and sent him. I could hear branches and twigs snapping as he worked through the cover, searching for the bird. Minutes seemed to pass before I saw that gorgeous sight—my dog busting through the brush, heading in my direction with the pheasant in his mouth.

Our eyes met, and I said, "Good dog!" And Josey dropped the pheasant on the spot. I’d tell him to fetch it, and he’d pick up the bird and bring it a few feet and drop it again. This happened several times until he got the bird all the way to me.

What went wrong?

A couple weeks ago at a hunt test hosted by the local club, I was lucky to meet Rick Paine of Kist Mi Kennels in Arcade, New York. Rick is an extremely accomplished dog trainer and handler and offered some help on getting a gun dog to retrieve to hand.

"Think about it," Rick said as we chowed down on the club's supper. "From the time we start breaking a dog, we drill it into them that it is wrong to pick up the bird. Then we teach them to retrieve, but in the back of their mind they’re not one-hundred-percent sure that it’s okay to do it. As the handler, you have to be careful not to do anything that shakes their confidence."

ick gave the following tips on working through the retrieve:

1. Do not make eye contact with the dog during the retrieve. In dog body language, this is a direct challenge from the pack leader, and it might cause the dog to shrink back a bit and drop the bird. Instead, look down or off to one side.

2. Present a clear target where you want the dog to place the bird. Some handlers kneel, which is a good way to help coax in a "soft" or submissive dog, since you’re closer to their level. Hold your hands to the side of your body, and you may add a sweeping motion front to back as the dog approaches.

3. Avoid saying, "No" if your dog messes up—it just reinforces the idea that retrieving is wrong. Instead, repeat the command that you use for the retrieve, and try your best to keep your voice firm yet pleasant.

4. Praise lavishly for a successful retrieve.

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