# Training my 3 year old to retrieve ducks.



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ah, that's better! hopefully some of our hunt and field people will be able to give you suggestions.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm hoping so lol. I would like to get him trained as much as possible before the duck season starts in September. Thanks for the heads up about the hunting forum.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

First and foremost...THANK YOU for your service! I hope you are able to get the information you need to start your dog on the way to retrieving ducks. If they already have the desire to retrieve, it shouldn't be too much of a jump. Do you have access to live ducks or pigeons? That would be the first place to start. If you can get them, shackle them and tease your dog with it, then throw. I'll bet your dog will go right after it. 

Try to find a local retriever training group and join one of their training days. 

I'm sure others will give their input, we have a great field group on this forum. You will get lots of advice. Welcome to the forum.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

I think I could get my hands on a pigeon or two. I'll give that a try and go from there, I know he will pretty retrieve anything and if it moves he will be all over it. He caught a rabbit in my backyard a few weeks ago and walked it up to me, so it hopefully wont be too hard. Getting him to not kill the bird is gonna be the hard part.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

kadewhurst said:


> Hi Everyone,
> Just wondering if anyone has any experience with training an older dog to retrieve ducks. I wanted to do it when he was a puppy, but I didn't have any space big enough to do it and being a Marine took up a lot of my time. I now have a enough time and the means to train him, but I haven't heard of anyone really training an older dog to retrieve ducks. He will fetch pretty much anything I throw (he retrieves an inflated soccer ball like there is no problem lol) and he listens very well, so I figured I would give it a shot. If someone knows any books or any ideas I'm all ears. Thanks in advance for the help and if you need any more info just ask.


Try to make some contacts with other retriever people who can help you. 

If I were in your place I would bring the dog along just as if he were a puppy. The one problem that you may have is getting the dog interested in birds. Early exposure to birds is usually a priority. I would try tossing a wing for the dog, pull flight feathers from a pigeon and let the dog chase it, tease the dog with a dead bird, etc. Don't just take the dog hunting and hope he learns. 

And please don't bring him to the range to listen to the guns go off to condition him to gunfire.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

I know not to take him out and hope he retrieves. That's a fast way to get him gun shy. I will go to the store and pick up a wing and see what he does with that and go from there.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Good luck! I'm sure he'll be OK.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

My boy never saw a bird until he was over 3, and he is obsessed with them. It's an instinct, and it sounds like your boy is going to do just fine.
I would probably start with a couple of wings tied to a canvas bumper and scented with duck scent (from the hunting store). Toss it a few times and see how he feels about it, and get him used to the feel of feathers in his mouth. With the pigeons, I may be wrong but this is my gut reaction, I would probably use "freshly dispatched" ones before I'd try live ones. Once you see how he responds to those, you can try to dizzy one up and see how he likes them live.
Joining a training group is a great idea. They can also help you get access to ducks.


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## coffenut (Jan 3, 2012)

LOL ... when I first read this, I immediately thought you were talking about your 3 year old HUMAN child. <G> I need more coffee.


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Thank you for your service. 
See if you can get a book called the 10 Minute retriever (I think that is the name of it). It will get you started. A 3yr. old dog is not old, if it caught a rabbit it has prey drive and willing to chase something. You just have to show your pup what to go get and how to do it. I would start from the beginning as if he were puppy also. Even if he does know basic commands.
Keep us posted on his progress and if you have questions *ASK THEM *. There are no stupid or silly questions. Everybody here had to at one time ask them also.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

My boy was five the first time he was around birds. First I tossed out a dead one for him and I was surprised how eagerly he tried to go after it (this is a dog that was never much interested in retrieving anything). Well turns out he was excited because he thought I had thrown him a snack. He tried to rip it apart and eat it. Once I told him he was supposed to be retrieving, not eating, he had no further interest in ducks.

Until I let him chase down a wing clipped pigeon. He was so excited! He chased that thing down and brought it to me, so happy with his catch (and he did not try to kill it!). That seemed to awaken some long dead instinct within him, suddenly he loved retrieving birds and was doing 50 plus yard marks with dead ducks the same day.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

oh and there just happened to be a photographer out in the field that day that caught that magical moment!


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Get him on birds! It sounds like he has some prey drive, so you need to get him keyed in on what he will be working.

Once you have him keen on birds, another good book to start formal training is _Retriever Puppy Training: the Right Start for Hunting_ by Cherylon Loveland and Clarice Rutherford. Despite the title it can be used for starting basics with a dog of any age. It is very clearly laid out and all of the stages are explained step by step. Quite simple for a first-timer to follow.


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## luvgld7 (Jan 23, 2008)

Here's the book Radarsdad referred to, by John and Amy Dahl :The 10 Minute Retriever - How to Make an Obedient and Enthusiastic Gun Dog in 10 Minutes a Day Book. $15.95 (Save $8.55)

As previously mentioned, joining a retriever club in your area is a great way to get started and go to training days. Sounds like you have a choice in your area. A thread from another forum has a discussion about clubs near Green Bay:
training clubs near appleton or green bay, wi - RetrieverTraining.Net - the RTF

And, btw, my boy was 6 yrs old when he got his Senior Hunter title.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

Thank you everyone!!! I have a lot of things to get me started and I will let everyone know of the progress we make and hopefully he picks it up quickly. If anyone has anymore suggestions just let me know. Thanks again everyone


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

We're reaching the end of the game farm season, so check with your local game farms for sbr (shot beyond recognition) birds. They aren't fit for the table but they can work well for dog training.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

So I am giving everyone a little update on what I have planned. I bought the book Retriever Puppy Training: the Right Start for Hunting and I bought a bumper with the duck scent and a rubber type throwing duck. I got permission from a relative to use their field and I'm borrowing goose decoys from my dad to give Rebel a bit of a challenge when I toss the bumper or duck. I'm gonna start next weekend if the weather isn't too horrible and I will give everyone another update with how things go. Thanks everyone for the ideas


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Keep the decoys to a minimum to begin with and fairly close to your running line. Walk the dog around them and through them the first time so he gets used to them. After that you can get more creative with the decoys. (Some dogs freek out when encountering decoys the first time, especially the super magnum goose decoys.) 

It's a good time to enlist the aid of a helper to throw birds and bumpers for you. That way the dog learns to look out in the field for things to retrieve, not at you.


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## kadewhurst (Feb 20, 2012)

Well here is the first update for everyone. I have been tossing the dummy in my backyard with Rebel and he absolutely LOVES it. I've got him to stay after tossing the dummy out about 90% of the time. The other 10% he is so freakin' excited, he bolts after it. I was planning on starting to train him in a field last weekend, but we ended up getting 8 inches of snow, so it kind of screwed my plans up. I'm hoping to get him out to the wetland area near my house this weekend to get him used to the new smells, and I'm going to be tossing the dummy for him. So far, so good.....


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Enjoy the journey with him. He will be just fine from what you are describing. Find a Retriever club in your area and join it. Now that you have started this do him a favor and let him show you what he can do.


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