# Parading with birds, a golden retriever problem



## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I don't think it's only goldens, I've seen labs doing it too.
It looks like a type of play, mostly seen in young junior dogs.

I don't see it in Senior or Master. 
By then I see other problems like bird chomping and sticking.

By SH and even JH, I'm thinking points off for trainability.
I've even seen some Junior judges fail dogs for playing the "I'm not delivering to you" game.

It is funny to watch ... when someone else's dog does it.

I wouldn't encourage it and would enforce the HERE and delivery.
If you don't want to nick then I would use a long line.
I would not want to let this become a habit.

Both mine did it. We used the long line until they had good recalls.
Sometimes Dee Dee still does a couple circles, but a firm HERE! fixes that.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

*h e r e - n i c k - h e r e
*


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## TrailDogs (Aug 15, 2011)

K9-Design said:


> *h e r e - n i c k - h e r e*


See above - HERE - NICK -HERE 

Don't worry about fallout - this is a recall failure.
Would you allow your dog to ignore your recall in other situations?


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

At training tonight, I will set up and nick for it, and use a long line. I will fix it. Good to know a bird in the mouth isn't an excuse for allowing misbehavior. My hesitation to nick in the past will probably be a surprise to her when I do nick her now.


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## TrailDogs (Aug 15, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> At training tonight, I will set up and nick for it, and use a long line. I will fix it. Good to know a bird in the mouth isn't an excuse for allowing misbehavior. My hesitation to nick in the past will probably be a surprise to her when I do nick her now.


You will be surprised at how quickly this behavior stops once you enforce her coming directly back to you.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

The first time or two they are corrected with a bird in their mouth they usually drop it, but I just yell NO - FETCH. If they do it again they get a nick when I say fetch. It VERY QUICKLY communicates to the dog that they are messing around and to not do all that naughty stuff. Trust me it will save you a lot of time. If the dog refuses at all to pick up the bird again, ear pinch to the bird. (**This is of course for a collar conditioned & force fetched dog**)


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

My Darcy is a show-off and loved to go to the thrower and other people with the bird/bumper. I worked with her on just come/here command out of water, around a group of people, going to the line. That seemed to do the trick. 

I was as well hesitant about correcting with the bird in mouth. She just needed the idea that come means come and not parade or play with the bird in the water - which she LOVED to do, she knew she was "safe" to play in the water all she wanted. 

Haha - back in June she went for a land retrieve, the line was near water. She dropped the bird in front of someone, I told her to fetch it up so she did and took that bird straight in the water with her.

Different story after the come/ heel up were enforced.


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## texasx96 (Mar 13, 2013)

Rowdy has never had a chance to parade with birds, but that is exactly what he does with a Frisbee. He has to make sure that everyone sees him prance around with it in his mouth.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

why does she find everyone else more attractive than you (a food for thought question)


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

K9-Design said:


> *h e r e - n i c k - h e r e
> *


That...as long as the dog is e-collar conditioned FIRST. This is not a Golden retriever issue. It's an obedience issue, and it's one of the most basic ones.

EvanG


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> why does she find everyone else more attractive than you (a food for thought question)


Recall issue, one of the biggest issues for JH IMO.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

gdgli said:


> Recall issue, one of the biggest issues for JH IMO.


And recall ("here") is obedience at its most basic. When I was starting out as a pro I took what came in the door, most of which were pet dogs that wouldn't come when called. Easiest money I ever made, and some my happiest clients! If you don't have that one together it will haunt all your fieldwork at any level.

EvanG


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Evan, I board dogs for a living and I cannot tell you how many dogs totally ignore the recall command. A lot don't even look at you to acknowledge that you've called them.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Hey they are playing Teddi's song. Parade music!!!! It's one reason we don't do field with her. 

Yes it's a recall issue, and while I say Teddi's recall is about 85% now, when she's "retrieving" she doesn't want to bring whatever it is to the person who threw it. It's her.... At one point I started force fetching her but it was proving to be a task a bit daunting for a new person to that task. I asked myself "why" was I doing this? This is a dog who won't EVER touch a bird, so hunt tests were never gonna happen. And well....it's Teddi. She can mark and line like you have never seen. She even could cast before I ever knew what casting was, she just plays by her terms. 

In my case, I accepted the dog I had. I wasn't going to change that. I did collar condition her, it's why we have a recall now at all. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> Evan, I board dogs for a living and I cannot tell you how many dogs totally ignore the recall command. A lot don't even look at you to acknowledge that you've called them.



Explanation: Learned irrelevance of the command.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Totally! And in my observation, it's a result of bribing dogs, and of there never being any consequence to ignoring the command.
But THAT is a topic for a different thread! 



gdgli said:


> Explanation: Learned irrelevance of the command.


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Evan, I board dogs for a living and I cannot tell you how many dogs totally ignore the recall command. A lot don't even look at you to acknowledge that you've called them.


yikes ! I hope it's not mine that ignore you ! If it is, you are free to use any and all methods to keep these rascals in line.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

No, honestly yours are among the most obedient I get !



my4goldens said:


> yikes ! I hope it's not mine that ignore you ! If it is, you are free to use any and all methods to keep these rascals in line.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

While it is an obedience issue it also is a maturity issue. My Tinker Bell, I mean my flatcoat, I mean Darcy, she loves people and in a big crown she likes to meet everyone she can possibly meet. We had to teach return the bird to handler and not thrower at the age of 4.

I would still not nick or correct while a bird is in the mouth. But that is just me. The dog is showing off a bird and more than likely does not even acknowledge/"hear" the command of HERE/COME etc. As Evan said above the dog should be EE conditioned, and if the dog is EE conditioned more than likely we would not be in this situation.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

How did it go with Lucy yesterday? Or did she know what you had in mind and decided to deliver the bird instead of showing off!?


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Last night before field training I took the herd to a wildlife refuge that was empty. Turned loose with Lucy on an e-collar. First I worked on re-call by herself with lots of distractions. Her first collar conditioning 1-1/2 yrs ago was re-call. So worked that. Then went into heeling and sitting collar work. So once we did all that and went through the basics I turned loose the rest of the herd. Then I worked Lucy on re-call with the herd. After we worked that, I moved onto heeling and sitting collar conditioning with all the distractions. Improved tremendously.

So off we went to training group. Out in the field one nick at 1.5 and we were on track all evening. So hopefully at the hunt test tomorrow she will not parade. 

Thanks for all your input. I think Lucy is much better now.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Good Luck!


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> Evan, I board dogs for a living and I cannot tell you how many dogs totally ignore the recall command. A lot don't even look at you to acknowledge that you've called them.


I know right where you're coming from!!!

EvanG


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