Early Retrieves with a Puppy

Many people make the mistake of starting too early, not starting the right way, and get impatient when starting out with early retrieves with puppy. By starting too early or retrieving too often, and starting off incorrectly, a dog can very easily become what we call “shed shy” which is very similar to a gun shy dog. If the dog has a bad experience with sheds at a young age you run the risk of turning them off antlers.  This becomes a very difficult and time consuming fix.

What needs to happen first in early retrieves with puppy: short pitches in a hallway with a balled up sock. Get the dog to go straight out and back, and do not start out with real sheds or anything that is a struggle for the young pup to pick! Early intro risks a dog jabbing itself on a tine and creates a negative experiences with something that is ultimately what you want them to love.  We start out with the Antler Dummy to condition shape…it is soft, won’t poke or jab and eliminates your risk of the negative introduction.

As always,  thanks for tuning in and keep the questions and feedback coming.

Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to the Turnpike Troubadours for allowing us to use a snippet from one of our all-time favorite songs The Bird Hunter.  Make sure to check out their music, they are a favorite of ours.

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Listen to Episode 20