Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Force Fetch question

And here's my best dog Rio7...though I could never quite get her to fetch a deer or elk....

This last picture is Smoke, picking up a dove, the day before she died, Steve, had to carry her back to me. she was 16 yrs old, it was like losing one of my family. Rio7

Damn! That stings....

ingwe, I know you know how much it stings. Rio7

Clearly the dig of a lifetime. You were blessed!

What battue & Ingwe said. Do you want your dog to go through some pain that's unnecessary for the type hunting you"re going to do with it?

Never noticed force fetch training causing a lot of pain on my dogs. What type of force fetch training did you do that resulted in that? For me, it works great and I'll keep using it on every dog I own in the future. People should use whatever method they like and gets the results they want. Like a lot of things in life really.

Had some hallway trained brittanies in the distant past. They did fine too.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gun-dogs/2010/03/must-you-force-fetch/


One thing I can guarantee is FF is not for every Dog...It would be a fools game to FF most hunting Cockers and Springers. They have a strong prey dive, however a hard hand from those they trust will turn them off. And they rarely would forget.

Battue, I think you are exactly right on that. I don't think a lot of brittanies would do well with it either. Everyone should train up their dogs how they want of course.

wilkeshunter, Don't know how old your dog is? but I enjoy a dog that excited and playful, when it come's to fetching, just because your serious, they don't have to be, make hunting fun and rewarding for the dog and they will become serious. mine beat me to the Jeep, when i pick up a gun and open the door in the morning. Rio7





Cold wet and muddy, 5:00 A.M. let's go!

Hate to step in it but what’s everybody’s opinion of e-collar training?

Dog doesn't listen to the command, he gets lit up.
One must first train the dog, and he fully understands what he is to do. When he decides to not do as commanded, there is a price to be paid.
He listens, and does, no problem !

Thanks splattermatic. Totally agree. Waiting to see if others will chime in before I really step in it.

Rocky is 10 months old. We really love his spirit and enthusiasm when he is retrieving. That is a big reason why we bailed on the idea of going through the force fetch training. Fetching is a game that he loves and we are working to keep it that way. It will likely be a long time before he is a serious gun dog, which is ok with us.

I’ve been using the collar judiciously

Great for eliminating unwanted behavior that could endanger your dog like “chasing”

Took her though snake avoidance training and the collar is quite necessary

Be careful using it during retriever training with dummies or birds. Make sure you’re “Johnny on the spot” with the correction and start conservatively

I’ve used it to correct breaking on the shot, popping while taking a line, and ignoring whistle and voice commands at range. I usually just “nick” her.

Less is more

Started using a Tritronics collar after attending a John and Phyllis Dobbs class in 1978 I think. A very basic model featuring an extendable metal antenna and one setting - Fry. Closest "modern" model I can think of would be the Trash-breaker. I had that collar for almost 30 years until it was lost in the mail for servicing.

Upgraded to a 100LR after taking another Dobbs class where avoidance and aversion techniques were taught. Upgraded to a 2 dog 500LR a couple years later but seldom used the momentary setting and running two dogs with one transmitter was a hopeless cause. Sold that and switched to Upland Specials when they came out to get the receiver and beeper on one collar.

The Upland 2 was the apex of collars in my mind. No power plugs, adjustable continuous at the transmitter, momentary shock at high setting on whatever transmitter was set at, and good range. The Upland 3 brought out after Garmin took over is a bridge too far as it is more complicated and offers too many options. I use it on my finished dogs mostly for the tone and vibrate functions as well as one of my wife's dogs for its bark limiter feature. I added a Dogtra collar many years ago as their similar collar worked much like the Upland 2. It also has different beep patterns/sounds which helps when running multiple dogs at a time. Dogtra will be my new go to brand unless they muck up their collars like Garmin.

After 40 years I am a believer in ecollars. There is no better way of stopping bad habits from starting or controlling the dog from a distance. There is a learning curve involved and many blame the collar for poor results rather than the user. I've taken 4 classes from the Dobbs, several others from various collar manufacturers, and countless pointers from fellow training club members- professional and amateur. I am still learning new uses or being reminded of old. They are a valuable addition to one's training tools.

Agree.

Splatter used “lit up”. I was wondering just how much “juice” it takes to light a Dog up????? “Lit up" around here implies getting it all.

And all Dogs are different for what they will tolerate. Had a yard electric fence. One would go right up to the warning sound. Another pretty much stayed in the center of the yard and never tested it after his initial education.

Had a Dog that was always excited to see me. Eventually, in his excitement, he started pissing every time I came home. It went on for a long time and I finally said enough and "lit" him up. Turns out he had Lymes and his kidneys were failing. it killed him way before his time. Lighting him up solved nothing.

One Dog now you can "tick" him and he corrects and goes on. Another, a "tick" brings him all the way in. That button has "light" that needs to be used wisely.

Dogs are smart...One Dog will fitch the transmitter...another knows it is a snake that his bit him more than once.

Of course the electric collar can be used to train a great dog. Skilled trainers have been doing it for decades. There's usually more than one way to get a good result. Lots more good collars out there than good trainers.

Light him up, is just a term to use the button.
With the varied settings on collars, your dog will tell you where it needs to be set to get their attention. Any more is not needed, as they get the picture....

Bought an e-collar a decade or so ago. Never even put it on a dog. Gave it away.
Hundreds of pictures of my dogs fetching birds to me. I've never needed to force fetch a single one of them.

A few years back I was on the property of a prominent Northern California trainer. Watched him repeatedly light up a dog, cursing at it while the dog was yelping.
I had to leave the area as I wanted to beat that stupid SOB "trainer".