Hard mouth

[Griffin]

Any have any good fixes for this? Dog brings everything to hand and never drops a bird early. Only issue is how hard he holds them especially cripples. Maybe I shouldn't care but it is something I'd like to correct

[LabLuvR]

If he isn't seriously ruining meat I wouldn't worry about it.

[marsh chicken]

Has the dog been through force fetch? Is he freezing on the bird and not wanting to give it up or chewing it as he returns?

[Griffin]

Has the dog been through force fetch? Is he freezing on the bird and not wanting to give it up or chewing it as he returns?

Neither just clamping the fuck out of it. Teal don't fair to well

[hightech1953]

You may not believe this but I had the same problem with a lab many years ago and a old trainer told me to use green pine cones . It worked. He never was hard mouthed after that.

[Murray]

Permanent fix - force fetch

Short term possible fix. Spiked pigeon harness and practice

http://www.gundogsupply.com/pigharnyl.html

[marsh chicken]

It's not always an easy fix. If you haven't been through hold and FF. I would start there.

http://www.retrievertraining.net/for...ght=hard+mouth

[loud1]

My dog used to do that. Some chicken wire round couple dummy birds fixed it

[B.Miller]

If he isn't seriously ruining meat I wouldn't worry about it.

Really?

[riverrat8991]

Mine did the same thing untill force fetch.

[Griffin]

dog is 4 and I doubt I have time or patience to FF him

[Murray]

dog is 4 and I doubt I have time or patience to FF him

You can try the pigeon harness on live birds, but it's no certain fix.

I may be able to dig one up if you want to try it.

[ducksmoker]

I had that problem before. I ran screws into a training dummy just enough to poke her mouth if she clamped down. It worked for me.

[Griffin]

You can try the pigeon harness on live birds, but it's no certain fix.

I may be able to dig one up if you want to try it.

I think this is the route I need to go.

I had that problem before. I ran screws into a training dummy just enough to poke her mouth if she clamped down. It worked for me.

Fucker is gentle as shit with a dummy

[LabLuvR]

Really?

Yes, really. Sometimes trying to fix a problem can create other issues. If the dog isn't ruining the bird why worry about it?

[Capt. Tom]

Steal one of your wife's hairbrushes. The ones with the metal spikes with just the little runner things covering the ends. They will have the spokes 360 around it. Have him retrieve that. But if he is gentle with the dummy this may not fix the problem if he is just doing to the birds.

BUT the Bull didn't get his name for nothing. Lol. I love that dog.

[HuntinCosta]

The smart and permanent fix would be force fetch. The other tricks will work, but won't necessarily be the permanent solution. I would start with knobby bumper, then maybe add screws coming out of the bumper, then a harness around a bird, then maybe something more extreme. Don't jump in and do the most drastic thing first. Work him up to it. You have until next September before hunting season.

[Griffin]

BUT the Bull didn't get his name for nothing. Lol. I love that dog.

I mean the cripples don't get away and 99% of the time they are no longer cripple once he gets back to the boat. Saves ringing necks

[abarill]

The smart and permanent fix would be force fetch. The other tricks will work, but won't necessarily be the permanent solution. I would start with knobby bumper, then maybe add screws coming out of the bumper, then a harness around a bird, then maybe something more extreme. Don't jump in and do the most drastic thing first. Work him up to it. You have until next September before hunting season.

Huntincosta, do you think starting with just practicing "Hold" would work, versus going through all of a FF regimen with the dog? My dog used to really clamp down, and I worked with practicing "hold" first. Anytime she tried to chew, I held her mouth shut and said hold, gradually extending the amount of time I would require her to hold. Then I went through FF, which took a lot more time. But the major initial improvement I saw was after a few sessions of "hold".

I am really new to this, just my observation with my young dog