with an 8 year old dog and the amount of actual hunting and training you have put into the dog over the past few years I'm not sure this is a major issue. I train very high level field trial dogs and have only ever had one stick. I believe that was because I put too much pressure on him as a young dog and did not entirely have him trained at that time to handle the pressure of intense training. Since that time and with all my current dogs I take the bird from them In a very specific and same way all the time. The dog comes to heel and sit on my left side. I reach down with my right hand, give the command to drop and TAKE THE BIRD OUT OF HIS MOUTH IN A DOWNWARD AND AWAY MOTION. I see many people reach down with their left hand and pull the bird UP and away. That will make any dog prone to sticking drive upward and not release the bird. Now that is not entirely your problem but I would make the dog retrieve in that fashion and take the bird from his mouth in that way. The other point I would make is to not ever let it happen again. The next time you take him out he will try that again if you do what you did the last time. Discipline him in a very sever way. I don't necessarily mean physical but you have to let him know the world is coming down on him. That means big voice, overbearing presence, quickly grabbing the dog and flipping him over on his back and holding him till he gives in. Big voice while doing this can work well. If the dog is collar trained turn the collar up as high as it will go and use a big voice. I don't believe in a whip or hitting the dog which many pros would use in this case. Let me know how it goes and perhaps I can be more specific on my advice if it repeats
Last edited by Tamid; 10/30/14 01:37 AM.
