Ignoring a dummy in favour of hunting is quite a common problem.
It tends to be an issue experienced by some spaniel owners once their dog is working on real game.
The habit often begins quite subtly and you may think at first that your dog did not see or scent the dummy.
If no action is taken, before long it becomes quite clear that the dog is deliberately ‘ignoring’ the retrieve.
What causes refusal to retrieve dummies?
The reason for the problem is that the dog’s hunting drive overwhelms his urge to retrieve dummies.[wp_ad_camp_1]A spaniel’s first love is often hunting.
Which is why we see the problem more often in spaniels, than in retrievers.
Essentially, dummies are just not interesting enough.
The dog will usually carry on retrieving game as this is more exciting for him.
Does it matter?
This may not be a problem for everyone, but if shooting is quite a small part of your dog related activities, and you want to keep your dog fit and in practice when not shooting, then it is a most annoying development.
Carrying bags full of cold game around to practice with is also very inconvenient.
So what is the cure?
You can greatly reduce the incidence of your dog ignoring or ‘blinking’ the dummy by following a particular routine.
Every time you take your spaniel out for exercise, have him retrieve a dummy fresh out of the car/house. Do not allow any free running at all until he has completed a retrieve.
If he blinks the retrieve, put him back on the lead or in the vehicle and try again later.
Most spaniels quickly realise that if they don’t retrieve your boring old dummy, life is going to get increasingly dull. Sooner or later, usually within a day or two, you will get a retrieve. Once the dog has completed a successful dummy retrieve, give him masses of praise and allow him to hunt for a few minutes.
Repeat for a few days until he is retrieving that dummy like a pro.
Build up gradually
The next time you go out, ask for two retrieves before hunting is permitted. Build up the number of retrieves gradually as you would with a puppy.
Stick to your guns and put him back on the lead or better still back in the vehicle if he refuses a retrieve. Once he has started retrieving again, you may find you can focus him on the retrieve with verbal rebuke (ah-ah) or a sharp NO, if he runs past an obvious dummy on the ground.
Back on the lead if the rebuke doesn’t work and he will pay more attention next time..
Teaching a trained retrieve may also be helpful with dogs like this, as it creates a ‘trained response’ that you can then proof against different distractions.
Avoiding a problem
As with most things, prevention is better than cure. Maintain your spaniel’s retrieving drive from the very beginning by never allowing any hunting until the dog has completed some retrieves.
Don’t have a retrieving session on dummies after the dog has been hunting for any length of time. The same rule applies to a dog of any breed whose retrieving drive is ‘suspect’ or that has lost some enthusiasm for dummies.
A dog that has been confined in a house, kennel or car is far more likely to retrieve for you than one that has been allowed to hunt.
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Hello there! I’ve started my springer spaniel’s training at the age of 4,5 months by simply teaching him the basic orders and playing fetch without an order with a tennis ball. At the introduction to dummies i used a 1/4 lb dummy, a puppy dummy, and the dog fetched it by marking it from 30-40 meters right at my hand with full speed and very passionate. There were 2 or 3 retrieves at its lesson (2-3 times a week). At the age of 6 suddenly he started ignore the dummies, or fetched them half the way and spit them out. When he retrieves he does so quite slowly, almost walking, and with no passion at all. I started back from the beginning (tennis ball, puppy dummy). He shows quite anxious when he sees me take out the dummies to play but during the lesson (lesson means searching and making zig-zags on the whistle command) when i hide a dummy and he finds it, he still may not bring it or fully ignore it or at his best bring it with a boring style. I need to mention here that when he make a retrieve and i praise him he shows a will to leave away from me to continue searching….
Hi Pippa,
My dog started blinking dummies (he has never been that interested in them) and I told him off, this happened on a couple of occasions, he is very soft and now when I take out the dummy he will lie down not wanting to follow, upon the fetch it command, he will start jumping up anxiously.
I have bought a clicker and plan to leave retrieving for a while and then have a go with that, do you think it would be better to try a new command for fetch? Can I use a clicker as a reward for marking the dummy?
Whenever he sees me in the house he will run off to find something like a slipper or whatever he can find to bring to me, I praise him for doing this but he doesn’t seem to associate this with outside retrieving. If you have any suggestions on how to move on from my mistake I would be very grateful.
Many Thanks
Hi Seb, the clicker is an event marker, not a reward, so you need to make sure you charge it properly and follow it with a food reward.
I think your idea to start over is a good one. You may have to spend some time just working to a point where he will even look at the dummy. But once you worked through this, you should make good progress. Using a new cue is a good idea but you won’t need any cues at all to begin with
Good luck and try not to worry about having messed up. Everyone goes wrong at some point. This is fixable. Pippa
Hi Pippa,
Thanks for the reassurance, I will charge the clicker, follow your clicker training advice for retrieving and hopefully this will all go to plan!
Great website by the way, lots of good information, if I was nearer your way I’d come for a training session.
Many Thanks!
Sorry Pippa, he is a year old working cocker spaniel.
Hi Pippa, we have tried the traditional gundog training and it has not worked for us. We have a very keen hunter and his recall is not great. He is mainly on a long lead, but it is driving us mad! We have your Total Recall book, is this method suitable for keen hunters. He will always come when in the garden, but outside ……. hit and miss I’m afraid.
Hi Sue, Total Recall is suitable for all dogs, but there is not doubt that it is more difficult and takes longer to achieve a solid recall in a dog that has been allowed to experience the joys of chasing. Teaching your spaniel to quarter close to you will enable you to keep him close and exercise him off lead at the same time.
Pippa
A young bitch coming into season will sometimes show disinterest in dummies or training in general.