Lately when training with water retrieves with dummies, my 6 month lab is slow to start making the retrieve. He seems distracted, like he would rather be chasing ripples and bugs on the water. He will make the retrieve, but I have to command him back several times. I don't think I am overdoing him on retrieves because we only do three -6 a day.
My thoughts are that maybe

I need to throw shorter retrieves (I have been using the retrieve-r-trainer)

I need to concentrate more on obedience, he will be getting collar conditioned in a few weeks which I think will drastically help our obedience training.

I need to play fetch as a game more in the hall (in the hall, because he likes to run off with the bumper in the field), we do more water retrieves, because then he does not have the option to go the other way where we are training.





Any suggestions?
Thanks
Kdub

I'm not a gun dog guy, so maybe this is worthless, but I'd say he's six month old, his attention span is short, and he's probably going to wander off after quite a few butterflies at that age. shoot, he's still a toddler. maybe it's different with bird dogs?

I think you have something there, he does have a short attention span still, and if there's a grasshopper between him and his bumper, the grasshopper is more appealing I love my dog like crazy, but he drives me insane.

yep, sounds like he's being a pup. Have fun and "play games" with him to get your results

At 6 months do you know if he is possible teething? Maybe the hard bumpers hurt his mouth so he is looking for reasons to not have to retrieve? My pup lost his teeth around that time and his mouth was too sore for regular bumpers.

KDub, that is going to happen. Just like everyone has said, he's a little pup. Keep things fun right now, make sure to stay positive all the time and praise him a ton when he gets back to you, before you take the bumper. ( if you try to get the bumper before that, it can turn into a game of keep away, and that ain't good). Just be patient right now. Also, pigeons oflive birds should get his interest.

I have a 7 month old and when I first introduced him to water he was alittle slow i put him with my buddys dog that is a 1000 miles an hour now hes a bullet train around water. (good and bad depending on who you ask) if you hunt where theres lots of stumps and stuff you dont want your dog to impale it self running hard but if your in ponds and things like that where the dog needs to get it and get back before next set you want more speed. put your pup with a older dog that acts the way you want it to act and chances are monkey see monkey doo. im no expert by any meens thats just my

Good advice about the older dog. I have to say though, I want 100 mph entry, if a stump keeps the dog from getting the bird, I don't want it. That shows me desire and will to please. Just my opinion. I think its the handles job to make sure that there are no stumps or stick that could hurt the dog on a water entry, from the ground or a dog stand.

i think its the stumps you dont see that are the ones you have to worry about

My dog isn't reckless about her entry but she isn't too timid either.

I think somewhere in the middle is best for a working dog that actually hunts places with submerged obstacles. At some of the tests/trials the dogs go in so fast they could really get hurt on submerged rocks or stumps.

That said in kdub's case I'd bet on the teeth or needing to lay off retrieves and concentrate on obedience for a while (week or two). When you come back to retrieves there will be a new energy.

Teething and a sore mouth, WARM water and not much fun making long swims in it ... and being a 6 month old pup are all parts of it. Try just a few happy bumpers on land with SOFT objects. I even resort to the use of fabric frisbees for happy bumpers and trust me ... they get really happy real quick!

Thanks for the advice yall. I think Cuervo has all his adult teeth now. But the warm water difinitely is an issue. Today I threw a few shorter retrieves with my dead fowl, and he seemed to regain his prior enthusiasm for water retrieves.

yes i would do less marks in water. No more than 4 throws and if he is not eager the 1st one dont do another one. water needs to be a really good place and lots of fun. So if you have to get another dog in with him do it. It just has to be fun for him and if he is not eager about 1 or 2 retrieves throwing more just makes it into work.

I didn't read everyone's post so I may be repeating something...

But it sounds to me like his "switch" just hasn't flipped on yet... of the 2 dogs I've fully trained there was definitely a point in time where they just "got it" and started putting things together. You really see their brain begin to develop. The first pup I had, her "switch" came on at about 7 mo, and the one I have now didn't really "get it" until about 9 mo. fwiw...

also the puppy needs force fetch it changes everything. force fetch teaches:(they have retrieve no matter what is going on. to retrieve is how they please you so it makes them want to retrieve. and lastly to understand a correction on why they get introuble). So it gives the foundation to all advanced training. can a dog be trained with out ff? absolutely but you will strugle in your communication with the dog and you will have no bases to be able to give a correction. so would be unfair to give a correction without ff. So save some headaches and your insanity and help the dog by doing ff.

^^^^^ Good point. We will be doing ff after collar conditioning. I've got a lot of reading to do.