My hunting dog does an awesome retrieve during training but when out hunting she may stop and chew on the freshly shot bird. She knows how to retrieve, where have I gone wrong?

Me again......I really appreciate being able to ask questions and getting good answers! Thank you! I have a 2y old upland hunting dog (by now you probably know I have Springers) who I have trained to retrieve using Michael Ellis's methods. She is awesome.....until a bird is shot. Seems a warm, just shot bird is different than the dead ones I thaw and use for different training activities. She marks and finds the just shot bird, goes out to get it, starts heading back with it and then stops, puts her head down and looks like she's almost chewing on it (like making sure it's dead) and that is totally unacceptable. I am on the 2nd week of Ed's remote collar training DVD. Thinking I need to apply collar pressure when she starts doing this....? As she knows how to retrieve. Where have I gone wrong? Does she think that a fresh, possibly still live bird (many times they have not been killed by the shot) does not need to be retrieved to hand like everything else?? Thank you!

Cindy's Answer

The retrieve is just like any other obedience exercise and needs to be generalized to the final item to be retrieved. I would go back to more basic steps using a warm, just shot bird in a training format.

I'd look at the steps in Training the Retrive with Michael Ellis (2018) material you have where he shows how to use the remote to reinforce the hold with the dog on a harness/backtie. I'd go back a few steps first though and reinforce everything on a line.

I train my dogs in mondioring and they have to retrieve all kinds of crazy items, sponges soaked with water, brooms, plastic bottles, rubber boots, balloons,etc..some items are more challenging for individuals than others so I always go back to just having them hold in front, then moving while holding the item while on leash, etc. I don't actually do a full retrieve until they can do those steps first and then I work on the pick up and hold VERY close to me and build on it.