Sorry gotta brag on my Brittany

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So this is my first post in this particular forum on the site but I gotta take a minute to brag on my little Brittany. Willow is ten months old and my father in law and I have been training her for the last 3 months. Honestly I have to say my FIL has done a large majority of the work... and im so grateful for it. We took Willow out for her first unleashed hunt this past Sunday at Crumpton Quail Farm in Columbiana ( thanks again to Mr. Gary for letting us get some birds and use his fields ). We did mark the birds to be sure she didnt miss any as we worked and she didnt disappoint! We put out 24 birds in pairs and triples and she didnt skip a bird! If only the shooters coulda done their part we woulda been perfect!!!! We're still only batting a little over .500 on completed retrieves, but we're getting there! Haha. I think we got us a natural.

Really I was just super proud and thought Id shares couple of pics from the hunt.

on a side note... once force fetching doesn't take whats the next option??? she's a great hunter but a strong willed little B****

Good looking pup! I have a 7 yr old male Brittany that will also get after it on the quail field. I got him while I was in college and the plan was to train him to do this and that, but I got lazy and never worked with him. Luckily I picked out a natural, he will out hunt all of my brother in laws trained GSP’s. If there’s a quail in the field he will find it, and if the shooter is good enough to shoot it he will retrieve it. I don’t hunt him as much as I would like too, we maybe go on 2 hunts a year. It doesn’t matter if it’s been a year or two weeks since he’s last been, he doesn’t skip a beat. His retrieving has definitely gotten better over the years, the only times I have trouble with his retrieves is when there are other dogs hunting with him, he likes to get the bird and will lay down with it so the other dogs won’t get it. He’s also the best house dog I have ever had and an even better hunter. My mom got his sister (litter mate) the same time I got him and her dog won’t do anything but chase butterflies, so just goes to show some dogs are just born with it and I’m lucky to have gotten one.

What method of force fetch did you use, and what didn’t take?

honestly couldn't tell you the name of the method. We researched a few methods on the interweb and found a lady on youtube that had some fairly detailed series of videos out there. We worked with those. We got hung up when then time came for her to take the dummy on her own. Never could get her to take anything out of our hand to carry.

Like I said though. She really surprised me with how well she did retrieve the other day. Never gunna win any awards but if she can keep bringing them back to within arms reach and dropping them I can live with it.

What force were you applying? Ear pinch or toe hitch? Did you teach hold first?

Update on the willow... We hunted yesterday and today with much better luck retrieving. She was able to point, flush, and RETRIEVE 38/40. Two flew low on us and we didn't shoot. She figuring it out now
Coonhunter- we ear pincheds