A dog that retrieves birds must deliver the bird suitable for the dinner table. Crushing or chewing on the bird is unacceptable behavior. This is referred to as “hard mouth”.
Dog breeds that are historically known for retrieving may never have a problem with hard mouth. They may be genetically inclined, over hundreds of years of training and breeding, to deliver the evening meal in edible form. That was their original purpose. Retrievers are an example.
For pointing dogs, the versatile breeds may naturally retrieve more often than the pure pointing breeds such as the English pointer or English setter. The versatile breeds, such as the German Shorthair, Brittany, Viszla, Griffon, etc., were developed by the working class of old Europe to handle all facets of the hunt. These breeds were truly responsible for delivering the evening meal. Hard mouth was unacceptable then as it is today.
As with all training, it’s important to start your dog correctly, as a puppy, rather than attempting to correct the problem at a later date.
Simultaneous to the “fist in the mouth” drill, you should have your pup in a puppy obedience class. If you’re a beginner at training bird dogs, the structure of a class will help you develop your skills and be better for the pup. Any and all further training will be easier with an obedient dog.
As your puppy grows and you’ve built a good base for preventing hard mouth, be careful not to ruin your training. One example would be playing tug-of-war. This is a no-no. You’re encouraging hard mouth with this old game. Another mistake made by an inexperienced handler/owner is to jerk a bird from the dog’s mouth. This, to the dog, is a sign of competition and he’ll resist dropping the bird.
One situation in the field which you’ll need to be cautious about is running two dogs. If you are running two dogs, they should be taught to honor point and then only one dog released for the retrieve. Two dogs fighting over the same bird is a problem. Hard mouth will come fast. Avoid competition among dogs at all times.
If you haven’t done the groundwork to prevent hard mouth from the beginning, how is it cured once developed? There are two cures for serious hard mouth and, if you’re a novice trainer, both require assistance from a professional. The most commonly used method and most successful is to force fetch your dog. Proper force-fetch training will insure a prompt and rapid retrieve with no post-shot damage to the bird. The e-collar can also be used. If done improperly, however, both the force-fetch and e-collar can ruin a dog. Again, seek the assistance of a professional trainer when attempting to cure hard mouth.
Paul Fuller is a lifelong sportsman. He’s been an outdoor writer since 1971. He’s the host and producer of the award winning Bird Dogs Afield TV show (www.birddogsafield.com) and produced the epic video Grouse, Guns & Dogs. Paul shot over his first German short-haired pointer in 1961.