The Dokken dead chukar is not just another retrieve dummy

A dog trainer named Tom Dokken developed a retrieve dummy made of a firm foam that is shaped somewhat like a dead bird.  In fact, he has a score of these retrieve dummies in the shape of ducks, geese, and upland birds.

A sample of Dokken's dead fowl collection.






I recently got a chukar and a quail and thought I'd move Larsen from retrieving various play objects to retrieving these foam birds.  Big deal, right?

I did our first little drill, which is a six-foot toss & retrieve.  Larsen pounced on the foam bird and then proceeded to fool with it.  This is something he does not do with ropes, dummies, or other playful retrieve objects.

Somehow, he recognized the Dokken dummy as a "bird" and he started goofing off with it. I separated dog and bird and hupped him a few times.   Then I put the bird in his mouth the right way (I didn't let him dangle and swing it by the trailing string, or grab it by the head) and made him hold.  I stepped away from him and called him and hupped him.

We did that simple exercise a bunch of times.  He didn't seem to mind it, although I could tell he didn't like to have the bird stuffed into his mouth.  When I told him to "take it", he would pick at the head or tail ends and not just grab it by the body.  I could also tell that if I were to do the six-foot toss, we would go right back to simply goofing with it.

We're going to stick with the square one (hold and here boy) exercise for a bit.  I'll get him on the table with it beginning in the morning, as well.  I sure hope I can get him to advance before next Sunday's practice session!

Larsen hups and holds the Dokken chukar.