Young Lab circles on return with retrieve

All was quite good with delivery during training, but now that my young Labrador has begun picking-up birds he does not come straight in but circles round me. He comes in very fast, but is overshooting and running by me. This is getting worse with each outing. How do I stop him?

Go back to basics at home and see if he will come straight in and sit in front of you when he is not carrying a retrieve. If he has now got into the habit of not recalling straight in, even without a bird in his mouth, that needs correcting with some positive training first. To get the dog to come in straight can be achieved in a variety of ways. If the speed of return is causing an overrun, standing with your back to a wall or fence will stop him going past.

When you are out on open ground that is not possible, so controlling his speed by the use of the stop whistle is another answer. When he is running back to you, blow the stop whistle when he is a few yards away. If he has been taught well, the braking distance you have allowed should be enough for him to stop just before he gets to you. Command him to sit and reward him with a high-value treat or two for sitting still, but if he moves or spins round put him back in the right position before giving any more reward. Regular practice will eventually allow the stop whistle to be faded out and he should automatically present himself properly every time.

Then reintroduce a retrieve article. Start by getting the sitting delivery perfect with a dummy before putting him under the temptation of using freshly shot game again. PR

When your dog reaches you, command him to sit and immediately praise him for sitting still