Warming up to woodcock
I have spent some time training my cocker and there have been no problems up until now. She lifts pheasants happily, but when I sent her for a woodcock, she only sniffed it and would have nothing more to do with it. I want to use her for picking-up at big shoots, but if she will not pick a woodcock, it looks like I may have a problem.
Fran says: Lots of dogs baulk at retrieving certain species, woodcock included, the first time they come into contact with them. We assume that this is to do with the smell of the problem retrieve but, since none of us can look on the world like a dog, we will never really know. Try the following: hang a newly shot hen pheasant and a woodcock together in contact for 24 hours. Give the dog a retrieve of the pheasant then, as soon as she has delivered it, throw the woodcock and send her. I would be surprised if she refused to lift it. The likelihood is that once she has seen a few woodcock, the problem will disappear of its own accord.