aunt betty wrote:...He's started whining every time something is flying. How do you cure that? I guess you don't. Why "cure" a dog that is so excited about retrieving that he can't contain himself...
I guess if it doesn't bother you, you don't. Otherwise, you take a cue from the sage of Mayberry and "Nip it, nip it, nip it!" before it gets bad enough to drive you bughouse - or morphs into a singing and dancing dog that runs off game.
If a dog yipped with glee upon release to retrieve, I'd be fine with it, but I flat hate the distraction of a dog's whining while birds are working. And if it dances, too, I'll not fight hunting with it a second time. Will tolerate a lot from a friend or quest's dog that I wouldn't from my own, but I draw the line at song and dance dogs. Just can't stand it .
So mine are harshly shushed at the very first might-have-been-a-whimper in training and/or at the blind, even if doing so costs a shooting op. Doesn't matter how many wood ducks land and swim around under Pup's nose during September teal, they're not an excuse for whining, they're a reason to forbid it.
Know such diligence has prevented whining habits from developing in my guys and am pretty sure I've logged reference to such with young Marsh, but I have zero experience with breaking a dog of whining allowed to become habitual.