Reluctant Retrieving manifests itself in various ways, and, is one of the most common problems I see. I regularly work with dogs who have various retrieving problems. There are several causes ranging from too much retrieving too young, formalising the retrieve too early, telling dogs off for picking things up around the house, and, sadly sometimes, too harsh handling.

This subject is very close to my heart as I see many dogs who appear to have little to no desire to retrieve. It's quite a common problem. I have many dogs come to us for training who other trainers have turned away or deemed “no good”. Unfortunately, this problem can cause dogs to be over looked or moved on in the competition world. So, over the last few years working with reluctant retrievers or dogs lacking drive and enthusiasm has become a passion.