# Kauzy's hard mouth is getting better



## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

So we've been working really hard on correcting his hard mouth on smaller upland game. It's obviously taking some time, but its working. I've implemented a force fetch/ecollar hybrid method and he's receptive to it. It's a bit tough for the 2 1/2 year old though, wish I had started him on upland as a younger pup. When he was young we worked tirelessly on scent tracking. Another thing I learned I was doing wrong is that when in the field my buddies and I would work 2-3 dogs at a time. Each dog would point and retrieve for a specific shooter. The pups started competing for retrievals. Now we have a designated pointer and retriever. Learning new/different hunt methods has been tough on both me and my pup, but it sure is worth it


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Glad to hear its going good and its not a overnight fix.
Keep it slow and don't be afraid to take a step back in training if needed.
My Cash's arch nemesis is crippled dove. The excitement of snatching one as it tries to take flight can bring out the hard mouth in him. I think he will always be a work in progress.
With ours, the one that points the bird gets the retrieve.
The others have to learn to honor the other dogs point, and retrieve. I do work them a lot separately, but also want them to learn to work together. A little competition can be good but not to the point they take out another dogs bird.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

"Now we have a designated pointer and retriever" -dmak

I thought the V in Vizsla stands for versatile  
Just about the only thing it doesn't do is drive the truck to the hunt.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Data - your pup needs more work !!! PIKE drives and we ride when going to a HUNT !!!


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

Given the chance, I'm sure he would drive the truck. He truly can do it all, and typically does. I spoke with a couple guys in our hunt club and was told to either work only 1 dog at a time or split the chores to help correct his hard mouth. He's a dream with duck/goose, but has shown smaller issues with quail/pheasant. Its still pretty new to him and I cause we usually only hunt/track big game together. Its been amazing to see how receptive to learning and correction he is @ 2 1/2. I think the black mouth cur in him is what's ultimately to blame, but I'm not pointing any paws at him. He's still a bad ass in the field. Show me another dog that blood/scent tracks, shed hunts, wetland/upland fowl, points, flushes, water and land retrieval. Grandpa used to have 4 dogs to do what Kauzy does. It absolutely amazes me. My last dog, plott hound/gsp mix, was good, but nowhere near the caliber that Kauzy is.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Interesting reading that is Dmak. On the subject of snatching the retrieves, I have this problem with Astro. He will try and steal Zsa Zsa's on her way back. I haven't tried too much to fix it as we mostly hunt large animals (can't picture him snatching a 350lb Sambar from her  ), but perhaps I should work on it.

Also, while mine have soft mouths, I'm interested in how you train out a hard mouth. Are you able/bothered to expand on what the process was Dmak?


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I am afraid... once they start diving... he may fire me. 
May need to carry a bigger bag of treats like Tiger Woods' caddy.

*Oz...* 


dmak said:


> So we've been working really hard on correcting his hard mouth on smaller upland game. It's obviously taking some time, but its working. *I've implemented a force fetch/ecollar hybrid method and he's receptive to it.* It's a bit tough for the 2 1/2 year old though, wish I had started him on upland as a younger pup. When he was young we worked tirelessly on scent tracking. Another thing I learned I was doing wrong is that when in the field my buddies and I would work 2-3 dogs at a time. Each dog would point and retrieve for a specific shooter. The pups started competing for retrievals. Now we have a designated pointer and retriever. Learning new/different hunt methods has been tough on both me and my pup, but it sure is worth it


did S'mores hop a plane to Austalia? Can't seem to find them here as of late.. 
Sammy loves rabbits


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Data, Sammy would have loved the one we caught last week. It was a bigen........


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