Does your retriever, retrieve?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I have a golden and a yellow lab. Neither one really retrieves much. I take them to the dog park, and I see lots of retrievers that don't retrieve, no matter how much their owners throw a ball.

Twenty years ago, I had a yellow lab mix, and that dog was a retrieving fanatic. He would go at if for HOURS. In fact, he broke his hip while retrieving, and his therapy was to retrieve sticks that I threw in the river. And he would retrieve even with having wire in his leg.

I wonder, looking at so many retrievers today, if the retrieving instinct is being bred out of them.

 

[jrmasm]

I have a lab/basset mix. Retrieving is her life.

 

[diesel]

i have a 4 yr old yellow lab who does not retrieve at all.

 

[NMAmy]

I have a golden retriever. She'll retrieve the first couple of times and then she'll give an exasperated look that says, "You threw it. You go get it." And she just sits there.

 

[okeydokey]

Don't have a retriever, but we did have a Pointer that didn't point. We currently have a beagle mix that walked right by a rabbit and didn''t even know it.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Our yellow lab loves to retrive he is 7. He could do it for hours. Our chocolate lab is 1 and is slowly learning.

 

[Piglet843]

My Chocolate lab has never been a retriever. He's going on 6 years old.
He just looks at me like "You threw it - you go get it...."
Now chase - that's a game he loves - he gets his toy and you chase after him trying to get it from him...

 

[jamiesmom07]

We had a chocolate lab that retrieved up until her last days (she lived a wonderful 13 years). BUT, we worked with her for hours, retrieving on open land, in water and in the brush. She was never used for hunting, this was just a past time for the husband. Nick would also go get the paper out of the paper box and bring it back to the house. She was a great dog! I miss her

 

[Diznotyzed]

Our black Lab would not retrieve and he hated water. He was an excellent cat herder, though.

 

[BKMETV]

I have a golden retriever. She'll retrieve the first couple of times and then she'll give an exasperated look that says, "You threw it. You go get it." And she just sits there.

Sounds like my retriever...I refer to him as my dumb blonde. He wonderful, handsome and loves everyone...retrieving though is totally beyond him!!

 

[castmemberb4]

No dogs but my cat retrieves. Only for himself though, he will roll his ball down the steps go down there and get it bring it back to the top and do it again. Unfortunately he learned this at 4 in the morning
That ball has rattley stuff in it !

 

[2disneyboys]

only thing my goldie retrieves is his spot on the couch once you move 'cuz he just stands there and stares at you until you get up..... stupid dog... (or stupid human...!)

I have an exotic mutt - Cocker Spaniel and Golden mixed - shes beautiful - she does not retrieve anything, but I am thinking of hiring her out as a digging service... good grief, my yard looks like bombs have been set off in it.. literally!

 

[simba20]

We have a Labmation (half Lab/half Dalmation) and she retrieves. In fact, most of the time, she'll bring something to you to get a game started.

She's also a Daddy's girl, suckers him every time and misses him like CRAZY when he is not home. In the afternoons, she even knows when he should be arriving home and paces around the houses, looking out all of the different windows for him while waiting.

However, I am the Alpha owner if you please. I trained her, taught her all of her tricks, and she ALWAYS follows my commands. Won;t do a thing for my husband unless he has food.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Not really, she will do it a few times to us happy but after that she is uh..nooo, I got things to smell.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Our lab will go after a tennis ball, but usually nothing else, unless he thinks it's food.

 

[mrsdon]

Our golden female lives to retrieve
She just had puppies about 4 months ago and the only time she did not retrive was when she was 8 weeks pregnant and when the pups were first born
We kept a pup and he can not retrieve much, because mom gets in the way

 

[ccgirl]

HA...my golden retriever doesn't retrieve a thing. Actually, I will throw the ball and he gets all excited and gets it but then he sits where he is and tears the ball to shreds, he does not bring it back.

 

[sjs314]

My golden loves to go fetch whatever you throw ball or toy but once she is tired of playing she will then refuse to give up whatever she just retrieved, jaws of steel, so I give up

 

[Breezy_Carol]

HA...my golden retriever doesn't retrieve a thing. Actually, I will throw the ball and he gets all excited and gets it but then he sits where he is and tears the ball to shreds, he does not bring it back.

That is exactly what my two goldens do. I can throw a tennis ball and they run and get it and then lay down and chew on it. After 25 years of shelties, my DH wanted a dog to retrieve a ball. He feels cheated.

 

[KristiMc]

We have a Golden/Collie mix and she loves to retrieve.