Building Confidence in Your Dog with Simple Cover Drills

Confidence is a big part of what makes a solid duck dog. When you're hunting, birds do not always fall in open water or short grass. A lot of the time they drop into thick cover, brush, or shoreline vegetation. Your retriever has to be willing to push through that cover and go get the bird.

In this video we are working a simple drill designed to build that confidence.

The Drill Setup

The setup is a pond with some cover along the line the dog has to run. We are running short blinds across the pond and asking the dog to drive straight through the cover to complete the retrieve.

There is nothing complicated about this drill. The goal is confidence.

Everything we are doing is short and simple. When dogs have success running through cover during training, they become much more confident doing the same thing during a real hunt.

Why Confidence Matters

During a hunt, birds often fall in places that are not easy to reach. Thick grass, shoreline brush, cattails, and other vegetation can stop an inexperienced dog in its tracks. A confident retriever, however, learns to push through obstacles and stay focused on the retrieve.

By exposing dogs to these situations during training, you prepare them for what they will encounter in the field.

Safety First

One important thing to keep in mind if you work on this drill with your own dog is safety. Always check the cover before running the drill.

Make sure there are no briars, sharp sticks, or anything that could injure the dog or get into their eyes.

The goal is to build confidence, not create a bad experience.