Aye Mates,
Some of the best waterfowl hunting experiences I have had over the years are on rivers and that means moving water. Rivers can be especially productive in the late season when other local bodies of water are frozen solid. Moving waters present challenges for retrievers that more placid waters do not. Dogs need to learn how to negotiate in moving waters in making retrieves of downed birds whilst allowing for stream velocity and it's carriage of game down river with the current. A retriever's first experiences with moving waters should be during training sessions specifically designed to address those conditions rather than during a hunt. One can almost guarantee birds will be lost to the current during a hunt over a dog that has not had previous training in the handling of moving waters.
Photo #1
MAC a one year old retriever is seen here making the retrieve of a training bumper in this quickly flowing river swollen with the melted runoff from March snows.
Photo #2
MAC on return with a canvas training bumper in the frigid March melt waters that rapidly carry marks thrown downstream.
The training I conduct for retrievers in the handling of moving waters teach the dog how to head off the retrieve by making allowance for stream flow and not letting "birds" get by them in the moving current.
I also make a point of doing land - water - land retrieves to instruct the dog how to negotiate the current in reaching birds that are dropped on the far shore with a rapidly moving river to cross before making the pick up.
Time spent training to address moving waters will make for far more effective retrievers and far less potential for precious game birds lost to moving waters.
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER ☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸