I have a lab that’s not yet 6 months old. We work on retrieving with a dummy quail and some dove scent and a cap gun to simulate a shot almost every day. He has done very well at it with and without the shock collar, but today I walked outside and he had a real bird in his mouth. He would not give it to me. He just wanted to play keep away. Then he ate it. My concern is once it’s a real bird that I shoot would he bring it to me like I have been training him to do or do y’all think he will play keep away? Do y’all think since he caught it himself that’s why he didn’t want to give it to me?

I use a 100 foot rope on my pups when I am doing work with dead or alive birds till I know what they are going to do. I think its pretty common when using real birds the pups want to keep it for themselves.

I wouldn't worry about it----------he's a puppy ---- give him some slack. If he does it at 18 months,,, that's a different story.

I would worry about it. Much easier to mold good behavior than try to fix it down the road.

Check chord is a good idea. Also use frozen birds, let them thaw a little but where they are still firm. I understand this wasn't a training scenario but prepare accordingly

I don’t know where I can get any what about just getting some wings and putting them on the dummy and put some scent on them?

You need to force brake him now , if he has his permanent teeth. Forrest

He has lost them all but they are still growing in

You need to get your obedience squared away. Until you have a reliable recall a check cord will get him back to you. Retrievers need birds. Best way to get them is to shoot them and it is that time of the year.

Exacally. Here, heel, and sit should be solid and formalized with the collar. This is step 1. If this was solid, there is no such thing as keepaway when you say "here, heel, sit".