How much training does a dog need?

[early007]

I have been an upland hunter most of my life. So my experience is with pointing dogs. My family and I are thinking about trying a lab for our next dog, since I am starting to get back into waterfowling. I know nothing about training a retriever. So I am thinking we will hire a trainer to do most of the work. I will use the dog for our waterfowl hunts over water, field hunting if the dog is capable, and pheasant hunting a few times a year. The trainer I will use is very reputable. How much training do you guys think is necessary for a solid waterfowling dog? What should a dog be able to accomplish on a hunt? I'm trying to figure out what my expectations should be. Thanks for your input.

Jason

[ilovesidebysides]

I guess it depends on what you want your dog to do. I've seen labs do some incredible things...and I've wanted to shoot labs in the field. You can train a lab to become a retrieving robot in the field. They don't move, then go exactly where you tell them to go. That takes a good amount of work, or money. I've also hunted with dogs that were good dogs, and took some help to get them to retrieve, but were more than sufficient for the job. It all depends on what exactly you want.

[redlab1]

I would at the very least have him or her trained up to doing blind retrieves. Just because if you shoot a couple ducks or geese and then send the dog and it is swimming to retrieve one duck or goose and onother one flys in and you shoot it and it lands on the bank on the other side of the creek and the dog doesn't see it fall you can still retrieve it. JMO

[deano686kx]

When I started training my first lab, I asked myself this same question. "at what point would I be satisfied with the level of my dog"?? As I started seeing proggress, training became as much of an addiction to her and I, as actual hunting was. Like was stated before, thats up to you. I now have a dog that is an absolute plessure to hunt with. My calling at times SUCKS, and my shooting isn't always dead on, but everyone I hunt with enjoys the day, due to the fact, they love to watch my dog work.
As far as I'm concerned even after your dog has reached the level your happy with, training is never over. They will start to get rusty, or become sloppy if a "tuneup sessions" aren't done on a regular basis.
Hopefully you will be able to take part in the training proccess, and not just drop your dog of and expect a finished machine when you pick her up. It can be a very fullfilling experience for you and your dog, and you will learn how to recognize and possibly correct future problems as they arise.
Enjoy the experience!!! Like I said.....It's as addicting as the hunt itself

[early007]

Thanks guys. I understand what you are saying. To each their own. Are there any basics that you expect from any waterfowling dog? Such as sitting still in the blind, retrieving to hand, etc? If they sat calm with me and made some retrieves I would be happy. Being a complete novice I just don't know. I guess I've only hunted with friends that have had dogs a couple of times.

Jason

[redlab1]

Like said from other guys already if you take your time training it will be fun for you and the dog. You will more than likely train the dog to more than you expected to do. I would make sure the dog is obedience trained,sits and stays, is force fetched,is trained to handle with hand signals so it can run blind retrieves. It really sucks when you shoot a duck of a lifetime and it falls on the other side of the creek and the dog never saw it fall and the water is to deep to cross then you loose the bird. If you train the dog to handle and do blinds you will never have that problem. Good Luck!

[SeniorCoot]

Well max is 12BLM and jake is 3-YLM and they both still get training- esp as we tend whilst hunting them hard during long upland and watwerfowl seasons to let them get slack in steadiness- working close-OB etc- so i train around the seasons- not all year as hard or often as in spring/ summer BUT lie yesterday we went out a did some singles/doubles in pasture with both dogs to reinforce honoring-marking and hand signals-and delivery to hand.