[plainsman]

Finally got a retriever....maybe

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I've been holding out for a male chessie for some time now, but a couple days ago I got an offer I couldn't[actually the girlfriend wouldn't allow me to] refuse.An 8 mo. old black lab x female with a great disposition and very active. Her former owner never hunted, so I'm not sure if I can get her trained up for retrieving.She is, however, a very quick learner. She is showing a huge improvement in obedience and leash handling in just a few days.Also very quickly learning the meanings of "wait","go", and "give". With any luck, I'll have 2 new hunting partners in 2 yr.,first the girfriend[this year] and the lab next year.

 

[mndemohead]

at 8 months she is still just a pup, most trainers dont really start working on hunting skills untill about 6 months, before 6 months is mainly obedience. As far as retrieving, most labs are born with the instinct, you just need to hone it into what you want. I know people that have gottend dogs as old as a couple of years and made good hunters out of them. I would recomend reading any and every dog training book you can get your hands on, go to the library and study up. I have a 4 month old female yellow lab, this is the first dog I am training myself, and she made her first goose retrieve at 14 weeks!! I also had her retrieve a pheasent about 5 weeks ago. Also she walks (heals) 95% of the time without a leash already. She sits, and will stay for an hour if you want her to. And remember I have no experience in training, I just did a lot of research. You need to develop a plan for your dog, get in your mind what you want from a good gun dog and be persistant in your training. Train even if you dont feel like it, but just remember to have fun with it and keep it fun for your pup. Good luck and enjoy your new hunting buddy.

 

[LOVEMYLABXS]

Way to go plainsman guess I don't have to tell you what I think of lab crosses :wink: :wink: I know you'll get a lot of advise about when and how to train her but my sujestion is get her out all you can (even at 8 months) and give her lots and lots of love everytime she does good. 8) Macey is a lot older but she was a yard dawg for her first year and a half but nows she's starting to get the idea of what we're up to,she'll never win and titles ribbons or trophies but she doing just fine as far as I'm conserned.

Girl dogs I can sort of help ya with girlfriends you're on your own :lol: :lol: :lol: [/img]

 

[ponass]

Plainsman, what's she mixed with? I've got a two year old female black lab/golden mix. She looks good and hunts good. She's got one up on me! :lol: :lol:

 

[football 22]

i have a WIRE HAIRED POINTING GRIFFON puppy that is about 5 months old (she has good retrieving instincts) how should i start training her to both retrive and point?

 

[plainsman]

Football, here's a link to a wealth of info you should find useful

http://www.arhrc.com/Library.html
I don't know what's she's mixed with, but seems to have potential.Still high strung being a pup and all.
LOVEMYLABXS,I never expected to hear from you, of all people,on this thread :lol: :lol: :lol: I've got her playing with a duck wing to see if it helps to bring some instinct around.

 

[LOVEMYLABXS]

Plainsman now that you mention it what the heck am I doing replying to a thread about lab crosses :roll: :lol: :lol: Hunt her bud get her out especially if you're by yourself. Get out there and have fun with her if she's showing that much improvement in a few days WOW. Have you fired around her at all? If not try a 22 rifle (it's little quieter than a pistol) to make sure she ain't gunshy Macey was last year the first time I took her out but like I said she was nothing but a yard dog untill I got her. Shook like a leaf blowing in a storm but didn't run off just stood and shook so I felt we could work it out and yepper we did. I know a lot of folks say 8 months is to young but I started both Bill and his Half sister Katie when they were 9 months. Now Katie had the advantage of learning from Bill just like Macey is, but if she's wanting to please and is fetching find yourself a real small pond that you can hunt some ducks on and even if you have to put on the wader and go out with her I'm sure you'll be suprised how quick she'll figure out that this makes dad HAPPY but make sure you let her know it everytime. Not knowing anything about what kind of life she had before you got her but from what I'm hereing you say how she's reponding I'd say she darn happy where she is and being a lab female she'll want to do nothing but please you. 8) 8)

Football like someone told you in your other post you can make a hunting dog out of almost anything. I believe if you could keep him from freezing up you could train a CHI CHI WAH WAH to at least fetch teal :lol: I once had a white german shepard that loved to upland game bird hunt and even pointed not the classic leg up but if you looked between his ears and down his nose (like rifle sites) you know right where the birds were he of fetched them also but I had a 6 month ole lab cross that figured that was his job 8) friend gave me a bad time about it till they saw him in action.

 

[plainsman]

It's a little to late to hunt her this year, everything is frozen over :x . Don't know about being gunshy, probably. I'll have to work on that starting in the spring,I'll start with pots and pans around the house soon. I'm concentrating on obedience and basic retrieving for now, also teaching her left and right. She's coming around...learning fairly quickly. "wait" is still the tough one, being a pup and all. Starting to fill out, gained about 8 lb. in a couple weeks, giving her LOTS of exersise.
A friend of mine has a friend that trained a pit bull to retrieve, thats right, a pit.Did darn good to, except on cripples that fought back. They didn't make it back in very few pieces :lol:

 

[LooseyGoosey]

Plainsman,

I knew a dog trainer that told me one way to cure / avoid a gun shy problem and that was by taking the pup to a range. Start out far away (in the parking lot) and slowly work the dog closer to the action ( on a lead of course) until the dog showed no problems. Just a bit of advice I have heard. Good luck.