Training Question

[Elk Lake Trapper]

I have a 12 month old female black lab from good hunting bloodlines. She's been doing well, in my opinion, although it is the first gundog I have tried to train. I'm not looking for a trials champion, just an honest dog that will be equally as useful in the field and at home.

Not a big lab, she is willing to learn and wants to work. I have kids at home, and she plays with them all the time. I know this may not be desirable, but its the way it is and she's a family dog too.

She's able to do blind retrieves, we've been working on doubles, and it seems to be going well. I have been using "baseball" or "wagon wheel" exercises to work on hand signals and sending.

Couple of strange things though. She doesn't like dummies, but will do any of the above with hockey balls. I'm thinking my attempts to force fetch with training dummies put her off. I don't think this is a big deal, what are your collective thoughts?

As well, I've been substituting frozen birds (grouse) into the training once a week or so. She loves this part and got some good experience with afternoon grouse hunts last fall.

She is not as keen to retrieve the birds as the hockey balls. Likes to play with them, and will find them in very thick cover. She will retrieve for a bit, and I try to cut things off very quickly so that she doesn't get into play mode. I need some suggestions to get her over this next hurdle and your help would be appreciated.

If you have any favorite articles or websites, they are welcome, too.

Thanks

[FirePower]

My Da was a huge Spaniel man and trained with some of the best bot in the UK and here. I remember he had a dog like that once. here is what I remember,

1. Only use birds dead or clip wing for her retrieving no balls or anything else, if she wants to play its a bird or nothing.
2. The kids playing with her are OK but we were in fear of our mortal souls to ever throw anything for one of Da's dogs untill we were old enough to help in training sessions.
Da was a great trainer and trained by the Old Country methods, never believed a well bred gun dog needed to be forced and from waht I saw he was right.

Hope that helps.

[Angus]

x2 on the above

Stop using the balls altogether. Use the bumpers. Let her know that it'll be a steady diet of bumpers from now on.

Or, attach a grouse wing or two to each of the bumpers, and try that during training.

[Kasomor]

x 3 on loosing the balls..........hmmm, that doesn't sound right.

Make it just as much fun fetching ducks/ birds as it has been fetching balls.

It's all a game retreiving...bumpers and birds. I'd use just birds and as you need to get rid of them cut the wings off and attached to the bumpers.

My youngest is now 4 and has NEVER has a stick thrown for her. EVER. We don't own tennis balls either.

Just loose the balls....still doesn't sound right.

AND why do people think that the family dog shouldn't play with the kids? Who cares. Dogs are situational. My dogs don't listen to family members unless it involves food. They listen to me.

Sounds like you are on the right track with your girl

[huntinnewbie]

Our black lab is 9 years old. We didn't hunt with her until she was 5 years old. No formal training but she is a retreiving fool. She is also a tennis ball junkie, always has been always will be.
Wether ducks, grouse, squirrels, if we shoot it she gets it for us.
One of her favorite things is to dive to the bottom of a clear lake or stream and bring up water logged sticks.
Maybe there is to much dicipline going on when you are working her with other things than her ball and she is starting to think that maybe this isn't that much fun. I realize that you are trying to train her but maybe she needs a bit more fun with the bird, wing, bumper etc.

[Foxton Gundogs]

X whatever its up to now on loose the balls. Bumpers with wings zapp strapped to them should be her ONLY play toy for retrieving. Kas and the others ar right on the money.

[blackbart]

How about shooting a few live birds over the summer, such as pigeons. I think the dawg would much prefer to learn on a warm, freshly killed piece of avian as opposed to a hockey ball.

Either that or send you kids out to get jobs so that they don't have the energy at the end of the day to mess with your hunting dog.

[Elk Lake Trapper]

Thanks all for the tips.

Hey BB. Didja figure out how your dog is escaping? Or is he still bailing off the hot tub?

[mijinkal]

I'm with the others. Get rid of the ball and replace it immediately with bumpers.
My kids know not to throw balls for my dog and they don't do it.

[835]

Whatever you do,,,,, DONT THROW STICKS!!!!
i yell at my buddies all the fricken time!