Hey guys! this is my first post here, looks like a great site.
I have a springer paniel chocolate lab mix, both of his parents are working dogs and are very good at it. (I know the owner personally) My uncle is a pro trainer for field and retreivers and he helped me out for a bit to get the dog started as a pup.
I'm 24, haven't trained too many dogs, but I have been around it a fair bit and seen how dogs are trained and I feel for me, that the best way to train is to make it fun for the dog to please me, so there is very little physical correcting involved (I mean hitting... it does happen time to time). My way of raising the dog, he turned out to be very sure of himself, he isn't shy of much.
In one day alone, I took him to the gun club and had a shotgun shooting over his head. We started at a distance and walked in, he was actually interested at the noise and I'm sure "instincts" kicked in when he heard the shotguns, he enjoyed it.
He loves ducks and geese, but I have him controlled around them, I can take him to the park in town with friendly wild fowl and off leash he will not chase, but he will retreive a dead bird thrown for him.
He was working nicely, as a retreiver he followed commands perfectly for a pup, and he is perfect for flushing as he doesn't go more than 30 yards from me... he Does however, like to chase rabbits if I encourage it.
The issue here is, I am not in the military so I haven't had time to hunt or train him so he has become a house dog... so he has played tug of war and has had uncontrolled fetch sessions. However, he doesn't play "chase me" and he returns the object right away and he still holds it untill I command give. I will hopefully be getting Private quarters in the spring when I am posted to Petawawa and my mom has surprisingly told me to take him since he has issues without me (been gone almost a year and he still behaves better for me than her). I want to get into hunting waterfowl, maybe for some grouse and rabbits too since I haven't had the opportunity to do so since I was a teen and I miss it.
My mom has done her own "training" without me around and I notice he cowers when being stern with him, like he's expecting to get a boot as you let him out the door... I do know he has been hit with the fly swatter by my mom as thats how she's used to teaching her kids lol.
Any chances I can get this dog to work for me? I have faith in him as he's eager to please me and picks things up fast.
I would love to find another mix just like this once he's passed I am very impressed for a Mutt and all the pups in the litter seem to be the same.