When to start training for hunting?
 

I was curious as to when you guys start to train your lab for hunting........my pup is pretty smart and is already learning to sit, stay, down, come and just started to do roll over............i want to start some field training of some sort but not sure what to do...........please advise as the first steps toward becoming a good bird dog........thanks

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

I feel you can start any dog, any age. The trick is when to move the dog on, or backstep, because to much to fast, always pay attention to the dog. Honestly, it will tell you when its ready to go on, you'll see it in he way it acts with the retrieves or in the eyes. How old is the pup, and what have you done as far as retrieve stuff?? Thanks Jonesy
Doc E and wayne 1 will also join in, they are good also, with the retriever stuff. Patience is a key word, and always remember you are teaching. Usually twice, is plenty for the pup on retrieves, you will increase as time goes on, you put them away when they are jacked up, and they will be willing to come bak out and work again. Now this is most, but not all, you just don't want the boredom to set in, and it will help later boogers to occur.

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

she is only 3 months old and is doing really well with retrieving toys. Her favorite toy is a stuff AKC pheasant. she has been doing good bringing it back to me and is getting better and better at releasing it without a struggle. I was just curious if i should go buy an actual training pheasant toy(one that i can inject scent into and that prevents her from shaking it too much). so my question is what is the first step when training you lab on birds? thanks

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

What you are doing is just fine, now I personally don't use toys, get a sock and tie some knots in it, or even little puppy bumper. When it goes and pics up bumper or whatever, you want that dog to think that it has done the most greatest thing in the world!! This wil keep it jacked up on this part. game. when it comes in, praise and pet for the retrieve, then ........no listen, take your hand and run down th eoppisite side closest to you, so if the left shoulder is at your knees, go down the right side, right in front of the back leg, there is a piece of loose skin, you can pinch this skin, and at the same time, lets say your right hand is getting the skin, take your left hand and grab the bumper, at the same time, pinch and say drop, and take the bumper out of mouth, as soon as it lets go, quickly pet and love. It will have no idea where that came from, you set it up where the dog is right there, and you can do it all in one motion, practice running your hand, when you feel you can do it, go for it, just relax and enjoy, your gonna be teaching for quite a while, don't over do, everytime it comes to ya, make it sit then pet, if it goes to move, say sit and work it until it sits and doesn't move, when you go to pet. don't worry to much about the sit on the retrieves, that'll come later, you just keep it cming into your lap, or between your legs,this will save more work later. Thanks Jonesy if you got any questions ask, don't worry about other people, you ask!! It will all work out, promise Later Jonesy

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Hey Jonesy,
how do you feel about blowing into a dog's ear? Dog might think you're getting too personal but I did that to my setter and she immediately dropped the toy she was carrying.

I took her up to the fields the other day and she did that running/stop dead/point. I thot, "what the ???, there couldn't be any pheasants now, season ended two months ago." They release birds. So, I walk up and alittle sparrow flies out. Haha, she took off after it and actually kept pace. But, the little sparrow she could smell at around five feet.

Anyhow, still bummed at that fiasco they call the Superbowl.

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Man, I hate when they start humping, bumpers and slobbers man it just getsnasty!!:DIts to much work, you can run the side as a pet, pinch and go right back to the pet, almost blink of an eye. Man don't worry bout the game, you can always upgrade your little pic under your name!! Hahahaha just pickin!!! Later sorry that your team lost. Thanks Jonesy

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Legacy,
First, you need to get on a good sequential training program and follow it page by page. A good one for the novice trainer (and you will end up with a darned good hunting companion) is the "10 Minute Retriever", by John and Amy Dahl.
As puppies, they need to learn their name, come and sit. "Stay" isn't ever combined with Sit. Sit means 'sit until you are given another command'. You don't need "Sit-Stay".
IMO, 'scents in a bottle' are a waste of money. They don't smell like the real thing. Even our poor crappy human noses can tell the huge difference between real and bottled. There is plenty of scent already on the dummy, and if a dog has a nose, an artificial scent isn't needed.
Paint rollers are a great puppy dummy.



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RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

thanks guys.........i think i am going to buy that 10 minute book.........i can't believe how smart and how quick you picks up on new things.........can't wait to start her on real birds but that is still some time away

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Legacy,
At 3 months of age, it's time to get her on some dead birds and within a month, some live birds (pigeons work very well for young dogs).



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RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

You may also want to think about starting them out with a smaller bird like chukars and quail. Pigeons are cheaper, fly back home, and have more scent but depending upon the puppy size, smaller birds won't startle your dog as much whenhe is flushing it.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much if he doesn't show any signs of birdiness at a young age. My setter didn't either.She started at 4 mo. or so, more like 5 mo. From showing no interest in birds to being totally head strong about them in about two weeks. But when that switch comes on, the more birds you feed him the more birdiness it's going to show.

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

anyone know where i can get some pigeons in the northern va area? i should just bring down my pellet gun and shoot one of them off the bridges and use one of them...........what do you recommend i do with the dead bird? drag it around and hide it in some brush and then have her follow the trail to it? let me know thanks guys

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

You'll learn how to use birds when you get your training book.



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RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Legacy, sounds like you already are. The basic commands like sit, stay come are all part of the training. Starting to train a pup early (I started my last one at 7 weeks) makes him/her want to learn all through its life as long as you take it slow and easy. John Wooters "Water Dog" is a great training book. Once your pup starts learning voice commands, introduce the whistle and hand commands too that way you can save your voice when he's way out there. The sit command with one whistle blast not only is good for a dog to know it can stop him from doing something wrong. I've been training labs for over 25 years now and I love it. My last pup was water retrieving at 12 weeks and at 6 months was catching more pheasants than I shot.

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

i only plan on really hunting her for pheasant, quail or chuckars. is that water dog book good for upland hunting as well or is it mostly for duck and goose hunting.........thanks

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Water Dog is a basic training book written for the retrievers. Wooters also has another book titled "Gun Dog". Either one will work for you and both are step by step books that you can read once, then re-read when your pup is ready for his next training phase.
I prefer "Water Dog" myself. You can get these at any bookstore or online, even if it has to be ordered.

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

Here is a word of thought, never be afraid to take a day or two off, it will do you, and the dog some good to think about whats going on. Never be afraid to do less one day than the other, because the dog will get bored, and then you will start trying to fix what you were trying to teach. Now this will not pertain to all handlers, and all dogs, it is just a good rule of thumb to quit sometimes while you are ahead. You do to much, to fast, the dog will blow up somewhere. I will promise you, 1 or 2 retrieves, put the dog away wanting more, it will be more and more dog each time out, wanting to work, and retrieve. If you get something taught really well, in this spot, go somewhere else, and see if what you thought was really good still is. You put the dog in different place, alot of times, what was great, falls apart. So now work on the same training in a different place. this is what will make the nice dog. Just like when I take on new pup, I will do ob, in the yard for 2 weeks, then mix in the yard and field, for around week and half, then when I feel the dog is getting right, I will go to a park with lots of kids, and then tighten the dog up, because that is a lot of new bells and whistles, and 99% of the time, the first 15 minutes will be wild, but keep your cool, and it will all the sudden kick in the dogs mind as to what and why. Now you are becoming the trainer. There is no book that will tell you what to watch for or how to read a dog. It is something that is learned by hands on. Our job is to pay attention to the dog signals, and learn to finish the day before he or she shows its time. you follow?? You keep it simple and if it takes a month extra, so be it, you learn your dog, and how to teach, your teach as you are comfortable, and the dog will be to. PROMISE!! Thanks Jonesy

RE: When to start training for hunting?
 

thanks guys............i ordered water dogs off of amazon and will start to work each day, but take some breaks as well..............thanks