oneshot_2007

ok i am getting a black lab today and i need a few questions answered. One is he dogg is a year old. introduced to birds at 5 mnths, but husband died and hasnt seen birds since. The dogg is now 1YR. Old. Can it still be trained. Two what is a good collar for the dogg for waterfowling. Three How fast can i get the dogg on the water retrieving birds. Answer fast please I am getting it on the 23rd at 300 PM. Thank you for your time

losthwy

Yes it can be. Dogtra or TriTronics make good collars.

oneshot_2007

Just found out the dogg was only trained for 2 months is it still worth it.

losthwy

I forgot to add, you would smart if you DON"T take your dog hunting this year. Spend the next months training.

JW

I sorta disagree with losthwy - sorry - I take all dogs hunting at a very early age. But I do take my time. The dog 1st of all is introduced to the gun at some distance and only when a bird is released. I will do this several times over a few months and move the gun closer to the actual shot. I never use the opld pots and pan trick - don't beleive in it and NEVER TAKE A DOG TO A TRAP RANGE. Gunfire should be only introduced as someone either throws something or preferably with a bird - pigeon, dead duck, quail, etc.

Can you train an old dog to do new tricks - absolutley!

Collars - if you have never used one save your money for a while. General Ho Hum - Hands On obedience is what you need to do. Come - Sit -Stay - No and Heel is what you need to work on. Buying an e-collar - well e-coolars are not a shortcut to any Obedience. It won't go faster with a collar and you can cause more harm than good. Now others may disagree but that is their right. Sorry.

Just set yourself a goal and try to attain the goal with that dog and make it realistic. I also keep a jopurnal to what each dog is doing. You will make strides and then have set-backs.

Mite

Maybe a little revision to JW's post (sorry). If you are thinking about hunting this season, make sure there's no other hunters around you while trying to introduce gun fire. Sounds travel quite along ways and dogs have excellent hearing. The first time I took my first dog out someone fired a shot about a mile away and she spooked. You want to introduce the gun in a control evironment like a game farm.

JW

Hey Mite - excellent point - instroduction to gunfire is really important! I just cringe when I see people staking a dog out at a trap or gun club! They are just asking for problems. I also don't beleive in the ole pot and pan banging!

Introduction to gunfire shold be at a distance to start with with a very lite load or blank pistol and only used when a bird is in the air the dog has produced. Or soemthing is thrown for the dog to have the dog's attention ont he object it is to go get. Then each time a bird is produced/ bumper thrown - you can move a bit closer and possibly shoot a bird for that dog. But please do take your time. Breaking a gun shy dog is no easy task!

JW

losthwy

Too many things can go wrong taking an untrained dog hunting, even assuming it has been introduced to gun fire. The dog hasn't been FF, CC, or received any basic training. So there are guarantees he'll sit quietly in the blind, go get the bird, won't break on the shot, can find the bird, won't eat the bird, will return with the bird, will return when called back, won't chase a cripple over the hill/across a road...etc.

Mite

I guess I didn't read closely enough. I would make sure the dog understands, sit, stay and fetch at the least for waterfowl. Then gun introduction. I don't own a lab but have tried hunting with our golden retriever. Needless to say, an untrained dog will make your hunting miserable for yourself and everyone else you're with. About the only thing you can do is to jump ducks.

I would imagine gun introduction would be pretty hard since ducks are usually flying overhead or in the water where it would be illegal to shoot and/or capture them because they're migratory. Plus, the dog is suppose to sit while your shooting and fetch on command. None of the association is working so the dog has to make it in its own mind. Well, there are smarter people than I on this board who can tell you how to introduce gun fire for waterfowling dogs. In the field (upland birds), it's much easier as you are able to plant birds and fire blanks.