pastorkhris

Okay here is the situation – I have a friend who has an incredible lab – about two years ago he thought he was going to lose the dog to cancer and so quickly bred him to a Grand Champion female. As part of the deal he got pick of litter and chose an outstanding looking male.

He sent him to a trainer for 15 months!!! When the dog returned he was not satisfied with its progress and has banished it to the kennel. He has offered me the dog for free!!

I worked with the dog today and it did great on heel (sticks right on my hip and sits when I stop), retrieve to hand, force fetch, and water retrieves – it even was able to do a couple of doubles on land! BUT it did not have any concept of whistle commands and it was not steady after the dummy was thrown (he wanted to bolt immediately and I had to hold him back).

So here is what I need to know – is it too late to teach the dog these important lessons? You can tell that the trainer was very hard on the dog and it can become shy pretty easily. I am just worried that it is too late to teach what should have been a part of his foundation.

I would love to hear your thoughts about whether I should invest the time in the dog and what you would do to get him going correctly. Sorry about the LONG post!! By the way I will be using the dog primarily for waterfowl hunting.

Vizsla Vince

I'm not entirely sure about those specific training techniques, but its been my experience that its never too late. You will probably need to be very patient and easy handed with the dog to get these lessons across.

raptor5618

I think it is never too late to train a dog. I used a book called Retriever training for the Duck Hunter and it pretty much gives you step by step instructions so it is very oriented to an inexperienced trainer.

It is really just repetition although what you are after is pretty high level stuff that many people never achieve with their dogs. I kept my lab on a lead and released him when a bird was down. On a stalk he would walk at heel and at the shot was off after the duck. I never felt it was worth the time and effort to make him steady to shot. In a river it might be better if the dog is out there quick than retrieving on a line which also might be the case on a duck that still has some life in him.

I would think what the dog already does would be more than adequate for most hunters and for duck hunting I personally would not have much of a problem with the dog as you describe. As far as whistle commands go just use the type of whistle you decide for each command and use it after the command and the dog will make the association. For direction commands, I remember putting dummy's on either side of the dog and then pointing to the one I wanted him to retrieve and whistling for him to fetch it. I also ran him on a lead and would do a quick toot and change direction with a hand signal. After enough times they get the point.

But build the dogs trust in you and he should be easier to train.Trainers are great but they cannot waste to much time on a dog so their methods get results but may be too strong for a more timid dog. I think I would be happy with my good fortune and let the dog go get you some ducks and not worry so much about perfect form, unless you are going to trial or test the dog. If your goal is getting ducks or geese your dog already has enough training to accomplish that.

Blitz der Vogelhund

I agree that it is never too late to train a dog. It may just take some different techniques. My very first GSP had been ultra traumatized before I got him. Same type of thing, dog didn't hunt they banished him to a kennel and I got him for free. I really think that the dog (Boomer) was as a puppy thrown in the water, attacked by ducks, and then shot over repeatedly. I had never met a dog so scared of anything. Anyway, he passed away recently but by the timed he passed away he would swim and did better around guns.

It sounds like with this dog, he specifically needs to whoa. I think that would be achievable, you should try a whoa post (Del Mar Smith). I read about them, and if you use it correctly the dog does not associate the pain of the pinch collar with you. Which in this case would help to build trust.

Not that I know ALL that much about hunting or anything, but that is my input. OH, and it looks like from your pic you have a kid, so worst case your little guy get's a lab buddy. I always feel bad for dog's who get kennel banished cause they aren't hunter's.

BetterBirddogs

I like training older dogs myself. They are usually smarter and concentrate better. You can usually get an older dog to do what you want in about a third of the time.


My question is this and I hate to be Debbie Downer here but if your buddy's dog was stricken prematurely with cancer why would he breed a dog like that? Chances of your dog suffering the same fate are moderate.

Blitz der Vogelhund

You know I was actually wondering this my self. I was just thinking about now there are a whole litter of puppies that are likely to have that issue, plus how may of them will be bred??

BetterBirddogs

You definitely would be perpetuating negative genetics.

Phil from Maine

I have to agree with what others are saying about cancer and breeding the parent dog. I do not think it was a very good idea. Just because the farther had cancer though doesn't mean that your dog will. For as far as training him , why not? He was sent away for training and some dogs will only respond well to the one/s that trained them. So perhaps after a while he will come around anyways.. I do not think that I would discourage trying to train him but try and keep it fun for you and the dog. Also remember that training takes time and when the attention of the dog leaves the training give him a break for a little while.. Good luck with what you decide..