Question about training
 

Hi everyone. I have a 2 year old black Lab, that I want to start training. My question is, is he to old? He is super smart and I have a yellow lab that is fully trained. Would it be a good idea to take him with me on hunts and have him follow my yellow Lab while I am training or should I start off slower. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

RE: Question about training
 

thats a great idea, he should catch on if he has the will to hunt.

RE: Question about training
 

Some pointers will learn a few things from other pointers, but such is NOT the case with retrievers. You need to train the dog as though it was a puppy -- BY ITSELF -- Start at the beginning and take it a step at a time.

RE: Question about training
 

The old saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is not entirely true. Many people tend to believe this stereotype. You CAN teach a an old dog, however, that older dog has to be broken of the habits it has grown to understand to be okay. (ex. if you were to get a dog at 7 weeks and train it not to jump on the couch it will learn fairly quickly. Now, if you recieved a, say, a 5 yr. old lab from another person who has let that dog sleep on the couch and then all of a sudden you want it to stay off the couch it will be a lot harder to train to stay off. Make sense?)

RE: Question about training
 

It works for Chessies! My female did most of the training of my male (her son). At 5 months of age he was hunting dove and at 5 1/2 he was hunting snipe, dove and prairie grouse in Nebraska. His mother was the teacher. He ended up finishing the season hunting 9 different species of upland game birds. He's now three and one HELL of a dog. But then again, he had a great teacher (his mom).

RE: Question about training
 

Thanks for the replies, I will give him a shot. Like I said he is very smart and think hell do ok. I just never have started a dog so late, and I always hear people starting theres at a very young age.

RE: Question about training
 

I think that how you approach your starting of your lab depends on what you want out of them. if the dog is mainly going to be retriving... Does your dog have a strong drive to retrieve already? If you are going to be using your lab for pheasant have you introduced any of the elements of it in play?

We started our lab late but we played fetch all the time and made a game out of hinding pheasent sent and such on the week ends so when we finnaly did hunt with him and train for it it was a breeze. We also have a GSP now and she took to it very early so the 3 year old lab and her hunt together very well now.

RE: Question about training
 

Doc E gave some good advice. I wouldn't take it hunting until you have taught at least basics, that's just asking for trouble- breaking, not returning with the bird, etc. You'll get mad at the dog and it won't be his fault.

RE: Question about training
 

With all the talk about dogs teaching dogs, I have decided to open a new business. I'm going to open a dog training business and let my dog do all the training. All I'll have to do is sit in a chair and watch - and rake in the money. :eek:;)

RE: Question about training
 

All I can say is listen to what DocE has said. You may get by having an old dog train a young one but you may realize later that the new dog was taught a lot of bad habits by the old dog. Take the time for you to train the dog properly. This is my 2cents worth.