How NOT to train your Black Lab

[Tanzer]

Okay, I'm not the world's best trainer, but I'm getting there. We were at our place in Maine this week, so I did a little training with my dogs. The Black Lab is an awesome water dog, and LOVES it when I take out a gun, but he needed a little work with retrieving. The problem is, I inadvertently trained him to go to the same spot each time. It was some work getting him to get it right, but my patience paid off. The black Border Collie mix is a great dog, but way better at flushing out than retrieving. He's just being jealous.
Watch a few highlights;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQTtNybzQo

[Mainah]

That's great, you must have a place up north. The snow is almost gone where I am.

[Tanzer]

That's great, you must have a place up north. The snow is almost gone where I am.

Franklin County. Twelve miles north of University of Maine @ Farmington. Lots of drifts in the melting snow. Some bare spots, then you're up to your hips and of course, there's a little river running under it. Gotta' love it though.

[UniversalFrost]

ok, at work so I can't see your vid but will check it out this evening.

Also, to get your dog's used to the sound of gunfire and also to have the "decoy" land in different places and ranges get yourself one of those little blank powered launchers (cabela's and basspro). My dog's were scared ****less the first few times, but the range is great and gets them used to the sound of gunfire.

[Tanzer]

My dog's were scared ****less the first few times, but the range is great and gets them used to the sound of gunfire.

I never really had this issue. The Collie didn't care for it, but put up with it. The lab just always loved it. I had to keep him inside if I didn't want him training or he'd bark to no end.

[castnblast]

I have a golden retriever that is the biggest wuss you've ever seen...He loves to retrieve, but forget the gunfire. He's just a couch potato now. I so much as fire a gun, and he's under the truck and won't get out from under it. I tried the gun range, and I couldn't get him out of the truck...Now he's scared of lightening...barks and barks even when it's 50 miles away. We love him anyway...But I really want another black lab. My yellow died last year from toxemia from retrieving toads...It rained and rained - had tons of toads, and she wouldn't leave them alone. It finally got her so sick she couldn't eat and died.

[WINSTON THE WOLF]

The video was great! I wonder if you can use gunfire at the local weiner dog races My dog would be a sure win!!!!

[UniversalFrost]

you need to get a good gun dog book. can't remember what one I bought (am TDY now so can't look on the shelf), but I got it from cabela's years ago, also the library has books or can do inter library loan to get them on training a dog for retirieving. I use a decoy launcher that used the 22 blanks and is loud as heck, but works wonders when they see a decoy being launched and land in the water.

JOE

[surveyor]

+1 on the book...it is excellent..and works.
Water Dog, by Richard Wolters..excellent.. starts with finished dog, then goes into steps by development of dog...from birth to adult..goes into detail about blind retrieves, and retrieves that the dog marks, and ones that he can't even see, just going on by hand signals..

also the retreiver trainer, blank firing dummy launcher, as well as canvas bumpers..

he also has books titled Gun Dog, Family Dog, etc..

[Swampghost]

2 dogs, right? Reward the one that does what you want it to.

The best thing is to field the dog with trained dogs. A few rewards, being a pat on the head or a 'treat' is the easiest way. Dogs respond to how they are treated, when they see a 'good boy' retrieve, they want a 'good boy' retrieve. This is not rocket science, just common sense but I'm amazed at how many miss when training.

On your own with one dog can be much more challenging. There are many good books out there.

Stay on the reward side, make your dog WANT to work for you instead of FORCING it to and you'll get much better results.

Former owner of Moonshadow Kennels.

[45Marlin carbine]

that black lab is one fine animal, they will litterally die for you. hope you can feed him and stand the flatulence tho.

[roy reali]

Make sure to get your dog used to other dogs. Dog fights and shotguns are not a good combination.

[djonathang]

I was told to be careful with rifles and dogs. The shotguns (waterfowling and upland) have a much lower frequency than the rifles. I was told that the rifles can really be bothersome to the dogs. Don't know if that's true, but that's what I was told.

DG

[Boncrayon]

In Cajun country (South Central Louisiana), my wife's godfather was well known for his highly trained spotted bird dogs who would obey commands to the letter! A group of north Louisiana hunters watched the dogs during a demonstation in the field obey every command and knew it was their best chance to out-do their fellow hunters in the northern fields. They bought three dogs on the spot! After a couple of weeks, they brought the expensive dogs back for a refund. Seems the canines wouldn't follow their commands. Oh, did I mention, my wife's godfather, Louis Prejean, tained his dogs in French? All my Rat Terrier knows is "truck," "squiril," "no" and "out"!

[Lavid2002]

Just load up a .22lr blank in a .22 rifle,blow the call a few times and throw the decoy, when it starts to reach the peak, have someone shoot the blank. Hvw the dog stay untill you say its name. (Hold the collor to get him.her to stay) then say the name and theyl take off. This is what we do to traink kid, my buddys dog. now, its totally quiet and he stick hisface outside the sled, quack quack BOOM! ....KID! he grabs the duck and comes back:P god times good times.