Lab Question

[lineman117]

I went duck hunting for the first time last season. I absolutly loved it i got so much pleasure out of sitting in a blind and watching the sun come up. I have a lab that loves to retreive a tennis ball and other little toys. He is a little over a year old and just a ball of energy and willingness. I really want to take him duck hunting with me next year but I dont know where to start on training him to fetch birds
any advise or good trainers to go to for help
thanks

[jokester]

I don't have much experience with this, but if you have one of the mods move this to the hunting board, you'll probably get more responses. Tons of good guys over there with a lot of konwledge on the subject!

If he's already retrieving a tennis ball and bringing it back to you, it shouldn't be hard to get him to retrieve birds. Good luck in your quest!

-jokester

[Tilla]

I would locate a local Retriever club that exposes Labradors to this world. AKC.org maybe a place to start.

[fishboys]

Lotsa great book on this subject.

[goosegunner]

First you must have total control over your dog so go back to the basic and really enforce the commands sit,stay,come.After you have those down get some training dummys and start working on marking drills at different distances, and then try and get some live birds somewhere and work with those.There are also several retriever clubs around to get involved with and they all have access to live birds and training grounds as well as lots of expierence.
1 rosecity labradors
2 oregon hunting retriever club and both of those clubs have websites if you do a google search.

[lineman117]

when you say marking drills what does that mean? is it throwing them or placing them for retreval??

[ElkChaser]

Get yourself a good book to begin with. 10 Minute Retriever is a good starting point. Like goosegunner said, you will need to have total control of your dog. This book will help you do that.

[Flatfish]

Do as Tilla says.

Mark and the dog.

[Irish Pennant]

In the off season there's alot of dog training that happens on the west side of SI. Stop by the ranger station and get an off leash permit, go often and sit and watch the pros, offer to help and ask for tips. They can better explain how to set up a good drill.

[Thumper]

"Training Your Laborador Retreiver" by James Lamb Free.

[ICHTHYDEMON]

Originally Posted by ElkChaser

Get yourself a good book to begin with. 10 Minute Retriever is a good starting point. Like goosegunner said, you will need to have total control of your dog. This book will help you do that.

This is the book I'm reading right now. Its geared more towards the "meat" dog,as opposed to the dogs that run trials and hunt tests.

[Jonah's Revenge]

Buy or borrow a bunch of dog training books and see what it is all about. Most have the same basic concept. They just use a different style to get the job done.
I'd recommend the Tritronics Retreiver training book by Jim Dobbs.

The best advise I can give is to NOT do a halfway job in training. If you think the dog has "learned enough" you'll probably run into a situation where you should have taught them everything.
Been there, done that!

[skybuster]

Post on the hunting board and ask if anyone has some spare bird wings in the freezer that they would be willing to part with.

Lots of guys cut the wings off their birds and use them for training in the off season. Start out by just doing short fetch with a wing. You want the dog to get used to the feathers, and you need to make sure that it isn't chewing on them. Gradually work your way up to where you have the dog sit and stay in one spot while you hide the wing out of sight. The dog will learn to use its nose to find the bird. I have been able to get a couple of dogs to the point where they could find the wing several hundred yards away.

Once the dog is used to playing with the wings you can get more advanced. Take the dog to a baseball diamond and make the dog sit at the pitcher's mound. Place the wing at first base and use hand and voice signals to direct the dog to the wing. Do the same at each base, and you can train the dog to understand back, left, and right.

The most important thing is to get the dog "birdy", and to give positive reinforcement. If a dog feels rewarded for finding a bird and bringing it to you, they will learn amazingly fast on their own, and their instincts will take over.

[jokester]

lineman,

If you need duck wings, let me know. I've got some in the freezer you could have.

-jokester

[Tilla]

Salem Retriever Trial Club first Picnic is March 4 at St louis Ponds in Gervais. About 8:30....ducks. about $12. Pups welcome. See how it's done.
If you can find your way there, you got it made.

[goosegunner]

Marking drills are when the dog tracks the object threw the air and marks its landing location and remembers that spot.Later on in training you will be doing multiple marks at the same time. so it just builds memory. The best way to do it is have a helper go out away from you and throw the marks, start at shorter distances and in the open cover and gradually work to farther distances and heavy cover.Once your dog can do fairly long marks in heavy cover then you can start working in a second mark for a double retrieve. When you take a dummy and place it somewhere that dog doesn't know it's thier and you send it that is called a blind retrieve and thats a whole different ballgame there,so to get your dog going just work on obiedience and marking.

[5 Salt]

Most avid amature and nearly all professional trainers use an electronic training collar. There are many brands and opinions as to who's is best but the universally accepted book of retreiver training with e-collar is the Tri-Tronics, "Retriever Training".

I like to think of the book as one of 3-4 must have books on retriever training and it came highly recommended by several pro-trainers. Covering topics from the puppy all the way to Master Hunter and/or Field Trails skills, it is written in very easy to read/follow format with excellent detail and discussion. Copies can be had for about $35.00. Good e-collars can be had online for $150-300. My personal fav in Dogtra Brand Collars with infinite level adjustment and a one-mile range.

The collar, once the dog is conditioned to its use, is the quickest most effective tool to motivate the dog to comply with your commands (Never for Punishment). Once you have one you will wish they were legal for use on your children...

Proffessional Training will run you $550-600.00 per month plus live birds expense. 4-months of pro-training will get your dog force fetched, collar conditioned, piles, basic hand signals and some blind retrieve skills, depending on how fast your dog learns. Those skills/4months will net you a dog that you can rely on in the field but leaves you plenty to work with on your own. Worth every dime if budget allows. There are many good trainers/kennels in the area with my favorite being Parkdale Kennels in Rainier, Oregon. Butch at Parkdale is a real pro and provides excellent support after training is complete. Make an appointment with several area trainers, visit their facilities, talk at length with them, and have them evaluate your Lab...great resource even if you opt to home train. If they appear not to have genuine interest in you and your Lab, move on to the next one on your list. Find someone with whom you are comfortable with before making any decisions or commiments.

Definately find a copy of the Tri-Tronics book before purchasing an e-collar or begining training. I think Joes or Fishermans carries - pic'd below.




Dogtra - 2200NCP Fully Water Proof

(Retails for $350-400 but found online today for $253.00) A bit spendy but they hold up to abuse and re-chargable batteries last forever.

[threecreeks]

Originally Posted by fishboys

Lotsa great book on this subject.

Try Water Dog by Richard Wolters.

-T.C.

[joemomma]

"Water dog" The bible, it is old but great! Trained a many retriever with this, I wouldn't use a collar unless I really had too! My