What I need to know as rookie with a rookie dog?

[speedshooterxt]

Im going to be getting into waterfowl hunting a little bit and I have a 1 year old lab who I want to take with me. Im just curious if anyone has and dos and donts to help me with the dog or my self. Im going to go out with some friends to let the dog watch some action before I start shooting. Any help would be awesome! or tips!

[handsmellikenet]

If your dog likes to fetch your golden. The best thing to do is take one of the ducks you shot and play fetch with him/her with alot of encouragement. The biggest thing dogs have a hard time with is the way the duck feels. Once you get that down its just a matter of keeping the dog from fetching the decoys...As far as shooting around your dog, reward your dog every time some one shoots say good boy/girl make them feel like its the greatest thing when some one shoots. Its O.K. for them to get excited but its the way you act that get them freeked out! You are the one that sets the mood with your dog!

[Wingman Or.]

Be very realistic about your expectations. It's hard enough to stay on top of a well trained 1 year old in the blind let alone a young dog that has no idea what is going on. My advice would be to start training after the season is over in hopes to have a dog that will be more of a help than a liability. I would vote to leave the dog at home. I'm sure it's not the advice you want to hear but that would be my

As an example: if you take a kid that is athletically inclined and toss him into a game he as never played he will not be successful. BUT if you give him some practice and give him a good foundation for what the game is all about he will be much more successful and have much more fun doing it.

[DogZilla15]

Has the dog gone through any actual training or introduction to guns??? To take a totally green dog into a duck blind and start banging away spells disaster.

[speedshooterxt]

Originally Posted by DogZilla15

Has the dog gone through any actual training or introduction to guns??? To take a totally green dog into a duck blind and start banging away spells disaster.

yes, we have shot around hime and we have thrown his bumpers out and shot near them in the air and he still retrieves it

he is good with basic commands and is real easy to work with. He is a very calm mild dog for a 1 year old lab.
I have had him out in the water many times working on retrieves and making him sit, stay, and then fetch. I am also trying to figure out how to do marks, I tell him to mark and point to the dummy and had him retrieve those. But, I still have not done multiple marks successfully, he always has a fav. bumper to stick with

[DTSportsman]

Another tip to try before taking him out is to MAKE SURE he is gun broke, start with a .22 and work your way up. He won't be a gun dog ever if you just start banging away on the 12 ga without any prior gun work.

[billc_sbio]

Just as a friendly caution here, DON'T take an untrained/inexperienced dog out hunting, especially in an area with lots of other hunters and their dogs.

Chances are your dog may do some things you're not expecting and keeping it under control might end up being a major hassle for you.

Having a stray dog running around in other hunters decoy spreads and/or chasing other hunter's birds isn't going to win you many friends.

Make sure your dog is well on its way towards knowing what's expected of it and IS UNDER CONTROL before you venture out with it.

[DTSportsman]

Originally Posted by DTSportsman

Another tip to try before taking him out is to MAKE SURE he is gun broke, start with a .22 and work your way up. He won't be a gun dog ever if you just start banging away on the 12 ga without any prior gun work.

I guess Dogzilla and I were typing the same thing at the same time, sorry.

[Pyrojake]

I've also got a rookie pup. Thanks for starting this thread.

[billc_sbio]

Right now is a hard time to find some of the resources you might like to have to "best" train your pups/young dogs.

Mainly because it's in the middle of Duck/Goose Season and other's with training knowledge who might normally be willing to help you are OUT Hunting!

One thing I'd suggest (actually to prospective Retriever owners even BEFORE they end up getting a pup) is to go to one of the big, high powered championship AKC Field Trials (which they typically have a couple of around here, one usually in the Spring) and just go and WATCH and see what those dogs can do.

This is not with the thought of you trying to enter or running in these trials (who knows you could...someday!) but rather just to see what's expected of these super high powered retrievers and what they can do with enough training.

This gives you a reference point of "the Top" and what can be achieved.

Then immerse yourself in learing about training the dog...talk to others, locate and go out and watch or join a dog club that is active in training.

Have others, experienced trainers show and teach you the techniques.

Training the gun dog is not that much of a trick...training the trainer is the big part!

[Hawaiian Time]

All good points mentioned. You mentioned retrieving bumpers but has your lab been exposed to birds? Get him on birds while training will make it a lot easier for the dog to pick up a bird freshly shot in the field. If it hasn't been exposed to birds, don't be surprised if your dog stands over the bird and moves on looking for a bumper. HT

[hunter97051]

My is with the work you have put into him/her you should go ahead and take him as long as your buddies know and understand what you are doing. If one of them has a dog and the two get along the other dog can teach yours and you would be surprised how well the dog will pick it up. We have always trained our new pups with our older getting close to retirment dogs and they had all worked out great. But this is how we have done it and it is just my opinion....

[Don Fischer]

You got some great advice from Bill and Wingman, I'd heed it! Take your time and do him this spring and summer with someone that knows what their doing. You have a lot of years with your dog, don't mess it up at the start. You need the training as much as the dog does, don't rush it.

[Jakiedog]

Keep the pooch off of the ice and away from swift water currents.

[dubl_t]

My two favorite books were "Gun Dog" and "Water Dog". Kinda old, but really good info.

[speedshooterxt]

Originally Posted by dubl_t

My two favorite books were "Gun Dog" and "Water Dog". Kinda old, but really good info.

im reading water dog right now....hopefully there is some good stuff in there. I talked to a trainer the other day and he says that book is old school and not worth it...>I thought I would read it anyway and get my own opinion since I have talked to many who like it.

[Wingman Or.]

You want old school... A buddy turned me on to this book years ago with my first dog.

Try Training your Retriever-By James Lamb Free. The one I have was published in 1949


Very militaristic in theory and method but more hunting dogs than can be counted were trained with this book. Defiantly worth a look if nothing else.

[nevermiss]

Good luck with your new dog. My Lab just turned 2 on the Dec. 18th and it amazing what they do naturally (tho' training is critical.) It really IS as hard to train trainers as it is to train dogs.

[Wetwrk2]

Sit..Stay..come. must be 100%
Ensure the pup wont break to the shot.(Take off without being sent), I had my duckblind pulled down by a buddies dog that took off even tied to the blind
Make sure dog wont whine or bark to incoming birds in the blind (a little shaking, or tiny excited whimper not a issue but if your pup goes nuts, your buddies will hate both of ya)
Teach the pup the "place" command.
Spend at the very least 19 minutes every single day training... for at least 9 months
Make sure pup will retrieve birds and not the decoys he-he. (You laugh but I've seen it a million times)
Teach the retriever to retrieve people out of the water (fun summer practice)...sounds dumb but may save somebody someday...its a easy thing to teach, and the dog already has it in the blood lines.

Get a copy of Tritronics Retriever Training by Dobbs. -WW

[Tilla]

Basics heel sit stay here

Train for success, the dog will expect it.


HT- something tells me your gonna see an inthrown or two this year.

[crawdad]

Lots of good advice above. Like most people said training should begin far ahead of the season. Sit, stay, come is no joke it can save your dogs life.

I'll just add this. If/when your dog starts screwing up in the field (no offense to you or your dog, its a one year old lab its gonna have its share of screw ups,) stop take a deep breath and either call is a day, or at least find a away to get the dog out of the situation and take a little break. If the dog is doing something wrong its probably because it is just not prepared, or it is confused. I really don't mind hunting next to someone with a green dog. But when the owner starts to get frustrated and starts blaming the dog for not knowing what to do, it is not cool. Suddenly the guy yelling to kingdom come starts looking like the untrained member of the team. So keep the first trip out short and fun. If the dog forgets something basic its cause he's excited. If things aren't working out just pack it in early. 1 hour of fun for the dog and he/she will be hooked for life. 1 hour of fun followed by 5 minutes of being yelled at and not understanding why, and you might just ruin the dog. Have fun out there!

[Hawaiian Time]

Originally Posted by Tilla

Basics heel sit stay here

Train for success, the dog will expect it.


HT- something tells me your gonna see an inthrown or two this year.

If Tilla is judging, you will need to practice for the inverted retrieve..HT

[speedshooterxt]

Originally Posted by crawdad

Lots of good advice above. Like most people said training should begin far ahead of the season. Sit, stay, come is no joke it can save your dogs life.

I'll just add this. If/when your dog starts screwing up in the field (no offense to you or your dog, its a one year old lab its gonna have its share of screw ups,) stop take a deep breath and either call is a day, or at least find a away to get the dog out of the situation and take a little break. If the dog is doing something wrong its probably because it is just not prepared, or it is confused. I really don't mind hunting next to someone with a green dog. But when the owner starts to get frustrated and starts blaming the dog for not knowing what to do, it is not cool. Suddenly the guy yelling to kingdom come starts looking like the untrained member of the team. So keep the first trip out short and fun. If the dog forgets something basic its cause he's excited. If things aren't working out just pack it in early. 1 hour of fun for the dog and he/she will be hooked for life. 1 hour of fun followed by 5 minutes of being yelled at and not understanding why, and you might just ruin the dog. Have fun out there!

I was thinking of just going out, sitting away from the blind and have him sit and watch the action....far enough away from the shooting that that wont distract him to much....and maybe grab a bird and throw it around and play with it with him for a bit. I was only going to go for like an hour just to get an idea of whats going on since Im new also!

Still need to buy a shotgun mine is missing some parts somehow.

anyone know if the benelli nova is a good pump to start with?

[BuxnDux82]

The benelli nova is a great gun I think. i have shot mine for 3 years now and it's never let me down.