I will be picking up my first dog/pup in a couple of weeks. I’m getting a chocolate male lab.
What training books have you read that you would recommend? I have heard good things about Tom Dokken’s Retriever Training book, but am open to any suggestions you have had success with.
additional info: I am a pheasant hunter.
Thank you!
Congratulations on the pup. The book by Tom Dokken is a good book. If you don’t mind going old school look into the books by Richard Wolters, especially Game Dog.
I would recommend HUP. The book is for spaniels but flushers will train the same. As long as you can stop your dog when you want to you have succeeded in upland flusher training.
If you are going to do a lot of duck hunting, I would also recommend Water Dog by Wolters. It is pretty lab oriented.
Congratulations on the pup. The book by Tom Dokken is a good book. If you don’t mind going old school look into the books by Richard Wolters, especially Game Dog.
I have Wolters books and have used them for 3 dogs.
Do you plan on having the dog trained by a pro or doing it all yourself?
To get started, I liked “How To Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves” by Joan Bailey.
I would also recommend HUP. Excellent guide for training.
Richard Wolters, especially Game Dog.
X2!
One of my issues with Wolters books is they make me a little sad because they are so old everyone in them is dead. Otherwise there is a lot of helpful info. You can also find tons of videos online showing modern approaches to training including how to train with remote collars, whistles, force fetching, etc. Lots of stuff out there. I always end up reverting back to doing whatever I feel like since I dont have competition sized goals for my dogs. They do what I ask and they like me. They also are willing to flush pheasants a few weekends a year and maybe a couple grouse. Pretty low expectation by most hunting dog standards.
Do you plan on having the dog trained by a pro or doing it all yourself?
To get started, I liked “How To Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves” by Joan Bailey.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
Up to this point, I only go pheasant hunting a handful of times a year. I am hoping with my own dog I will get out there more often (I previously bow hunted typically). So for that reason, I am not going to have a pro train the dog and I’m going to attempt to do it myself. He doesn’t need to be a professional, just want him to be capable.
Sounds cool. Training your own dog is rewarding. I have only used pro’s for intro to birds and guns. I did that on my last two because its so important. I wouldnt if I had access to lots of birds.
I have only used pro’s for intro to birds and guns. I did that on my last two because its so important.
This is a critical part of a hunting dog’s training. Money well spent if you don’t have the time, the space to train and shoot and the birds. Additionally if the dog shows some signs of gun shyness they can sometimes be corrected.
I have used this book to train 3 labs and a Chessie over the years. Very simple straightforward and easy. All my dogs were whitle trained and hand signals. I am by no means an export on dog training.
Training Retrievers for the Marshes and Meadows 2nd Edition
by James B. Spencer
Thanks,
RVRDUX
IMO, Richard Wolters (Gun Dog) is definitely old school…good info but very out dated and hard to read. I’d only suggest his books to hunters that are training professional dogs. For the average guy that also wants a good house pup, I’d personally look else where.
When you read chapter two…you’ll see what I’m saying.
Zak George on Youtube has really good training videos, more for the puppy phase.
So for that reason, I am not going to have a pro train the dog and I’m going to attempt to do it myself. He doesn’t need to be a professional, just want him to be capable
That’s fair. I was in a similar situation a few years ago but changed my mind. I figured my dog would get more out of a month with a pro than I could give him in a year, so I sent him off for bird/gun/water intro. I don’t think either way is wrong. I just felt more comfortable as I’d never trained a bird dog before, and I was terrified that I’d end up with a gun shy dog. 
Another popular book, at least at one time, is “Training Your Retriever” by James Lambs Free.
To potty train them –
Take a newspaper and wrap it up tight and put duct tape around it. When the puppy has an accident grab the rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head with it.
When I get a puppy, I feed it and then take it outside and time to see how long for him/her to go to the “bathroom”. Once I establish that time I will keep them in the house after feeding until – right before that time. I slowly extend that time until they are house broken.
I will ask them If they want to go “potty” as I walk to the door. Always praising them.
When keeping them in a kennel, I will set the kennel close to the door and pointed to the door so when I come home I open the exterior door first then open the kennel door so they have straight open shot to run outside.
So far this method has worked great for my dogs.
Not a book but Dog Bone shed hunter has a good puppy dvd made just a couple years ago. He trains dogs to find antlers. He has training classes and is in the Green Bay Area.
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