I have a 4 month old lab that I have had for about 2 weeks. She is retrieving, will sit and then release it to my hand. Sometimes she jumps up on me first and then will sit. At this age should I be correcting this and making her sit and stay before she retrieves or just let her have fun for now and get more strict as she gets a little older? Right now I’m just happy that she is retrieving as good as she is. 
DT
I would think that at 4 months corrective action would be fine. A few knees to the chest when she jumps up on you and she will stop (sounds cruel but it really isn’t…). This is a common way to stop this. It worked on my lab when she was at or near that age. RR
I have been doing that already. Just wondering how strict I should be with my training at this point.
DT
Oh yes at 4 months it’s school time. Better read over some info on IDO hunting and pick up a few training DVD’s.
4 months is old enough to start Formal Obedience, then onto Force Fetch, Collar Conditioning, Steadying, etc.
its spring time, and gorgeous out…Dog training season begins… 
FWIW – i like the Stawski Fowl Dawgs series videos.
Puppies are like your kids. Easy to be overly nice but will cost you in the end. Love them with all your heart but they need to learn respect or in the case of a dog obdience. ” Sit” means sit and stay. Here, heal. Ect… Don’t be mean or cruel, but mean what you say, say what you mean. No begging “here boy, come, here, here…ect. You will have a much better dog in the end. Just my opinion.
Knees to the chest everytime. Make your family members do it everytime as well. Guests too.
Everytime.
Get Wolter’s Book(s) – Family dog, gun dog, water dog, etc… All are well respected. Obedience is the key to everything. After you have that, the rest will either come naturally and/or with much less work.
deertracker I used to train pointers with a guy in Iowa and I preached to me how I should wait to break their pride until they are a year old or so… With that being said everyone has their own way to train dogs, but if it were me I would keep doing what you are doing and be easy on her now…. When it comes time though you have to break her down and show whose boss no praise until she is no longer doing it in your training sessions… Have you tried grabbing her paw/leg when she does it and backing up with it????? Dont jerk on it just back up with it in your hand!!!
Not to start an argument or anything, but Wolters methods were good in their day. There are much better and more efficient ways to train dogs today. Like I mentioned before, the Fowl Dawgs series are good, and so is evan grahams smart works. If you want more advanced field trial style training, move into Mike Lardy’s Total Retriever Training system. I’m not a pro, but I train my personal dog for the field and competition, and train with some pretty accomplished amateur trainers.
Also, with waiting for a dog to be 1 year old. That I have to disagree with. A dog should be “started” by 1 year of age, which entails obedience, force fetch, steady, collar conditioned and basic casting drills.
Maybe pointers are different, but for a lab, if you wait that long to start training, you are missing out on the most opportune time to teach the dog. They are like a sponge when they are young. And you can break the bad habits, before they become habits.
Just my $.02 
My main focus will be waterfowl but I also grouse hunt. I will have to check out the series you talked about perch.
DT
If she breaks before your command. Go get her and place her on the spot you had her at. Don’t let her go until you are ready for her to go.
DT my 2cents! Around 5 or so months or have all there adult teeth you should be thinking about some gun breaking if not already done? Puppies should be puppies a little formal ob is good just so they dont fight when you start to get on them for steadiness ect. I have worked at a gun dog kennal for 8 yrs and see alot of people trying to have a steady retreiver to early! You can always get a dog to steady but its important to get the retreiving desire level up beat One nice trick to always get them coming back with an object is to put her on a long check cord and everytime she comes back because your in control dont make her sit at heel and rip the object out instead kneel down and jazz her while she is at ur feet then take it out her mouth then she will be redy for you to throw more!! making it fun to come back is huge at this age like Perch said there like a spounge! And get as many birds under her as possible at a young age trust me it pays off. put a e-collar on but do not use until she can respond to commands off leash which takes time but collars dont train them, just ruin a great dog if not used correctly! Good luck hope this helps
Each dog is different you have to learn to read its moods, behavior, I have had 3 labs, all have turned out well, but the one thing I have learned over the years is to listen to the dog and how it relates to you. don’t force a issue if its not reacting to it, Take it slow with positive reiforcement. and everything will come together. The best advice is every man thinks his Dog is the best and he knows how to train. Do what you think is best for your Dog and he will respect you and perform what task that you want. WOW I sound like Dr. Phil
Shoot Don Hanson a PM he will have some good adivice for you.
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put a e-collar on but do not use until she can respond to commands off leash which takes time but collars dont train them, just ruin a great dog if not used correctly! Good luck hope this helps
i’m glad you brought that up!
the e-collar is one of the most effective tools in dog training…IF…used properly. like riverrat stated above, it is not used to “train” a dog. an e-collar is used to enforce known commands, and if you are planning on using an e-collar, please run the dog through a “collar conditioning” training phase. It will pay off in huge dividends, and you will not risk “breaking” your dog.
DeerTracker, if you were closer i would invite you with to help you on the yard work you will be doing for the next 6-8 months. if you ever are going to be down this way, shoot me a PM if you want to get together and run dogs!
also, if you can, join a local retriever club, there will more then enough people that know what their doing to help you through the paces.
and for any dog training questions/info, by far the best site out there is http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums
Remember DT, you can always take the desire out of a dog….but you can never put it back in.
Thanks for all the info so far. She definetly has the desire to retreive so I think she will be a great dog after some training.
DT
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I have worked at a gun dog kennal for 8 yrs
what kennel are you working at Riverrat? cannon river? TNT?
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