How you can tell your dog is smart…………

I am excited to get into duck hunting. I do a lot of pheasant hunting but it looks like my pup lab is waiting in any water he can find for those quackers.

Anyone got any good pointers on how to get a lab ready for duck hunting? He retrieves well, but is a bit jumpy, any tips?
Thanks,
JumpNDaBoat

Anyone got any good pointers on how to get a lab ready for duck hunting? He retrieves well, but is a bit jumpy, any tips?
Thanks,
JumpNDaBoat

JUMPNDABOAT,
Could you explain jumpy? Have you had the chance to shoot your shotgun over him yet? How old is he?
The most important thing in the early years of a dogs training, is to be STEADY. This will be crucial when your in the boat/blind and mallards are comin in. The basic heel, stay, and down, need to be enforced early and often.
Let me know more on were you dog sits and i’ll be able to help you get ready for the up-coming season. Remember it’s never to early to start the summer training.

JUMPNDABOAT,
Could you explain jumpy? Have you had the chance to shoot your shotgun over him yet? How old is he?
The most important thing in the early years of a dogs training, is to be STEADY. This will be crucial when your in the boat/blind and mallards are comin in. The basic heel, stay, and down, need to be enforced early and often.
Let me know more on were you dog sits and i’ll be able to help you get ready for the up-coming season. Remember it’s never to early to start the summer training.

Has,

Thanks for the response! He hears a shot and is ready for action. It is calm to keep him steady when you are focussing on the birds. Would you recommend tieing him up in the blind and releasing him when the bird is down(but on your command)? When training, do you recommend a shock collar?
Thanks,
JumpNDaBoat

Has,

Thanks for the response! He hears a shot and is ready for action. It is calm to keep him steady when you are focussing on the birds. Would you recommend tieing him up in the blind and releasing him when the bird is down(but on your command)? When training, do you recommend a shock collar?
Thanks,
JumpNDaBoat

Good god yes, i’d recomend a shock collar when training. If you have no way to correct a mistake in the field, then the porblem will keep occouring. It is important when working on retrieves that the dog remain at your side until you release him on his name. This will help steady him in the blind. Hopefully by the time season starts you won’t have to stake him down, but that is always an option.

When training with the shock collar, if the dog breaks before your comand, call the dog back to your side, tell him SIT, then give the burn(correction) then resend him on the mark.

If you have anymore question feel free to ask. One of my uncles is a professional dog trainer and i’ve spent many a days train with him in Wisconsin a long with spending 3 months in Texas training 21 dogs, 2 winters ago.

Good god yes, i’d recomend a shock collar when training. If you have no way to correct a mistake in the field, then the porblem will keep occouring. It is important when working on retrieves that the dog remain at your side until you release him on his name. This will help steady him in the blind. Hopefully by the time season starts you won’t have to stake him down, but that is always an option.

When training with the shock collar, if the dog breaks before your comand, call the dog back to your side, tell him SIT, then give the burn(correction) then resend him on the mark.

If you have anymore question feel free to ask. One of my uncles is a professional dog trainer and i’ve spent many a days train with him in Wisconsin a long with spending 3 months in Texas training 21 dogs, 2 winters ago.

That would be a lot of fun. I have been using a 300 yard shock collar but didn’t want to mention it because some hunters consider it non-humane. For me, it gets their attention quickly and makes them respect your training methods. One of my main issues with him while out in the fields is that he gets very excited on a hot track. You don’t want to correct him because he is doing what he is supposed to do, but he sometimes heads away from you at 110 mph on the birds as*. I have tried a rope to keep him in range…….would you recommend a collar for this as well?

Thanks,
Adam

That would be a lot of fun. I have been using a 300 yard shock collar but didn’t want to mention it because some hunters consider it non-humane. For me, it gets their attention quickly and makes them respect your training methods. One of my main issues with him while out in the fields is that he gets very excited on a hot track. You don’t want to correct him because he is doing what he is supposed to do, but he sometimes heads away from you at 110 mph on the birds as*. I have tried a rope to keep him in range…….would you recommend a collar for this as well?

Thanks,
Adam

Adam,
My dog is the same way sometimes. Early in the year, when hunting thin cover for Iowa pheasents(maddie) will run the birds down. The thing here is, these birds arn’t holding tight and would rather run than fly. I love chasing after her on a dead run, followed by a flushing rooster then a dead rooster.

It’s hard to correct this. You deffinatly don’t want to shock them in this instance, then they’d think what there doing is wrong. If your trying to wait for the rest of your party to catch-up. I’d suggest working on a WHOA command to get his attention to slow it down a bit.

This is actually quite common in young labs. Although mine is almost 4 and as young as ever

Adam,
My dog is the same way sometimes. Early in the year, when hunting thin cover for Iowa pheasents(maddie) will run the birds down. The thing here is, these birds arn’t holding tight and would rather run than fly. I love chasing after her on a dead run, followed by a flushing rooster then a dead rooster.

It’s hard to correct this. You deffinatly don’t want to shock them in this instance, then they’d think what there doing is wrong. If your trying to wait for the rest of your party to catch-up. I’d suggest working on a WHOA command to get his attention to slow it down a bit.

This is actually quite common in young labs. Although mine is almost 4 and as young as ever

Adam,
Here are two books that I would recomend to you.

Game Dog

Water Dog

I have never had a lab, I have a German Short hair and got alot of good advice and tips from the book Gun Dog

Adam,
Here are two books that I would recomend to you.

Game Dog

Water Dog

I have never had a lab, I have a German Short hair and got alot of good advice and tips from the book Gun Dog

Thanks for the information guys. He seems to have a great nose for hunting and is pretty obedient. I will look into getting some of these books and studying up on lab training. How is fishing up in your areas? Crappies are starting to pick up down here and the walleyes are as well.

Thanks,
Adam

Thanks for the information guys. He seems to have a great nose for hunting and is pretty obedient. I will look into getting some of these books and studying up on lab training. How is fishing up in your areas? Crappies are starting to pick up down here and the walleyes are as well.

Thanks,
Adam

Has, When you past 50 you won’t think running after your Lab is as much fun.I run my dogs on a 30 yrd check cord as pups and will give them a mild correction if very out of range or running wild.I have not had any problem with stifling desire but I do emphasize mild. The whoa is absolutely a critical command that too many times gets short attention. Adam there are few things more satisfying than training your own dog. I think that getting a book and following a complete program will provide a much better resultfor a novice. One that has worked well for me is Speed Train Your Retrevier. I think the author is Larry Mueller. Have fun and good luck

Has, When you past 50 you won’t think running after your Lab is as much fun.I run my dogs on a 30 yrd check cord as pups and will give them a mild correction if very out of range or running wild.I have not had any problem with stifling desire but I do emphasize mild. The whoa is absolutely a critical command that too many times gets short attention. Adam there are few things more satisfying than training your own dog. I think that getting a book and following a complete program will provide a much better resultfor a novice. One that has worked well for me is Speed Train Your Retrevier. I think the author is Larry Mueller. Have fun and good luck

Has I have a question please. When you describe correcting a breaking dog you put the burn after the sit command. My first instinct is that it would come quickly after the break rather than after 2 correct responses, RECALL and SIT. I have had no training with e-collars. could you fill me in?

Has I have a question please. When you describe correcting a breaking dog you put the burn after the sit command. My first instinct is that it would come quickly after the break rather than after 2 correct responses, RECALL and SIT. I have had no training with e-collars. could you fill me in?

I was thinking that you would correct the dog at the point where he is making his mistake in the field. If you bring him back to your side and correct him, he doesn’t know where he did something wrong. Please explain why he has to be by your side when correcting him. Great pointers though! Thanks,
Adam

I was thinking that you would correct the dog at the point where he is making his mistake in the field. If you bring him back to your side and correct him, he doesn’t know where he did something wrong. Please explain why he has to be by your side when correcting him. Great pointers though! Thanks,
Adam

Adam & Randy,very good questions.I have a Tri-tronics e-collar and this is how I want my dogs to respond to a burn.I’m not saying this is right but to me it makes the most sense.Dog knows command,does not respond to your command,apply burn until dog corrects and promply shut off burn.At times all dogs are going to balk during hunting or training..The first thing is your dog has to know it’s commands.
Best of luck guys.
Ryan Hale

Adam & Randy,very good questions.I have a Tri-tronics e-collar and this is how I want my dogs to respond to a burn.I’m not saying this is right but to me it makes the most sense.Dog knows command,does not respond to your command,apply burn until dog corrects and promply shut off burn.At times all dogs are going to balk during hunting or training..The first thing is your dog has to know it’s commands.
Best of luck guys.
Ryan Hale

Ryan,

Thanks for the info. It is interesting to see all the different ways to train a dog and I am sure that different dogs respond differentlys. Pointers vs Flushers. Either way, the dog learns to respect the collar and my dog acts like a gem when he feels the prongs on his neck. I just bought a dummy collar yesterday to trick him.

Thanks all,
Adam

Ryan,

Thanks for the info. It is interesting to see all the different ways to train a dog and I am sure that different dogs respond differentlys. Pointers vs Flushers. Either way, the dog learns to respect the collar and my dog acts like a gem when he feels the prongs on his neck. I just bought a dummy collar yesterday to trick him.

Thanks all,
Adam