Gun Dog Training

[tikkataker]

Hello and good day!

I am reaching out looking for some help with training my 6 month Lab. I got her for hunting and companion.

I moved to Grande Prairie in the fall and am looking for some support here possibly.

She listens, loves to retrieve (bringing it back is a struggle sometimes though she has a new habit of wanting to shake everything she picks up), has patience, and loves being outside. And recall....works fine if its us two, but add another dog or person she bounces in excitement the whole tome. I am just stuck on the next steps. She enjoys it but seems to wander a bit. I know she is 6 months old but am I rushing maybe?

Winter isn't a huge help with being so bloody cold. I've watched many videos, and read a few books and.

A question to you is have you done it yourself start to finish? How did you learn the dos and donts what works what doesnt?
Do you wish you sent your dog somewhere for formal training with someone else? If so where? ($$$ is pretty high it seems)

Any help is appreciated. Things are going OK, but sometimes getting to her and such is difficult. She seems very stubborn lately. i just don't have the greatest experience and am trying to do what I can correctly.

Thanks!

[Pixel Shooter]

Sent u a pm

[Rackmastr]

Pixel will be a big asset for you, as are a few other guys on here.

One thing I noticed with my current dog as opposed to previous ones is the value in following a proven program for training. There are various ones out there with endless arguments for and against certain ones, but the value of following a training program is so evident in my enjoyment of the process and working through issues.

With a dog that's so young, you have a great opportunity to get squared away. My suggestion would be absorb all the info from the guys you can here and find a training program and stick with it.

[sns2]

Do whatever Pixel tells you to do is my first suggestion. He knows that of which he speaks.

My second is to join Freddy King's online training program called The Retriever Trainer. It is a huge database of training videos, some of which follow puppy's lives all the way up to the point where they are fully trained retrievers. I really like this program, as it is based off the methods of Mike Lardy, but shows ALL the mistakes the dogs make, as opposed to so many of the video programs that only show perfect dogs.

Membership, which is only $60 US per year, also gives you access to a Facebook group that is full of super helpful people.

I highly recommend it.

Sent from my SM-A705W using Tapatalk

[Sneeze]

6 months she is ready for force breaking. Drive far and wide to have somebody experienced help you a few time’s with this.

Don’t sweat small stuff. Enjoy the journey, she is just a toddler. Lots of love, small steps and reward success.

You will find at the end it doesn’t matter what books you read or training method you followed. Get out lots and learn together. To you she will be the best hunting dog the world has ever known.

Happy hunting with ur pup.

[abhunter8]

Tikkataker, thank you for this thread, I am going through the exact same thing with my Brittany who is now 11 months. We are going on a vacation in April and will need to Kennel the dog for a couple weeks anyway so we are thinking why not kill 2 birds with one stone. Is there a recommended trainer to take your dog to for a month or so and get some professional obedience and starter field training?

[Big Grey Wolf]

Couple of my hunting buddies had been hunting over grand champion springers sent to Ontario for training at $10,000 a session. One year they could not get the dogs, I said I would bring my green 10 month old springer pup. They laughed then said " better than no dog" We limited out on pheasants at Brooks every day. All I had trained him was "search command"

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by abhunter8

Tikkataker, thank you for this thread, I am going through the exact same thing with my Brittany who is now 11 months. We are going on a vacation in April and will need to Kennel the dog for a couple weeks anyway so we are thinking why not kill 2 birds with one stone. Is there a recommended trainer to take your dog to for a month or so and get some professional obedience and starter field training?

Contact wwbirds here, he trains and boards hunting dogs. He also had a shooting preserve, so he has good access to birds in a natural environment for training.

[outofbounds]

I spend alot of time working in the US and across Canada.
Throughout my travels I met up with Next Generation Gun Dog Training out of Rochester, Mn.
Our Chesapeake came from their breeding and training program.
Excellent dogs with proven results. Purpose bred dogs, do what they are bred and trained to do.
Excellent facilities and team to work with at Next Generation Gun Dog Training.
Chesapeake and Labrador training with proven results. That speak for themselves in the field.