SilentBirdHunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2024
- Messages
- 416
That is a common mistake I see. There is no reason ever to get mad at a retriever.
https://missskeeter.podbean.com/e/trainer-frustrations/
Training Resource- Lab for Upland hunting?
- Thread starter R.K.
- Start date
https://missskeeter.podbean.com/e/trainer-frustrations/
MTGunner
Well-known member
Just starting another female lab for upland. Citizenship is utmost softer getting pup use to the sound of shots, then hunt her as much as possible. I take my labs to a firing range, not close, and get them use to the reports. This has worked for me over the years. MTG
Not exactly sure what you mean there, but I’m on board with the rest of it.
Need to get my range membership back, if they’ll have me.
MTGunner
Well-known member
To help puppy get use to the sounds of gun shots I take her to my local shooting range. Hold her in my arms and speak softly to her while allowing to listen to firearm reports. Not close early on. I stay back many yards, in the truck, letting her get use to the shot noises. A few trips to the range to acclimatize her to the sounds of gunshots has worked miracles for my dogs over 50 years and more of training. At some point I walk them, on a leash, at some distance for additional training. This has worked well for me. It’s simple and the bonding process continues to animate young dogs to the sound of firearms. So far I have not had a gun shy hunting dog. For that matter, most get very excited when they see me with a shotgun getting ready to hunt. Works for me and my dogs. Hope this helps,
El Jason
Well-known member
Just introduce blanks during feeding, then when throwing bumpers. Work up to a shotgun with thrown bumpers. Easy peasy. Teaches them a gunshot means look for stuff falling.
Yep, that was my plan.
I just can’t make sense of that first sentence in the post I quoted. That was the only question I had- just not sure what you meant by the citizenship thing.
Citizenship....here (recall), sit, stay, heel, kennel, etc. Basic Obedience and socialization...how to behave around people and dogs etc. At least that's how I interpret it. All stuff that will make your family dog a pleasure to be around
TheGreek
Well-known member
Congrats! I’m bringing home a black male lab pup next weekend. Time to take the plunge!
Hammsolo
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- Joined
- May 16, 2020
- Messages
- 2,222
Dreaming of a hypoallergenic puppy. I hunt alone mainly and it’d be nice to have a partner.
Standard poodle. They are traditionally a bird dog.
Salmonchaser
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- Joined
- Nov 12, 2019
- Messages
- 2,608
MTGunner
Well-known member
For a young dog to act properly with a semblance of good manners. It can take some time for individual pups to come around. All takes time and patience. MTG
the more time you can spend with the pup the better.
My female yellow lab has a litter right now and it sure fun to play with them at just over 4 weeks. We are keeping one and I hope she turns out like her mother!
If they want to please you and obey it is much better than if you try and make them obey. I have always used the former and it has worked well for me, but I am no dog trainer.
My female yellow lab has a litter right now and it sure fun to play with them at just over 4 weeks. We are keeping one and I hope she turns out like her mother!
If they want to please you and obey it is much better than if you try and make them obey. I have always used the former and it has worked well for me, but I am no dog trainer.
Time for a quick update, now that Ellie has passed 12 weeks old, and we've had her just over 3 weeks. Still a few weeks away from her last round of rabies/parvo shots, and the vet suggested I not take her on walks where other dogs frequent until then. Not ideal, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Once that happens, I plan on neighborhood walks 2x a day, with one session to the unfenced hayfield with a dummy, and hopefully take her hiking and fishing after that. Nothing big to start, but enough to get her out.
@crock239 - I love the Standing Stone video series, and have been using a lot of their videos.
@Ben Lamb - I bought Dokken's book, and have been using that a lot. I was somewhat surprised with his projected timeline on when to work on certain training exercises, and how long he suggested waiting on a lot of it.
@El Jason - I've been using the hell out of clicker training, and use treats for just about everything. Trying to work in more praise, and moving to multiple marks/clicks for a single food reward.
So far, we've covered:
"Sit" (still trying to get that as a "stop and sit where you are right now", instead of "walk to me first"),
"Down" to lay down,
"C'mere" since I seem to have an accent (bump nose to hand and sit down),
"Kennel" to get in her crate (where I feed her),
"Place" to go to a dog bed and sit. Will be moving to a more elevated platform soon.
"Off" to stop jumping on people or furniture. Sometimes accompanied with pulling by the scruff of her neck.
She likes to chase toys I throw and bring them back, but I have to keep the corgi from interrupting and antagonizing her. If I don't, he will either steal the toy or start a fight. The best thing so far is a cheap paint roller out in the yard- she doesn't seem to chew on it, and I can control it's use for just retrieving. Maximum of 4 throws in a session.
I have some chukar wings in the freezer, and she is pretty interested in them when I bring them out. But she wants to lay down and chew them rather than bring it to me or follow me and carry them around. Still working on that...
Check cord is on the way, with a training dummy. I'll get an e-collar in a few months.
Planning to build a dummy for upland work from a golf ball, a softball, and chukar wings stuffed inside a sock and segmented with rubber bands. It worked well in the past with friends' dogs to work on retrieving and build bird drive- especially if it was doing scent-based retrieving.
Live bird work isn't an option, to keep the fiance happy. Hoping the sock dummy and wild birds will be enough. Might need to call a farmer and see if I can eradicate some pigeons for him.
Was thinking I'd use .22 blanks for training, but the prices are a bit much. I'm looking at primed shotgun hulls to start out with for now, since they're about the same price, and I can use the same gun once I switch to live ammo.
I'm open to advice on any of these, if anyone sees a gap in my training so far.
@crock239 - I love the Standing Stone video series, and have been using a lot of their videos.
@Ben Lamb - I bought Dokken's book, and have been using that a lot. I was somewhat surprised with his projected timeline on when to work on certain training exercises, and how long he suggested waiting on a lot of it.
@El Jason - I've been using the hell out of clicker training, and use treats for just about everything. Trying to work in more praise, and moving to multiple marks/clicks for a single food reward.
So far, we've covered:
"Sit" (still trying to get that as a "stop and sit where you are right now", instead of "walk to me first"),
"Down" to lay down,
"C'mere" since I seem to have an accent (bump nose to hand and sit down),
"Kennel" to get in her crate (where I feed her),
"Place" to go to a dog bed and sit. Will be moving to a more elevated platform soon.
"Off" to stop jumping on people or furniture. Sometimes accompanied with pulling by the scruff of her neck.
She likes to chase toys I throw and bring them back, but I have to keep the corgi from interrupting and antagonizing her. If I don't, he will either steal the toy or start a fight. The best thing so far is a cheap paint roller out in the yard- she doesn't seem to chew on it, and I can control it's use for just retrieving. Maximum of 4 throws in a session.
I have some chukar wings in the freezer, and she is pretty interested in them when I bring them out. But she wants to lay down and chew them rather than bring it to me or follow me and carry them around. Still working on that...
Check cord is on the way, with a training dummy. I'll get an e-collar in a few months.
Planning to build a dummy for upland work from a golf ball, a softball, and chukar wings stuffed inside a sock and segmented with rubber bands. It worked well in the past with friends' dogs to work on retrieving and build bird drive- especially if it was doing scent-based retrieving.
Live bird work isn't an option, to keep the fiance happy. Hoping the sock dummy and wild birds will be enough. Might need to call a farmer and see if I can eradicate some pigeons for him.
Was thinking I'd use .22 blanks for training, but the prices are a bit much. I'm looking at primed shotgun hulls to start out with for now, since they're about the same price, and I can use the same gun once I switch to live ammo.
I'm open to advice on any of these, if anyone sees a gap in my training so far.
