My First Pup!!!

[Reef Runner]

Hello to all,
I just had to put up a post. I am getting my first pup late this month. It is a yellow lab(male). It was born on Jan 6th. So I love to hunt Grouse,phesant, and some ducks.. I need to know when can I start training it. How long shoud I wait untill using a shock coller..Stuff like that.Also I need a good name for it. So if anyone has any input I would love to here it. Thanks!!!

[BDR]

Reef Runner I am no expert on dogs but here's my 2Cents. Training will start before you even get home and will never stop. Just getting a pup used to the car is training.I would play hard for a week or 2, making you his best friend but boss. Then work on simple commands sit stay come heel ect. A shock coller is only good when he already knows how to do what your asking. You can't teach to do anything with a coller but you can teach not to do things.I would think a pup should be 7 to 9 months before using a shock coller. My collar is mainly used for COME NOW! STOP! and GET OUT OF THE TRASH!

[Shorelunch]

Go to Gander Mtn./Cabelas and buy a couple of training videos. Pick up the book or video "Gun Dog." Have a lot of patience. Have fun while training. Remember you are the alpha dog, though.

Join a puppy training class - it leads to a well trained and socialized field and family dog.

Have a lot of patience.

[Shorelunch]

One more thing . . . e-collars are for reinforcement of a command and not for teaching. Teach Fido sit stay come on a choke collar and leash first in the backyard and then in a park with distractions. Don't put the e-collar on the dog until he knows the commands.

[Guest]

I would pick up two books immediately, and start reading them.
"Training Your Retriever" by James Lamb Free
"Game Dog" by Richard Wolters

These were recommended to me by a friend several years ago, and I ended up borrowing his copies (still have one!)

Training Your Retriever is a great general book, and I used that one as kind of an overview of the whole process.
Game Dog became my "recipe" book - I basically took the timelines and training items out of that book and wrote them on a calendar. Worked out pretty good.

Just remember who the boss is, and make darn sure the pup understands it!

[Guest]

See my post on the metro section. There is not need for a shock collar, and your dog needs to be a partner, not you being the boss. GET THE DOG ON BIRDS OFTEN and Early. Read Mike Gould's "Training the Labrador Shooting Dog"

[mthunter]

I strongly agree with shoreluch and Pete, buy books, videos, spend a little money at a kennel and train yourself before you try to train your dog. Its not that hard to ruin a good hunting dog if the trainer doesn't know what he's doing. Also E-collars are not for training your dog, they are for correcting bad habits and reinforcing commands your dog already knows, and remember that just because he sits a few times on command doesn't mean he really knows the command, if you can tell him to sit while he is on a full tilt run after the neighbors cat and he stops and sits then he really knows the command.

[Old Guide]

Reef Runner, I agree with the above "Training Your Retriever" by James L. Free is the Bible for training your lab. Just remember as a friend told me "You've got to be smarter than the dog." Good Luck! How about a prog. report along the way.

[Old Guide]

Reef Runner, What did you call your dog? I've got a friend (a Dodge salesman) that named his Lab pup Dodge. He said if the dog didn't hunt birds well he was going to change the dog's name to Chevy!! Dog's name is still Dodge...

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Lake of the Woods
http://fishingminnesota.com/oldguidecharters/
Call Toll Free:1-800-952-(9484)

[Reef Runner]

Hey thanks to all!!!!!
I have all ready learned a ton just from the posts I have seen. We have not decided on a name yet. we are getting the pup tomarrow. I think we will wait and see it first before we name it. I can't wiat . I have alraedy finished "Game Dog" and I have some fresh wings from the game farm. I think I am all set to go. Thanks to all . i will let you all know how it is going.

[folke2000]

By far one of the best retriever training books / manuals is called Working Retriever by Tom Quinn.

[Guest]

There are several things to always remember with owning and training a pup.

1. Pups are "children" until age 2.

2. PATIENCE IS a HUGE KEY!

3. Personal contact and LOTS of it(socializing) is also KEY!

4. When starting the obedience end of training: a little a couple times a day goes a LONG way instead of TOO MUCH/TOO LONG in one session. DON"T OVER-DUE it!

5. LOVING and DAILY CONTACT is vital!

6. Lastly and definitely NOT least: Show your humane humanity when the dog is in its last days of its health(old-aged) by either taking it to a vet to have it "put down" or do it yourself asap! This WILL BE YOUR VERY HEARTFELT HARDEST PART OF owning a dog! So BE PREPARED for it..it happens! I have seen too many handlers letting their health-failing dog go(suffering) too long. Make the decision when it is time and DO IT. It IS the humane thing to do...sadly.

"LUND-MAN" (Lab trainer/handler Since 1965)

Best of Luck Reef Runner!
I have owned many Labs in "my day" now and still prefer the Yellows over the Black and Chocos.

"LUND-MAN"

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"Leave NO Trace"

[This message has been edited by LUND-MAN (edited 04-22-2003).]

[CornPirateKiller]

Great advice, Lund-man, especially about the end of the life cycle.

My two cents... I've had several labs and a couple of other breeds in my family and my dad is a veterinarian. Do yourself and your dog a favor and have it spayed/neutered early (unless you are planning on starting a kennel or raising a field trial champ.) Most vets will tell you six months is the earliest that you can have this done.

A spayed female lives a longer, healthier, and happier life with a dramatically reduced chance of contracting cancer vs an unspayed dog. And she won't ruin a hunt by coming into heat during the season and attracting every hound for miles.

A neutered male is calmer and much more likely to ignore other aggressive males and females in heat. If you have it done early, most males will not be inclined to mark every tree, post, weed, or whatever every time they are out. Peeing is just peeing, not marking territory.

If you plan to raise pups, good luck. If you're not planning to breed your dog, get it fixed, you and your dog will be happier.

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

[protrapper]

Lund Man sais it right on. Be easy on your pup now. Take the fetching slow and quit when the dog gets bored. The Richard Woelters books are the best there are. I also just picked up a new female black lab pup. Shes 7 weeks old, she sits, is potty trained, and retrieves a bumper already. She is just amazing. Got her cause my last female lab I had died when she turned 5. My vet gave her the wrong shot and she died two days later and thousands in bills later. Had her trained at Dokkens, got her from my girlfriend for 21st birthday gift, she was a backyard lab but one off the best i ever hunted with. Some thing special bout them labs......

[Guest]

Protrapper,

My sincerest sympathy goes out to you. Sorry to see what happened to your Lab regarding the vet problem.
What vaccination DID this vet give your dog anyway? Tom D. does train a Good Dog! And yes, the cost is huge! Sorry to see this all wasted by a sadly unfortunate veterinary mistake, fellow Lab owner!

I know you will Have MANY HAPPY DAYS ahead with that new Blk Lab pup protrapper!

It is the very BEST thing a bird-dog owner can do to BOTH themselves and the family...

Get that NEW PUP ASAP ENJOY!!

"LUND-MAN" (Labrador owner/handler since 1965)

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"Leave NO Trace"