Anyone want to guess

[ZachD]

So I Got a new dog. Supposedly he is a pure bred but I have a hard time believing that but I still wanted him anyway. He was crate trained and introduced to birds already and he did a good job at getting pigeons when thrown and bringing them back. Curious on what others think he is mixed with. Also the white around the eyes from not having much hair there some kind of skin disease? It doesn't look red or irritated just lacks some hair. I guess I will find out on the first vet visit. Anyway hope to give this dog a loving home he deserves

[ZachD]

Im reading this could be mange I will call the vet today and try to get in asap.

[Todd Caswell]

What makes you think he is mixed with something??

[Ufatz]

Yah. Me wonder that too.

[Todd Caswell]

He kinda looks like my last puppy "Wrigley" very small 8 week old puppy 5.8 pounds, small everything ears, head ect., 2 years old now and still small 42 pounds but very athletic. He was out of a FC/AFC X MH breeding and both parents were over 65 pounds. Whole litter was small and the repeat breeding also produced small dogs..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[monstermoose78]

Good looking dog Zach. As other said get to the vet and see what is going on. It looks to me like it is a lab, but just one with a smaller head versus some of the labs with the big blocky head

[ZachD]

I guess I just started doubting it because a lot of people kept asking me what he is mixed with. I will just shake it off now. Good looking dog Todd! here is his dads pedigree http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/pedigree.asp?id=66780

I forgot his moms name and will have to look at the papers when I get home. Monstermoose he goes in Monday to have a check up.
So far he is doing good.
Crate training is going pretty well and He seems to be liking the new house. He loves birds I can throw a pigeon out and tell him "mark" and he will watch the bird drop and then I say "go get the bird and he will get it and bring it back and drop it when I say "give it"

He learned his name and will come when I say "come here" and he knows how to sit.

He doesn't seem too interested in my girlfriend but he is stuck on me like glue. If they are outside and he sees me he will want to be by me instead or if shes holding him and sees me he will try to get over to me. When I walk around my yard he is by my side the whole time.

I am going to look over the forum and get a couple of the books and dvds recommended in the past to help train him.
This will be my first hunting dog ever so I am excited to work with him!

 

[leechlake]

we call our baby black lab "underfoot" a lot because she will not leave me alone.  Cool sometimes and drives you crazy some days.  She's small one too, about 45 pounds and she's 1-1/2 years old.  Great size and she usually sleeps on my left hip.  Little warm in the Summer but in the Winter I just turn the heat down a few degrees!

Best of luck on Monday.

btw- she isn't perfect.  On the coffee table?  Wife was gone.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2015 by leechlake

[Todd Caswell]

Look up Bill Hillmans Videos " how to train a retriever puppy" there spendy but well worth the money, best money you will spend on your new puppy.....   All things start with a solid foundation this video will do that for you, the last three I have put through this puppy program and all 3 have been very advanced at  6 monthes and more than ready to advance to a solid basics program...

[ZachD]

Thanks Todd! I Will check that one out.

Oh and we named him Tango! I really wanted Stryker but the girlfriend hated the name because she works at the U of M surgery center and has to deal with Stryker Medical Supplier all the time. Tango was my second choice and she liked it too. Figured I would give her that much since I showed up after "having to stay late at work" with a dog

[ZachD]

Well Things seem to be going well but then they don't. Trying to house break him is tough. I have a split level and the only way out is down the deck stairs or down 2 flights and through the garage. He didn't know stairs yet so we have been carrying him to the yard. To start he had a couple pee accidents on the floor but they were my fault gave him to much space to begin with. So now he is either in the crates in my arms or outside. Now he just learned stairs so he is fine with peeing outside but after he is done he runs up the deck and sits there or sits under the deck. Having a hard time getting him to defecate. I had to go to work the other night so I put him in his crate at 7pm and by the time my g/f got home at 8 he went defecate. I brought him out plenty and he just wouldn't go. Hopefully after the stress of a new home goes away he will start getting the hang of it better!

Vet visit tomorrow then Wednesday have a consultation with a trainer to go over how he has been being house broken and determine if we need to do anything differently.

He loves retrieving his bumper in the yard!

[Bryce]

House training is not accomplished in only 3 days. Just keep doing what you're doing and add patience. 

[nofishfisherman]

Can't expect perfection out of a young dog.  All training whether it be house training, basic obedience, or hunt training all takes patience and consistency.  With my dog I find that its usually best to stick with the same approach even if it doesn't seem to be working at first.  The dog needs time to learn what you are trying to tell it so if you can keep telling him the same thing in the same exact way its easier for him to figure it out.  If you tell him the same thing in different ways its just more confusing and will take more time.

If you think you may be missing something on your end in the training then a consult with a train isn't a bad idea but if your method is solid then I would be hesitant to change it at this point.  Give the dog some time to figure out what you are asking him to do and be patient with him.

[leechlake]

our recent dog was house trained with the occasional incident and then somewhere around 9 months  reverted.  I don't know what happened, may have been zapped my invisible fence or some other issue outside that made her, at times, do the business in the house.  

also had a pup that we had to help poo for a while.  Those are pretty rare occurrences but something you'll worry about with any pup let along your first.   Don't be overly paranoid and your going to vet today.

Also, as cute as it is remember to treat it like a dog.  I've seen hundreds of hounds that have been screwed up because owners treated them like an infant not a puppy...including me with my first pup twenty plus years ago.

[Ufatz]

Some good advice.  Never forget it is a DOG.  Remember,  you are smarter (presumably:}  and are in control.  Patience,  patience. Some puppies get it quickly and others drive ya nuts until the day you see the bell go off in their head and you are good to go after that. Oh....maybe the occasional slip.

Take your time.

[ZachD]

I know it will take time .and I will be patient. He has been doing really good as of late. He earned some well deserved playtime in the kitchen and was allowed to explore the top floor of the house supervised of course. I can already see the potty training working. Vet visit went well received one shot and started him on one more dewormer as he still had a little in his stool. We decided to do an in home training session with a trainer instead they come Monday. After that he is going to go to there puppy head start classes then when he's old enough we are going to do the obedience training there as well.

[Todd Caswell]

Zack go on youtube and search Hillmans stuff lots of good free stuff on there

[ZachD]

Thanks Todd I have been checking out his videos lots of good stuff to learn from them. He has been doing good so for he has come and sit down pretty well. He is improving on his house training when I bring him out he will go almost right away when I say potty and I have been making him sit In front of the door before I let him in. He starts doing it before I can give the command now.  The private trainer is coming tomorrow for one session for an hour and half just to get some things going and give some ideas and pointers to work with. I am going to have him go to a couple of the puppy classes she has as well. If anything that will help him get socialized more. Had 10 people over the other night for a Friend that was visiting from out of state and Tango did well. We have been setting aside a portion of his food rations for the day for treats for other people and us to give him.
After the trainer leaves tomorrow Ill reward him with retrieving the pigeon for a little while.
Where does everyone get there birds from? I think chukars will work fine oakwoods in Princeton is pretty close I will probably pick some up from there when my frozen pigeon supply runs out pretty soon hear.

[ZachD]

Here*

[ZachD]

Big stick little guy!

[Todd Caswell]

Granted there were steps taken before this was done but this is a typical session with a 15 week old puppy, lots of freebees to keep him happy but also starting to teaching to sit there until told to move along with some simple healing and sit, also begining to teach the concept of a double and working on memory. I introduce live birds from 8 weeks to whenever I can get them ( wing clipped pidgion) and if they are interested in them I leave it at that if not then I keep trying as they mature, I dont use alot of birds for marks/retrieves untill they are done with FF.. You will also notice that all of this is done with a small check cord you always want to have control of the dog, I use a small choke chain some use a pinch collar makes no difference, but you should use one or the other not a buckle collar..

 

 

different dog but more of the same..

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by Todd Caswell

[Ufatz]

Just to be clear, these has long been a discussion regarding the use of various type training collars. Todd advises no buckle collars and only chain (pinch or "choke") collars.  There are others who just as firmly believe in using other buckle of wide fabric slip collars. If you are new to training dogs be careful with a "choke chain" type collar and have some discussions and do some research onf the other types collars being used.  Ask your vet or check with several trainers about the collars they use.

As I said, there has been quite a long discussion about the subject and you'll find lots of opinons.

Most of all have fun with your young dog and always remember.....patience! There will be times when that $%&#:(U$ dog will drive ya nutz!!    Ha Ha Ha!

[leechlake]

as long as we're on this collar question I've always used the choke collar and had an old "pinch" style collar.  I watched an excellent video on using the pinch collar and took it out and had my young lab in complete control with it in a short while.  While I am advocating for the pinch style more than that I'm advocating for you to find what works for you and your dog.  That's what Ufatz said just to be clear I'm not stirring the pot or disagreeing.

Since you're a new dog owner what your're comfortable in actually doing is as important as anything.  My sister thinks E collars were invented by the devil.  No sense suggesting that as an option to get her dog under control.

[Todd Caswell]

 Todd advises no buckle collars and only chain (pinch or "choke") collars.    For training purposes, for day to day wear yes a buckle collar is fine, it's only purpose would be to hold the dogs tag, as a training tool the buckle collar serves no purpose..Most vets have no idea what we do with our dogs or how we train them, when they get a dog in with complications from a pinch or choke chain it is from a pet owner that had no idea what they were doing with the "tool". I'm a huge believer in the e-collar as well won't own a dog that isn't a collar dog, we start to introduce it at around 16 weeks and my dogs run with huge style they jump into there collar it's a good thing to them..  The BIGGEST and most important thing i can say is "Follow a proven program" if your going to spend the time training the dog you may as well give you and the dog it's best chance at succes by following a program that has worked for many before you. Don't try and reinvent the wheel.

[ZachD]

 Todd advises no buckle collars and only chain (pinch or "choke") collars.    For training purposes, for day to day wear yes a buckle collar is fine, it's only purpose would be to hold the dogs tag, as a training tool the buckle collar serves no purpose..Most vets have no idea what we do with our dogs or how we train them, when they get a dog in with complications from a pinch or choke chain it is from a pet owner that had no idea what they were doing with the "tool". I'm a huge believer in the e-collar as well won't own a dog that isn't a collar dog, we start to introduce it at around 16 weeks and my dogs run with huge style they jump into there collar it's a good thing to them..  The BIGGEST and most important thing i can say is "Follow a proven program" if your going to spend the time training the dog you may as well give you and the dog it's best chance at succes by following a program that has worked for many before you. Don't try and reinvent the wheel.

Good advise! I am actually am going to work with Stevenson's gun dog and training in Ramsey since this is my first hunting dog and I have never hunted in control of a dog before that this would be a good idea so I can better grasp the whole picture. He told me some tips and pointers on what to do until his training in March. I figure this will help me get a good grasp on things for future training and maybe future dogs that I will train on my own.
Tango is doing good! We have been doing short sessions retrieving the bumper, I have paying attention to make sure he does not get bored and to end it on a good note before putting it away. No accidents as far as potty training goes today and he went to the door twice to let me know he had to go. Way to go Tango! 

His demeanor is starting to get better too I can tell he is getting more comfortable with being at our house. He loves the big acre backyard! I am glad it was fenced when I bought the house digging post holes doesn't sound too fun.