Basic info on when to start Training

[fishinphilth]

Just got a new addition to the family. A female yellow lab. Our family has always had labs and when the chance came for me to get one I couldn't pass it up. The only thing is that my dad did all the training of the dogs. I know little about what age to start and when to get more aggressive with the training. I plan to pick up some books about training. I also got a E-collar from my brother for the right price (free), but when is the right age to start to use it. Any info is appreciated.

[gspman]

How old is the dog? The first thing I'd do is enroll in a basic obedience training class and get the obedience nailed down.

[fishinphilth]

She is 7 wks old, still pretty young. Just working on getting her house broken. I have been through obedience training a couple of times with great danes and think I have it down. If any problems occur I will take her it obedience training. I just wondering when to start with the hunting training.

[Curly]

I was in the same boat as you a year and a half ago, got my first lab, had never trained a dog before. I talked to as many people as possible about training a lab so I could get some pointers on what to do. Probably the best thing I did was to read the book Water Dog by Wolters, get a copy and start reading it right away, that's the best advise I could give you, I know I sure learned alot and my dog has turned out great.

Good Luck.

[Dbl]

If you are interested in an alternative training method pick up the book, "British Training for American Retrievers" by Vic Barlow. No e-collars, with the emphasis on obedience. The Brits start the formal retrieving training around a year old, maybe sooner sometimes later depending on the dog. I know most guys will tell you that you're crazy, but if you want a dog that is a quiet, steady, reliable retriever give it a look. As Vic Barlow says, "if finding that difficult cripple is more important than owning the latest e-collar, this book is for you." My dog is approaching 11 months and I like the approach so far. Both the dog and I are having fun!

[marine_man]

You should really wait until you have basic obedience down before using the e-collar (approx 6 months). The biggest thing is to let your puppy be a puppy and to not rush it.

I'd strongly reccomend the book 10 Minute Retriever by John and Amy Dahl...

That or the Evan Graham Smartwork Series.

[Kodiak]

Curly-so you like the water dog book, it worked pretty good for you? I have the 10 minute retriever, it isn't too bad but i would like to check some more books out but they cost about 30bucks so i would like to get a good one.

J

[Curly]

Yes, Water Dog worked great for me. I grew up around labs, my dad had a few as did my grandfather, but I was never involved with much of the training. When I decided to get my first lab last year my uncle borrowed me his Water Dog and I started reading it a month before I got my dog. Once I got my dog and started training I went pretty much right by the book and everything has gone just great, she has turned out to be a fine hunting dog for ducks and pheasants. If I was getting another lab I would train it the same way.

Good Luck.

[springerspeed]

Congrats on the new addition. Now the fun really starts!!!!

The best advise I got was, do not be in a hurry. Do not move on until the dog is ready. When is that. When the dog can do the command you are working on reliablly, both in the yard AND in the field (don't assume that the dog will act the same in the field as in the backyard).

Books are a great source for drills and ways to achieve the reasult you want out of each command.

The dog will give you the timeline.

Hope this helps.

[Stiff]

Yup, I'll second the motion on Water Dog.. I'd pick up a copy and review the first 64 pages before the pup reaches 8 weeks old. Or for that matter, swing by a book shop and take a quick look at pages 20- 44 specifically. I'm sure there are other great books too, but that's where I'd start.

As for when to start training, well you already have with the house breaking - it's just another form of training. Take your time and let the pup tell you when she's not really interested - but on the other hand, you'll only get one shot at the time period when she is 12 - 16 weeks old. If you can get her to understand that you have something to teach her, it amazing how much can be taught at this very early age. I personally think it very important to teach the basics that will make your dog a good citizen, which is basically sit, stay, heel, and come. Once they learn these very well, it makes the rest of the training SO much easier.

As for the e-collar - I'd use it sparingly and only to teach very specific things. I wouldn't use it on a very young dog and I think each dog will be ready at a different age. Some bull headed males may ready at 5-6 months, some very tender dogs are never ready and it's never necessary. Most I'd guess are ready around 9 months. But I'm really no expert on the topic. I've just seen a few dogs grow VERY shy when it was introduced too early.

Good Luck... Very Fun Times Ahead

[crappiefishnfool]

fishinphilth-

I have owned many labs and currently have 2 of them one that is 3 yrs old and one that is about 1 1/2yrs old...u can see them at Photo page . I have always been told..NO E-COLLARS until they have lost all of their puppy teeth. As far as training, 5 min a day is all it takes. I did alot of my research on the net instead of buying books. There is all kinds of free stuff on the net. But most books will tell you Repetition, Repetition...Start with the basics and when u feel your dog has them down..work on the hunting skills. My labs i got, once they had the basics down, the hunting part was easy because it is in their blood and it is just instinct. That is my 2 cents worth.. Any questions feel free to email me. If you look at my pics, i plan on breeding the black female this summer and will be selling pups in fall sometime. But i will probably put a post on here when i breed her.

[leechlake]

I've trained two dogs. I can't stress the basic obedience more, sit, stay, come... don't jump on people, and don't beg when the family's eating. I have a lab that I trained myself, my first dog.. He is a great hunter does blind retrieves hand signals etc. His basic obedience though stinks, which is my fault. I'll take the credit for the advance training but I blew it on the basic training. My second dog a golden couldn't smell an elephant in the lving room but has great basics and manners. My point is to stress the basics early and by basics I mean control and manners. I have always had an e collar but I don't really use it anymore. I'd suggest using one to supplement your training not as "the" training if you want to use one. I'm getting a new pup in April and my goal is to have the best behaved dog around and when I do go from there. I like the Wolters books too and I have the book referred to above, by Vic Barlow, on the way. If you think of training sit, stay, come it doesn't seem too difficult either.

[LABS4ME]

All the info given is solid! as you can see from the posts, basic obedience is paramount... I've said it in past posts, hunting is 80% obedience. If bred properly the hunting stuff will come and all you'll have left is "finish" or advanced work. The (2) s's and (2) h's (sit,stay,here,heal) if instilled properly, will give you a nice honest hunting dog... where you go from there is a matter of what you decide what level of work you expect from your dog. I feel forcing is important, steadiness (heal and stay) along with a release command is important if you duck hunt, a command to find cripples is important (most use dead bird or find it), and I really feel handling is used a lot both in the water and in the field. These are all examples of advanced work done at the age of around a year old... but even without these, if your dog has a good grasp of the basic commands , your days a field will be pleasant.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BigDaddy]

Three words- Fun Fun Fun

Let the pup be a pup. Do some basic yard work, retrieves, and get her on birds if you can. It should all be fun and games until about 6-months of age.

Also, Bird Dog & Retriever News had an article on winter training in the house for a new puppy. It was in the December / January 2004 issue. It's on the web if you can't find an issue.

Good luck!

[Fishook]

You have received a ton of good information from others who have responded. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

1) Your dog will want to please you more than anything. What you have to do is show your dog what it is you want he/she to do. The basic obedience commands, a good book (I still say Richard Wolters and Water Dog is the bible here), and keep the training simple. If the puppy/dog is having a bad training time, STOP and try again later. Your pups attention span is not very long so keep the sessions short. He/she will let you know when they are done.

2) Unless you are trying to produce a championship line of dogs with all the various field trial designations,etc., I would question the use of an electronic collar for any purpose. There are ways to "force train" without shocking. I can give examples but will defer that to any specific questions. My point is this - if you do all the basics correctly, have control of your dog, he/she will work their heart out for you. They might not run the straightest line and may need a extra whistle or two but so what - getting the bird is what we are after here and it doesn't always have to be perfect.

In conclusion - you should start your training once the puppy is oriented to his/her new home environment. Keep things simple and lots of repetition. Use praise when your pup does what you want. Use single word commands (be consistant with these) and a firm voice. Show you are disappointed when the dog does not perform as you know he/she can (put them in the kennel, no reward, etc.). Work on training as much as you can - repetition, repetition, repetition is the key.

Good luck - you CAN do it!!

[fishinphilth]

Thank you for all the advice, it is much appreciated. I to agree that with the basic commands down training her for hunting becomes a lot more easier. I am going to pick up the Water Dog book tonight and get ahead start on reading that. Thanks for your opinions on the e-collar. I wasn't too sure on using it or not. Not sure that shocking a dog will do much but make the dog shy and afraid during training sessions.

[mwal]

some very good advice. I would still do an obiedance class. It very important to socialize your pup to other people as well as other dogs. This is a very important thing that alot of people forget. I've seen dogs that were well behaved at home and in the field but come unglued when other dogs and peole are around. They need to learn how to react to other dogs. I went to the local Navhda class last spring. It was a 90 mile round trip once a week but it helped my dog.

Mwal

[fishinphilth]

She will be around plenty of dogs. My parents have a black lab and a great dane, and my brother has a english pointer. In fact she is with all of them right now. If she or I are having any troubles with the basic obedience I will then enrole in a obedience class. Again I thank everyone for the input.

[SDwalleyes]

I don't get chance to visit this site as often as I would like, but whenever I do, this subject is discussed. So, I'm finally going to put my two cents in.

First of all, all of the answers here have great points. I too am a Wolters fan. Rented and re-rented them from the local library. Trained my first lab last year. What a joy. The most important thing is to make learning fun for the dog. If you ever feel yourself getting angry , just kennel the dog and come back later when you've cooled down. Very important. You want the dog to listen because it loves you and wants to please you. That's much more reliable than if the animal does it out of fear.

Someone mentioned 5 minutes a day is enough. Maybe, but it's really up to the dog. My lab could handle 20-30 minutes twice a day, followed by 5-10 minutes of just play time.

Your dog will be as good as the effort you put forth in training her. My family is very competitive, so I've worked with my lab almost every day since she knew her name. Needless to say, she's awesome. It was her first season and what a duck hunting fool she is.

Finally, a note on E-collars. My dog has one, but she's never gotten a hard jolt. I set it so the correction she gets is just enough to be darn annoying and then I hold it until she obeys the command. At least I used to. Now I never need to use it. By the way, she goes nuts with excitement when I get it out because she knows we're going fetching or hunting. Good luck. Training a good dog is almost as rewarding as raising a good kid.

[fishinphilth]

I picked up Game Dog by Wolters the other day and from what I read so far seems a good approch to training. First things first though I have to get her house trained and doing that I add in a little obedience training and throwing the little puppy dummys for her. One day I use the dummy with duck sent and the next I use the one with pheasant sent. I am really impressed with the nose on her. I take the dummys out of the zip-lock bag and she comes running from the other room sniffing around. I am really excited to see if I can train her to her full potential. I am pretty sure I will be asking more questions in the future and I thank you for all the helpfull information everyone has provided.

[Fishook]

Fishinphilth: Just curious as to how the training is going with your new pup? It takes some work but if you put in the time and effort, you will not be disappointed. Give us an update if you have a minute.

[fishinphilth]

It's going, I don't have all the time in the world any more, I just got custody of my 3 year old daughter and now being a single parent of my daughter and trying to find time to train the pup is difficult. I do get in at least one session a day with her. I am sending her to Oak Ridge Kennels for intro training in a month. To get her started on guns and birds. Still trying to get her house trained too. All in all it is going good.