BLACK LAB,RICHARD A WOLTERS,GAME DOG BOOK=GROUSE

[Shack]

http://shutter07.pictures.aol.com/data/pictures/09/00A/77/FD/46/1A/agSNNgqt6ZEQNsZ9vq3+M6s0sZcB4S5T0300.jpg

Hello folks! I have been posting a lot about fishing on other threads in FM forums. I never had clicked over to the hunting. Boy, I have found forums better than the fishing ones. In the spring of 2003 I was lucky enough to be given a black lab from a couple that could not handle her. She was about 4 months old and her name is Dakota. At least the owners had instilled the sit,come and stay commands in her. She had AKC papers and was all up to date on vet check ups. They did have her spade, which is a poor thing. When I got her, I had never trained a dog in my life. I had consulted a local pet store and found a book call "GAME DOG". I read it twice. Its a great book with a story, not only directions. I proceeded to train my new lab down to the every last little bit of info from book. I saved a ton on training costs. That summer I would stay up late at night, inside of my garage and train her. By the fall of 2003, I had a great grouse dog. Grouse hunting is the only hunting I have done in the past five years and I have grouse hunted since I was twelve. I was hooked on training my dog. In the fall of 2004, I started to take others hunting with me. I know every one brags their dogs up, but I do not. The people I took hunting with me could not believe how well she stay in front and followed my hand signals. All this with out a shock collar. It does take patience, but about a hundred hours of you spare time, pays off in the end. She is not a house dog, but a garage dog. I did build her a very nice kennel out back. It is 16 x 16 with concrete and 4 x 6 off shut for house to sit on. I also put 4 x 16 apron at door side of kennel and put a shed for dog food and other dog items on it. I did not further pointing with her, but I keep her close and she lets me know when their is a grouse in a thick area. You get to know things like this with your dog. I never have to yell at her in field, i just use the whistle if she is out of site. Well I will be posting more later. Thanks and have fun with your dogs!

Sicerely,

SHACKBASH

P.S.

Last fall I took home over 40 grouse, missed countless numbers. The year before I got my dog, I shot none.

[gspman]

Very nice. Looks like you had some success last year. Welcome to the dog board. You'll like it here. We're generally a civilized bunch of folks willing to help where we can.

[LABS4ME]

Welcome Shackbash... sounds like you have a real well behaved dog there. That's what hunting is all about! A dog that listens and is always under control. Good Luck with her in your future years and check back often...

Good Luck!

Ken

[dogs]

Dogs and kids are the same; it's not that they behave badly or can't be handled is that they were never taught how to behave or were shown what to do with all their energy. Now diversify to pheasant hunting you will have a lot more opportunity watch a dog work a bird in an open field. Plus the unobstucted view of the fold is in contrast to the

"did I hit that one" of grouse hunting. I really appreciate what the retrieving community has contributed to the present day Lab. But take a "Retriever" pheasant hunting and watch them really open up. A couple Labs, frozen cattails, snow and a bolgna sandwich; that's liven right there.

[Shack]

You have hit the nail right on the head. After I trained my lab, I found myself applying and associating the aspects of dog training to my kids. I do not mean instilling sit, come and stay, but the firmness of obedience

with love. My oldest was around 8 when I got my lab and he is an outstanding child. Raising a child my be a good item to have under your belt when you are training a dog as well. I personally did notice and had talked about this this subject in past. I do think both go hand in hand when raising a young to be what you think he or she or lab should be. Thanks for the response.

P.S.

I have though about bringing her to a game farm to see what she can do. I personly have been a grouse hunter all my life. I have never shot a pheasent before. I have shot at them when I was younger and with out a dog. I seem to see them more when I am deer hunting. Grouse is a bird my father loved to hunt. Well, it was what he hunted when he was young and my father was not much of a hunter. After I would beg him to take me hunting, grouse was what we would go for. Living in Princeton, my secret grouse haunts are only 45 minutes away or so. Some are only minutes. I will put her on pheasant this fall, a buddy of mine has been bugging me to take to a game farm.

[fishnhooks]

Give a holler if you would like to go to a near by game farm sometime. I am always looking for a reason to get the dog out.

"hooks"