# tips to train a lab.



## crappiefish (May 17, 2012)

just picked up a 7 month old black lab. was thinking about training her to hunt pheasents. i havent done much bird hunting with the lack of birds in this area. any advice on training the dog thanks in advance.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

kinda easy really... as long as she's a "birdy" kind of dog and they fire her up.

You and a buddy walk say...30-40yds apart in the same direction. and you call her to you...as your walking...your buddy calls her back to him... you keep her zig zagging back and forth and if you have a third person- have them drop a chukar or pheasant down in the weeds where she's about to travel. You'll get to see her reaction right off the bat... alot of fun! 

Make it easy for her- make sure your walking into the wind and do it on a nice day. You want her too succeed. If your serious about this- buy 4-5 chukars and have fun with them, it will be great experience for you and the dog. You will learn alot about her, and she'll understand that when you are walking through brush that she needs to use her nose and the wind.

Wether or not you want her to flush or point, etc... is up to you- but that's a whole other topic.
Eventually you could incorporate a whistle and she will learn to swing back when she hears the whistle.

My yellow is great at this but his problem is adventuring out too far away.
Enjoy & have fun!


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

BaddFish said:


> kinda easy really... as long as she's a "birdy" kind of dog and they fire her up.
> 
> You and a buddy walk say...30-40yds apart in the same direction. and you call her to you...as your walking...your buddy calls her back to him... you keep her zig zagging back and forth and if you have a third person- have them drop a chukar or pheasant down in the weeds where she's about to travel. You'll get to see her reaction right off the bat... alot of fun!
> 
> ...



then maybe you should not give tip on traning a dog if you dont know how to do it ..just saying


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

crappiefish said:


> just picked up a 7 month old black lab. was thinking about training her to hunt pheasents. i havent done much bird hunting with the lack of birds in this area. any advice on training the dog thanks in advance.


first thing is you need to know what you want out of you'r dog ...if you want a flusher not my choice... or a pointer ....

she must know basic commands to do any thing first sit, stay ,here, untill you get her to do them you are waisting time and you'r dog ...

once she understands what you want it's easy from there ...and it wont happen over night it is every day 15 to 20 mins is all you need not 3 or 4 hr in 1 day ....just always do and use the same words every time for the samething you get out of you'r dog what you put in to her ....


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## big_fish (Dec 21, 2004)

firstflight is right consistancy is the key I believe obedience is the foundation to all training if your dog doesn't listen you are waisting time both yours and the dog. I also believe you need to pick up a training program and follow it I used Richard Wolters waterdog and game dog but there are many programs out there we just put 17 pheasants in the air this past weekend and all we use to train with is quail and a few chukars where are you located at? Also try to find a retriever club and go check it out and join it they are cheap to belong to but are worth your dogs weight in gold for the knowledge you will get if your not far away I could turn you onto a few quail to see if she is birdy.Is she gun shy have you shot around her any? hope it helps willing to help anyway I can good luck


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## smokercraft15 (May 21, 2011)

obedience is the key. the rest is all instinct for the dog while pheasant hunting. trained mine just to duck and goose hunt. then after it was like 6 yrs old i decided to try pheasant hunting. so i took him to a hunt club and they put a bird in the grass and tied a marker on the tip and i had him quarter the field and right into the bird. it flushed and he was trained on pheasants. teaching your dog to quarter( walk zig zag) should be done when its young whether you hunt pheasant or waterfowl. basically what im sayin is. the training is done offseason(obedience n such). the bird stuff is natural for them. train your dog to sit and to heel with a whistle command. after you have done that you got it licked. i trained my to quarter at a very young age in just two 15min training sessions. so even after all his training was over and i started him on pheasants late. he had the foundation(obedience voice command and whistle commands) i set him up to succeed at any hunting.


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## smokercraft15 (May 21, 2011)

big_fish said:


> firstflight is right consistancy is the key I believe obedience is the foundation to all training if your dog doesn't listen you are waisting time both yours and the dog. I also believe you need to pick up a training program and follow it I used Richard Wolters waterdog and game dog but there are many programs out there we just put 17 pheasants in the air this past weekend and all we use to train with is quail and a few chukars where are you located at? Also try to find a retriever club and go check it out and join it they are cheap to belong to but are worth your dogs weight in gold for the knowledge you will get if your not far away I could turn you onto a few quail to see if she is birdy.Is she gun shy have you shot around her any? hope it helps willing to help anyway I can good luck


wolters is the easiest and best by far. use it!


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## big_fish (Dec 21, 2004)

my pup is 18 months old he is trained for waterfowl and upland hunting and was all done by using the wolters program he is whistle trained with 1 blast means sit 2 blast is change directions while quartering in the fields and a rolling (3 or 4) blast means come.
As for quarting take him to a big field and walk across the field he will follow and get in front of youlet him get 20 yrds or so then turn 180 deg and call his name and blow the whistle 2 time and let him get in front and repeat you will have to zig zag alot but sooner or later your zig zags will shorten up and be more of a straight line walk
Another thing you might encounter is some people telling you your pup needs force retrieved or force fetched. I dont believe in it and just tought the hold command it takes longer but it worked for me to each his own.
The biggest thing is keep it fun for your pup end on a high note with alot of praise this is not a over night thing you are never done training and in the end you will find out the dog trained you not you trained the dog


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## smokercraft15 (May 21, 2011)

big_fish said:


> my pup is 18 months old he is trained for waterfowl and upland hunting and was all done by using the wolters program he is whistle trained with 1 blast means sit 2 blast is change directions while quartering in the fields and a rolling (3 or 4) blast means come.
> As for quarting take him to a big field and walk across the field he will follow and get in front of youlet him get 20 yrds or so then turn 180 deg and call his name and blow the whistle 2 time and let him get in front and repeat you will have to zig zag alot but sooner or later your zig zags will shorten up and be more of a straight line walk
> Another thing you might encounter is some people telling you your pup needs force retrieved or force fetched. I dont believe in it and just tought the hold command it takes longer but it worked for me to each his own.
> The biggest thing is keep it fun for your pup end on a high note with alot of praise this is not a over night thing you are never done training and in the end you will find out the dog trained you not you trained the dog


true big fish. praise is the best thing you can do. i forgot hand signals too. wolters is soooo simple and so effective. its dummy proof. its conditioned response and negative, positive stimulus. force training is a close call. my 1st lab needed it. she wasnt the pure bred like my 2nd lab was. my 2nd lab was easier to train. plus your age and patience level makes a difference. dont ever push a dog. the smarter the dog the faster it trains.with my 2nd lab i was older myself n more patient. the dog will quit if you push it too hard. its a fine line. again like ive always said and even wolters said. no such thing as a dumb dog. but there are dumb trainers. start the learning process as soon as you get the dog home. my lab is 13 yrs old and he looks me in the eye and listens to what i say. and every new word i speak his ears go up. he is programed to learn. he is attentive always wanting to learn. when you start them young at listening they stay aware. they never stop learning. wolters taught me to train my lab to look at me.... when i say look at me. wow. it looks at me and sits. short consistent commands works. oh, by the way... his favorite word is mc donalds lol. he so knows mc d's he goes nuts lol. start them on the learning process and they will keep learning even at 13 yrs old.


YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRIX! read the book waterdog by wolters or they have the dvd at gander with aq younger dude using the wolters system. i used to have the vhs if you want i can look 4 it and convert it to dvd for u.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

big_fish said:


> firstflight is right consistancy is the key I believe obedience is the foundation to all training if your dog doesn't listen you are waisting time both yours and the dog. I also believe you need to pick up a training program and follow it I used Richard Wolters waterdog and game dog but there are many programs out there we just put 17 pheasants in the air this past weekend and all we use to train with is quail and a few chukars where are you located at? Also try to find a retriever club and go check it out and join it they are cheap to belong to but are worth your dogs weight in gold for the knowledge you will get if your not far away I could turn you onto a few quail to see if she is birdy.Is she gun shy have you shot around her any? hope it helps willing to help anyway I can good luck


Crappie -I have both those books mentioned and wiill mail them to you For $20. PM me if interested. This guy is one of the best teachers ever.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

firstflight111 said:


> then maybe you should not give tip on traning a dog if you dont know how to do it ..just saying


Maybe you shouldn't comment on anything i ever say.... Almighty firstflight
I will never comment on anything you say and usually avoid your posts like the plague.

Assuming obedience is set, I was speaking strictly about the actual pheasant training. If the dog can't come to its owner and wanders off then its an obvious problem.

have a nice day


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

BaddFish said:


> Maybe you shouldn't comment on anything i ever say.... Almighty firstflight
> I will never comment on anything you say and usually avoid your posts like the plague.
> 
> Assuming obedience is set, I was speaking strictly about the actual pheasant training. If the dog can't come to its owner and wanders off then its an obvious problem.
> ...




Wether or not you want her to flush or point, etc... is up to you- but that's a whole other topic.
Eventually you could incorporate a whistle and she will learn to swing back when she hears the whistle.

My yellow is great at this but his problem is adventuring out too far away.
Enjoy & have fun!

you'r words not mine if you can not control your dog then why are you telling someone else how to do it ..i wish you guy would get some thick skin around here ...

and sorry it's a fact if you can control you'r dog why would you even put any facts out there ...and that just proves my point you get out of you'r dog what you put in to it .you should always have you dog under control at all times ...a dog thats get away from you might get hurt one day ..


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I 'm not an expert trainer like some on here but one thing I would not do, put in an underground 'invisible " fence! Last two Brits I got just don't seem to want to hunt very far from me in the fields. I never had the invis. fence before these two and always had fantastic hunters! Brits normally are not big rangers but this rediculous! I think they are constantly afraid of getting shocked! They go like gangbusters whenever we move into or thru a woods. I think they associate fields with my yard where they have on their radio collars.


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## crappiefish (May 17, 2012)

thanks for all the advice. i live in northwest ohio west of bowling green. this is a family dog my sister bought. found out it is a mixed breed with either pit bull or boxer. would she still be ok to train. she needs alot of work dont think the other owners trained her at all.


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

crappiefish said:


> thanks for all the advice. i live in northwest ohio west of bowling green. this is a family dog my sister bought. found out it is a mixed breed with either pit bull or boxer. would she still be ok to train. she needs alot of work dont think the other owners trained her at all.


you can train any dog to do any thing you want .just have to work at it ..i have a friend that has a bulldog that duck hunts ...


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## big_fish (Dec 21, 2004)

patience and consistancy are the key ingredients to training


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

firstflight111 said:


> then maybe you should not give tip on traning a dog if you dont know how to do it ..just saying



well said my friend


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## littleking (Jun 25, 2005)

first... practice exercise, discipline, affection..

second, never skimp on lot work, but dont overdue it, its a delicate balance

third, establish prey drive... leverage that in your training; weather it be intro to gun, quartering, or whatever.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

big_fish said:


> firstflight is right consistancy is the key I believe obedience is the foundation to all training if your dog doesn't listen you are waisting time both yours and the dog. I also believe you need to pick up a training program and follow it I used Richard Wolters waterdog and game dog but there are many programs out there we just put 17 pheasants in the air this past weekend and all we use to train with is quail and a few chukars where are you located at? Also try to find a retriever club and go check it out and join it they are cheap to belong to but are worth your dogs weight in gold for the knowledge you will get if your not far away I could turn you onto a few quail to see if she is birdy.Is she gun shy have you shot around her any? hope it helps willing to help anyway I can good luck


Absolutely spot on! The first thing is always basic obedience training, the same you would do with any breed of dog whether hunting or not. Sit, stay, come, and "heel", whether she's on a lead or not. Daily short sessions are better than a long, drawn out thing just every so often. Make it fun for the dog. Treats for obedience are OK at first, but I lean toward affection as a reward. Love her up big time so she understands that obeying your commands brings happiness. This is really half the battle. Then comes learning how she should "cast" while afield, how far out she should range, introduction to gunfire, and retrieving. Important skills for a gun dog for sure, but without basic obedience those later skills will probably never develop.

I distinctly remember a Thanksgiving pheasant hunt at Berlin some years back. These people brought a couple of Springer Spaniels, in fact, the largest Springers I have ever seen! Thinking back I now believe they were probably from a show dog bloodline rather than a gun dog bloodline. Anyway, they turn these dogs loose and the next thing we know, they're 150-200 yards out, running hog wild and simple, with roosters flushing left & right! Man! Everybody was so pissed off! These dogs were completely untrained! Of course, it wasn't the dogs' fault, it was their owners! 

Good dog work is a joy to behold. My buddy raises German Shorthairs. When we go hunting he doesn't really care if I shoot all the birds, as long as his dogs work well. Invest the time and effort and you will experience a flush (no pun intended) of pride you won't believe! Best of luck with her.


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## buford2 (Dec 16, 2010)

without obedience all u have is a headache! cj the majority of the britts won't take much abuse or a hard hand they are just too soft! as far as wolters, yes.repetition, over and over and over...........ps my labradoodle hunts great, so u can do as others have training alot of breeds to do what u want. my advise on retrieving is to start in confined spaces, like a hall way, so the pup cannot get away from u and play games. don't ever play tug of war. also there are good videos out there on wolters methods, go get them if you are serious.personally i would never take on training a pup that old...just my opinion.....good luck


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## WeekendWarrior (Jan 20, 2008)

Some advice good advice for you. Buy the following videos:

Video #1 - A MUST!!

Sound Beginnings Retriever Training DVD with Jackie Mertens

Video #2 and beyond

http://www.hawkeyemedia.net/ - Buy or rent some of his videos.

Here is a good source to rent the DVD's cheap!!

http://www.bowwowflix.com/

In addition, join a retriever club. 

Sign up to these websites:

http://retrievertraining.net/

http://gundogforum.com/forum/

Lastly, take your Waterdog book, seal it in plastic and put it on a shelf in the basement. I trained my 1st dog using it, for the time it was adequate. But the series is soooo lacking in comparison to today's tools.

Good luck!! Let me know if you have any questions!

One more thing, invest in pigeons or ducks. Nothing makes a dog more birdy then having live training aids. Force Fetch, E-Collar and Whistles are your best friend!!


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