To chop or not to chop !

[fenboy]

My Lab is now 15 months old .

 

His training has not gone as smoothly as I would have hoped but he is coming on slowly.

He is still very immature and excitable which does not help matters but I am aware that each dog grows up in its own time and Lab dogs in particular can take a while.

 

By far the biggest problem holding up his training is his overwhelming desire to mark scents , at times he will stop on the recall to do this , and has even stopped when half way back with a dummy to mark and drops it in the process .

 

Would having his nuts off help in this situation ??

 

I have never been a fan of having my dogs done for other than medical reasons but this issue really is holding him back .

 

 

[Bazooka]

You have to make the work you are asking him to do, more pleasurable than the scenting. I would guess he is bordering on being bored with the work he's doing. Without seeing him it's impossible to say but if you try a new location and with cold dead game, fur or feather, and he stops the scenting/marking behavior, you might get your answer?

[fenboy]

Generally if I take him to a new area he is worse for scent marking.

[Bazooka]

Take him somewhere dogs don't go and try the cold game immediately with him. A car park will do until he gets a liking for what the new game is. Once he's mad keen on the retrieving of a rabbit, swap to a partridge then to a pheasant then back to a rabbit etc..keep it interesting and as free from other interesting scents as possible until he gets wired into the retrieving again 100%, with enthusiasm. It's just a suggestion, not a guaranteed cure but if it were me I'd not visit any of the usual haunts for training or walking but seek some new grass free, dog free...animal free if possible, new places to kick-start his focus on you and the task/tasks you are asking him to do.

[fenboy]

To find somewhere like that where I live is a bit of a challenge in its self , but I will see what I can come up with, thanks for the advice.

[Fal]

I wouldn't have him chopped Fenboy!

 

A friend of mine has a springer on our local shoot, had him "done" hasn't made a scrap of difference. The dog is exactly the same, I've had dogs done in the past, I didn't find it has made a noticable difference.

 

Like you say, Labs are one of the slowest developing dogs, they can look like a fully grown adult, and have the mind of a puppy up until 2 - 2 1/2 sometimes.

 

Mine still has his moments, I've recently had to up the strictness a little, sometimes completely ignoring the stop whistle, leaving my side to sniff things. But it's all clicking now, I'm hoping he will be ready for September.

 

I try and give mine a good walk before a training session, he's like a mad man otherwise, let him get all the sniffing out of the way. I take mine to a local football field which is perfect. Not much scent there at all. Nice short grass too. If I take him anywhere new for a training session he has at least ten mins "play" before we start.

[bigbird]

Ahhh, this can often happen through lack of getting out and about walking plus ignoring other dogs both in person and being discouraged from hanging about sniffing where other dogs have tiddled in different areas BEFORE they start cocking their leg and scenting.

Often with these dogs you find they're great at home but once out it looks like they've never had any training in their lives!

I think you're going to have to get out after him when he ignores you and remind him you're in charge so probably best to get shares in Nike

Edited July 14, 2014 by bigbird

[kent]

Well I assume you don't think he is better than the available stud dogs already on the circuit? Not being drawn on a firm answer of my opinion here as it doesn't and shouldn't matter what others think but think "why let him keep them if he aint ever going to use them?"

 

The dog sounds bored in this retrieving and hasn't enough motivation on recall. My own Lab dog is nearly three and obsessed by bitches and their scent puddles but nothing will take his attention off a retrieve or stop him half way on recall (yes if he already has his nose down and I then decide to try to call him but find me the one that will act 100% reliably then)

[PERCE]

Your dog is quite literally taking the **** out of you.

[Fal]

 

I think you're going to have to get out after him when he ignores you and remind him you're in charge so probably best to get shares in Nike

 

This is what I've had to start doing, it's really highlighted how un-fit I am, it takes me about 5 mins to get to the dog lol

 

Then I can't raise my voice because I'm so out of breath! ha ha!

[kent]

Far better to get them in faster with reward than running them down for a roasting to my mind, you have certainly lost the advantage one it comes to ear tugs etc. and by the time you have got there they have likely forgotten what it was they shouldn't have done, the timing is lost.

 

Don't really care what others think of an odd food reward but a lump of cheese an just an odd time works wonders for quick recall, a retrieve (if it motivates your dog), even being cast off to play again can all be effective rewards. Dogs are so dumb for this its untrue but to demonstrate the point I am making further mine got funny about having his lead put on a few months back, likely because I tended to call him in put it on then put him away in the truck end the shooting day etc. You know what cured him? calling him in putting it on, then taking it straight off and casting him off to play. Silly as it sounds he could be off doing his own thing now and I pull the lead out and he is there sat at my feet, while back and it was getting a job to get him in at times if I had a lead in my hand.