I thought My lab was good until

[Ira]

My lab bitch is two now and is pretty good, in fact I thought she was excellent until I went to shoot some clays with a mate who also trains dogs.

 

After I'd had some training on the clays he offered to see how my dog was going on so we took Hen and his dog out and he let a few dummies off with the launcher, his one year older brother to my bitch was brilliant and he could push him back through hedges into the rough ground to bring the dummy back.

 

Then it was Hens turn, very good watched the dummy go out and found it quite well but then she stopped at the hedge and didn't push through.

 

Ive never done the BACK command and it was an eye opener.

 

My mate then showed me how far he could send his dog away, getting him to stop and sit up every 50 yards till he was out of sight. Very impressive.

 

Then back at the house I was shown the left and right and back to retrieve 3 birds, my bitch can do a bit of direction but is a bit weak.

 

Its given me a sense of realisation that a lot of what I have sone is right but its just not rock solid, also some stuff I have just not done.

 

Hen is my first dog and I have so much to learn, anything the dog is doing wrong is simply my fault for not training her properly I must admit I thought that because the leaves the hide on command and brings the birds back I would be happy, now I realise how much more she is capable of if I spend a bit more time, and theres that word again TIME.

[WGD]

You don't need to spend more time, you need to spend what time you have training the things the dog can't do rather than the things it can. Sounds like she's going well though, well done.

[loriusgarrulus]

There will always be someone with a dog better trained. The main thing is that your dog does what you want it to do. Sounds like she is coming along well.

[E.w.]

There will always be someone with a dog better trained. The main thing is that your dog does what you want it to do. Sounds like she is coming along well.

This is correct if your dog does enough to get by and suits you that's fine, I have some very well trained labs my mate has an unruly bitch that does not miss a bird and is fantastic at retreving he wouldn't change a thing about her and I agree with that she does everything he needs very well.

Edited May 7, 2015 by E.w.

[Ira]

Point taken, Hen is only just two and from very early was as keen as mustard and still is, obviously she hasn't settled down too much as she's still so young, but with a few hints along the way she heels pretty well, I do need to keep reminding her, she is steady in the hide and only goes when I let her, she isn't so good at sitting up on the whistle at any distance but good close in. takes a bit of direction when she needs it which is briliant. Im hoping when she is a couple of years older I'll be able to take her out at night on the rabbits, again she has picked them up for me in daylight, came back with the tail wagging the dog. But I would need to concentrate too much on the dog to take her just yet.

 

Im making a lot of assumptions as she is my first dog, had pets as a kid but nothing like this. I feel with a little more of the right input she would be even more cracking than she already is. I feel that I sort of owe it to her to try and make her as good as she can be as she loves to work. She came out of some good stock which is helping Im sure, but like I said Im assuming a lot of this and it can be dangerous to assume as we all know!!

 

Any advice from you fellas who have done this more than a few times is greatly appreciated. My last point is that I could give her to my mate to train for me at a cost but I feel Ive come to far to let someone else take over now and I'm enjoying the results of my labour as it goes.

[Mochastorm]

Instead of sending your dog to be trained by your friend can't you visit him with the dog for some training advice? Or better still find a gundog trainer for a few private lessons. A trainer will be able to evaluate the dog, you as the handler and give you the guidance required to achieve what you want. By your posting the dog clearly has the ' trainability' factor, so it shouldn't be too much of an effort.

[Ira]

I probably will be visiting my mate, like you said Its me that needs the know how not the dog so much!!

[loriusgarrulus]

There are a lot of good books about as well on gundog training to give you some ideas. I only know some of the spaniel ones, but I am sure someone can reccomend some good ones for labradors.

[motty]

My lab bitch is two now and is pretty good, in fact I thought she was excellent until I went to shoot some clays with a mate who also trains dogs.

 

After I'd had some training on the clays he offered to see how my dog was going on so we took Hen and his dog out and he let a few dummies off with the launcher, his one year older brother to my bitch was brilliant and he could push him back through hedges into the rough ground to bring the dummy back.

 

Then it was Hens turn, very good watched the dummy go out and found it quite well but then she stopped at the hedge and didn't push through.

 

Ive never done the BACK command and it was an eye opener.

 

My mate then showed me how far he could send his dog away, getting him to stop and sit up every 50 yards till he was out of sight. Very impressive.

 

Then back at the house I was shown the left and right and back to retrieve 3 birds, my bitch can do a bit of direction but is a bit weak.

 

Its given me a sense of realisation that a lot of what I have sone is right but its just not rock solid, also some stuff I have just not done.

 

Hen is my first dog and I have so much to learn, anything the dog is doing wrong is simply my fault for not training her properly I must admit I thought that because the leaves the hide on command and brings the birds back I would be happy, now I realise how much more she is capable of if I spend a bit more time, and theres that word again TIME.

Hi. I'm just wondering if you trained the dog without first reading any books or suchlike. I too was in a similar position to yourself, though it sounds like you have done a decent job with your dog. I will soon be getting a new pup and looking to do better than I did when I trained my last dog. It still frustrates me to think how good my bitch could have been if I had realised the consequences of cutting corners and rushing things.

I hope you haven't done irreversible damage and I hope you can continue to train your dog to a high standard.

Edited May 9, 2015 by motty

[robbietherimmer]

I

Edited May 9, 2015 by robbietherimmer