Lloyd90 Posted April 27, 2010 Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 Got some new permission with alot of rabbits and such on. Really good land but alot of thorns n the such. Took my 1 year old lab bitch down for the first time, She did pick up scent here n there but wasnt very enthusoastic to follow any trials really and was more as if I was taking her for a walk as she kept moving out ahead of me rather than hunt the ground :thumbs: At one point I piterally saw a rabbit in this thorne bush I could have leaned into and prodded with the shotgun barrel, I didnt shoot it as it was a bit unsporting (would have been like shooting a fish in a barrel) I did try to get the dog into the bush to flush and and maybe present a more sporting shot but she didnt seem interested, although to be fair it was quite thick! Feel very disappointed now to be honest, I know labs arent the best to get stuck into cover and thats a spaniels job, but everyone said both breeds will do each others job, jus not as well as each is intended. Well tonight I was honestly regretting getting her and not a springer as she just wasnt interested in hunting the bushes at all Was this just because she is only young and not used to it ? Shes never been too keen to enter anything that thick, she does go through cover but never hits it hard n is never keen. Shes a brilliant dog be good at picking up n all that, Will have to see how she comes along. At the moment training her with the breeder I had her from, she ended up being the best in the litter as it happens and he himself is eager to buy her off me so thats always a possibility, he field trials labs so I know she would be trained to a good standard and worked! Sorry to ramble on just needed to say it to be honest. What do you guys think ? Just a bit disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popgun Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Thick thorny cover is a job for Spaniels the Lab may come to it when she's a bit older but if your going to do a lot of heavy cover work you need to think about a Cocker or Springer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboots Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 yes a springer or cocker is what you need , a few years ago i had a lab a brilliant retriver but just as you described it wouldnt hunt cover so i now have springers and there is no messing with them straight into the cover to flush whatever is there :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I've seen plenty of "spaniel" type Labs. Some are very very good in cover! Some are fat boring things that sit on pegs :thumbs: I'd try some blinds in cover, have her hunt up and down... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I've got a 21 week old lab puppy and i'm getting the impression that she may turn out to be that fat boring thing that sits on pegs that Garyb mentioned, she seem to lack that enthusiasm to do things. I know its still early days yet and the real training has'nt started but i kind of wish i had a springer now, not as i'd change her as a pet, she's good as gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I've got a 21 week old lab puppy and i'm getting the impression that she may turn out to be that fat boring thing that sits on pegs that Garyb mentioned, she seem to lack that enthusiasm to do things. I know its still early days yet and the real training has'nt started but i kind of wish i had a springer now, not as i'd change her as a pet, she's good as gold. Exactly, Id never get rid of her, she will hunt crop when taking her beating lovely but just not keen on the thick stuff Shes brilliant on retrieving and like a fish in the water. Will prob end up looking for a spaniel pup to back her up :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I'd actually be glad at the moment she is steady and not interested in rabbits, Labs aren't necessarily the best flushing dogs hence the popularity of spaniels these days but as a peg / picking up dog they are hard to beat as they are far easier to get to sit still all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robc89 Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Have you tried getting her in cover before, i did with mine just buy throwing a really stinky treat in the bush, as hes a lab, he reli wanted it so eventually he got to it, with me saying "get in". Did this a few time and now if i say get in, he will do his best to do exactly that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Will prob end up looking for a spaniel pup to back her up Lol, yeah too right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I'd actually be glad at the moment she is steady and not interested in rabbits Me too if you are still having trouble with her recall - you could end up chasing her for miles! Mine is very keen to get in the thick, and luckily once she has flushed something she gives chase for about 5 seconds and then gives up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I am curious now. Do you want to a springer to flush and chase rabbits that your going to shoot with a shotgun? Sounds a bit risky to me. Anyone else do this? Going back to the original question I think you should continue with the training and let the dog mature a bit. I would wait a bit before getting a new dog. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted April 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 I am curious now. Do you want to a springer to flush and chase rabbits that your going to shoot with a shotgun? Sounds a bit risky to me. Anyone else do this? Going back to the original question I think you should continue with the training and let the dog mature a bit. I would wait a bit before getting a new dog. Harry I know a few people who do this, although you dont shoot the rabbit whilst the dog is chasing it. There's a reason they train the dog to "sit on flush". Have you never heard of this before ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Yes I have heard of sit to flush. My dog does it to birds but I don't use him for rabbits. I lamp them. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted April 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) Sounds good harry. Bet he's a joy to shoot over! Good bit of sport shooting rabbits with the shotty, we have a "bolting rabbit" clay station down the local ground so you can practice. Just make sure never to take a shot if the dog gives chase lol, could end up as a disaster! Just to add I didn't mean have you never heard of sit to flush, I meant have you never heard of people shootin bolting rabbits that the dog has flushed ? I know quite a few people who do it and none of them has ever shot his own dog lol Edited April 30, 2010 by Bigthug87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 A bloke at work shot his own dog with a shotgun! I used to walk the hedgrows for rabbits and the shotgun before I got a rifle. I would never be able to shoot the numbers of rabbits that I do with a shotgun because of the noise and the ground I can cover in the truck. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) I am curious now. Do you want to a springer to flush and chase rabbits that your going to shoot with a shotgun? Not if they're sane. Rabbit shooting behind a good hunting spaniel is better sport than the majority of bird shooting (and I do plenty of that too) but a chasing spaniel is worse than useless! To bigthug, plenty of spaniels won't enter the kind of cover you describe at a year old, let alone a lab. Have you shot rabbits over this lab, has it retrieved fur, does it derive any kind of pleasure from rabbit scent? The dog will go where it needs to go, when and where it has a reason to do so. Edited April 30, 2010 by WGD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Not if they're sane. Rabbit shooting behind a good hunting spaniel is better sport than the majority of bird shooting (and I do plenty of that too) but a chasing spaniel is worse than useless! To bigthug, plenty of spaniels won't enter the kind of cover you describe at a year old, let alone a lab. Have you shot rabbits over this lab, has it retrieved fur, does it derive any kind of pleasure from rabbit scent? The dog will go where it needs to go, when and where it has a reason to do so. Well said WGD, Bigthug needs to give his dog a chance all these things will come to it in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted May 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Might try sticking some rabbit skins on a dummy and putting it ion light cover, then working my way upto heavier cover. I turned down the pup I was looking at anyways Get the lab a bit better trained first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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