'Mature' dog training

[-Mongrel-]

So, I intend to start fowling at some point in the relatively near future but will be a probationer for a year or so. This has got me to thinking about getting a retriever.

 

I have a 4 year old chocolate Labrador, she isn't a particularly large unit but on the plus side, she loves to retrieve...anything! Balls, sticks, plastic bottles, you name it she'll retrieve it.

 

So, is it viable to continue her training at 4 and produce a useable gundog while retaining the household pet? She's certainly still receptive, I've just started getting her to sit and mark a ball until instructed to retrieve it, no problem at all there, took about 10 minutes and she had it sussed.

 

What do we think?

[mpk]

I can't see why it wouldn't work but I have never done it myself. You don't see many chocolate lab gundogs ( well I haven't) may I ask what club you have joined

Edited August 7, 2011 by mpk

[chrispti]

So, I intend to start fowling at some point in the relatively near future but will be a probationer for a year or so. This has got me to thinking about getting a retriever.

 

I have a 4 year old chocolate Labrador, she isn't a particularly large unit but on the plus side, she loves to retrieve...anything! Balls, sticks, plastic bottles, you name it she'll retrieve it.

 

So, is it viable to continue her training at 4 and produce a useable gundog while retaining the household pet? She's certainly still receptive, I've just started getting her to sit and mark a ball until instructed to retrieve it, no problem at all there, took about 10 minutes and she had it sussed.

 

What do we think?

 

The only way to find out is to give the training a go mate

[-Mongrel-]

Fair comment. Ok, I suppose the next question is how do I best go about it?

 

Do I need to find a local training club, or can it be done via books and DVD's?

 

Recommendations either way would be good.

Edited August 7, 2011 by -Mongrel-

[chrispti]

Fair comment. Ok, I suppose the next question is how do I best go about it?

 

Do I need to find a local training club, or can it be done via books and DVD's/

 

Recommendations either way would be good.

 

I have just started training my first gun dog.

 

Luckily I know, and live near to, a few people who have trained many dogs, most of which to a very high standard. So Im not short of help.

 

If I was you I would first ask around the ''fowling club'' for some help/assistance. I assume you will be joining Kent or Chichester

 

Pigeon Watch has plenty of info too, and Im sure someone on here has been in the same boat as you before and could therefore recommend a decent book or at least point you in the right direction.

 

Also its worth trawling the Internet and the likes of YouTube, for some hints and tips.

 

Good luck with it, and as I was told, ''you only get out what you put in''

[mpk]

What he said

[-Mongrel-]

 

If I was you I would first ask around the ''fowling club'' for some help/assistance. I assume you will be joining Kent or Chichester

 

Pigeon Watch has plenty of info too, and Im sure someone on here has been in the same boat as you before and could therefore recommend a decent book or at least point you in the right direction.

 

Good luck with it, and as I was told, ''you only get out what you put in''

 

Yeah, it's what was Chichester Harbour Wildfowlers. I find quite a lot of the stuff on PW goes round in circles and by the time everyone's finished arguing the toss for 4 pages I could have gone out and bought all the books!

 

I'd really like a well regarded, ground up guide for dummies. Something that focuses on the basics initially would be good, basic stuff like how you get them to 'get back', go left/right etc, and the whistle command structure.

[the_commoner]

pick one book / method and stick to it, dont buy lots of books as all trainers have different opinions and its easy to get confused

 

professional gundog training by joe irving is a good start...........

 

as has been said the only real way to find out is to give it a go, lots of patience is needed as much as anything else

[chrispti]

pick one book / method and stick to it, dont buy lots of books as all trainers have different opinions and its easy to get confused

 

professional gun dog training by Joe Irving is a good start...........

 

as has been said the only real way to find out is to give it a go, lots of patience is needed as much as anything else

 

I have ''Training Spaniels'' by Joe Irving as my ''Bible'' if you like. A very informative and simply put book

[mpk]

I'm a member if langstone harbour wildfowlers so not far at all as said pick a method and run wit it:

 

To start maybe, I'm assuming your dog can sit? When you say sit give a hand signal that you intend to use also with a whistle. Eventually if your dog isn't brain dead it will click that the whistle means sit.

 

You will then be able to just in time give the whistle or the hand signal. This can then move onto the stop whistle. This is how I did it but another way may work better for you.

 

Is thier someone at Chichester that may be able to give you a few pointers or maybe a dog you can watch Being worked ?

[mpk]

Ps please excuse the spelling it's the stupid auto-correct that can't be turned off

[mpk]

I use longish blast to stop and sit

 

2 short blips to change direction

 

Multiple blips to bring him back to me .

[arwen3513]

i would say go for it, most likely she will enjoy the extra attention your giving her, and if she has basic obedience in place already she will likely learn the new tricks very quickly,

if she is steady to a thrown object you can start with direction training left, right, back, retrieves if she is not so steady then this is the place to begin.

nearly all the training books cover directional retrieves in the same manner,

 

good luck

jan

[silver pigeon 3]

Sounds to me like your dog already knows most of the basic commands (sit/stay etc) so should progress to the stage of retrieving game without to much trouble, have a look at the books on gundog training by Eric Begbie i have them and they are very simple to follow laid out into a sequence of lessons that are easy to understand and make sense

[-Mongrel-]

Cheers guys, have ordered a book, will have a read and take it on from there, but I'm firmly in the 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' camp.

Edited August 8, 2011 by -Mongrel-

[-Mongrel-]

Is thier someone at Chichester that may be able to give you a few pointers or maybe a dog you can watch Being worked ?

 

 

Errr, don't actually know as yet. I'm still trying to get my membership application sorted, it should be done soon, then I start a probationary accompanied year.

[kent]

Try this for what is required

Gundog Training for the duck and goose hunter by Eric Begbie ISBN 978-1-84753-805-5

 

 

Yes it can be done, one of the hardest bits with a fowling dog is getting it to keep perfectly still and out of sight (if you find out how to achieve this 100% please let me know ) If the dog is an indoor pet get it a neoprine jacket for sure, sitting in the cold wet mud for hours and jumping into fridgid winter seas don't do them much good

 

Training an older dog no problems, if the dog is already a keen retriever and has good basic obediance he probebly wants this more than you already! Do consider the Mud and mess that goes hand in hand with real wildfowling though if that dog is a familly pet it better get well used to the hose pipe in the better weather

[WGD]

I hope it all goes well, my fear would be the dog crunching game after the retrieving experiences it has had to date so keep the excitement levels down when introducing cold game.

[-Mongrel-]

Training an older dog no problems, if the dog is already a keen retriever and has good basic obediance he probebly wants this more than you already! Do consider the Mud and mess that goes hand in hand with real wildfowling though if that dog is a familly pet it better get well used to the hose pipe in the better weather

 

It's a lab mate, she already finds every scrap of mud or fox **** available!

 

 

I hope it all goes well, my fear would be the dog crunching game after the retrieving experiences it has had to date so keep the excitement levels down when introducing cold game.

 

Fairly hopeful on that one, she is pretty soft mouthed and doesn't tend to chew on her toys, it's all about retrieval!

[kent]

It's a lab mate, she already finds every scrap of mud or fox **** available!

 

 

I am talking about the dog looking like one giant mudball so you cant tell its breed or colour (real wildfowling) on the way home the mud that you couldn't get off her with a dunking dries and settles all over the car as a dust. When you get it back it a hose pipe before it can go even into the Kennel. Bit different from muddy paws or a bit of poo They love it as much or more than we do though

[-Mongrel-]

I am talking about the dog looking like one giant mudball so you cant tell its breed or colour (real wildfowling) on the way home the mud that you couldn't get off her with a dunking dries and settles all over the car as a dust. When you get it back it a hose pipe before it can go even into the Kennel.

 

I so need to get the Land Rover finished!!!! :blink:

[WGD]

If you're going fowling you soooo need to get a pickup

[-Mongrel-]

The back of the Landy's going to be hoseable....sounds like it's going to need to be!