hound dog Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 Hi guys and girls. I've started wildfowling this season and found that my springers are struggling with some retrieves. I'm getting my first Labrador puppy next week . Can you recommend a good training book . Also advice on what size dog box for him and six springers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 Where do you start, books I recommend irrespective of breed are Gundogs their learning chain Joe Irving gundog sense and sensibility Wilso Stevens. Him and six springers probably need the largest box made by trans K9. i moved to labs many years ago for wildfowling on geese for the reasons you say and the spaniels didn’t like sitting for hours in the wet and cold; now spend more time than ever picking up. good luck, these are my four. Youngest picked his first geese two weeks ago at 22 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hound dog Posted January 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 Hi Dave thanks for the titles. You labs look great . It's a fox red that I'm getting. The dog box I've got is a bit to short for a lab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 Mate there’s plenty of training books but my advice would be to just do your own thing if all your looking is your Labrador to sit still in the hide then mark and swim out after wildfowl Obidience is the major factor I think with labs If your buying a pup with good breeding blood lines then the instinct will be in the dog You should have years of pleasure using your Labrador wildfowling My big dog Duke won’t win any field trials but has great drive looking and finding shot duck 🦆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hound dog Posted January 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 thanks gerry , that makes sense . hoping to do some picking up as well , his parents have good blood lines and low hip and elbow scores. So it's down to me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 No problem mate keep us posted on how things work out you’ll enjoy labradors great breed to work with As I say there breed for wildfowling so there perfect for duck hide good luck bud 👍👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hound dog Posted January 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 thank mate ,shall do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 I would go against Gerry's advice, and get a good training book. I have learned a lot from reading about different training methods from a lot of trainers, both here and across the pond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 HOW SUPPRESSING If you read my post Motty I didn’t say Don’t buy a book I said do your own thing You could read a hundred books but there not about your own dog You and you alone will know the dog you have No book can tell you any different But if hound dog wants to buy a book then he should do it and good luck to him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakin stevens Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 I had a really easy book to follow written by Eric begbie, think it was gundogs for beginners, really enjoyed training my dogs with the steps in the book . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Gerry78 said: HOW SUPPRESSING If you read my post Motty I didn’t say Don’t buy a book I said do your own thing You could read a hundred books but there not about your own dog You and you alone will know the dog you have No book can tell you any different But if hound dog wants to buy a book then he should do it and good luck to him Of course only the owner will know the dog. Authors of books know this, too. Do your own thing sounds to me like "don't bother with books". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Gerry78 said: HOW SUPPRESSING If you read my post Motty I didn’t say Don’t buy a book I said do your own thing You could read a hundred books but there not about your own dog You and you alone will know the dog you have No book can tell you any different But if hound dog wants to buy a book then he should do it and good luck to him I do tend to agree on some of your points , a book is fine for basic training like sit and stay , recall on a whistle and the general run of the mill with the early training , but then there will be a time for practical training that a book cant give you . A wildfowling dog need to think for itself when it goes out into the darkness during a evening flight and retrieving duck from across water , in water and around the edge of water . Only you can tell when and if your young dog is ready for this type of training , some of it can be done with training dummies but a lot will have to be the real thing , although don't be in to much of a hurry , as the old saying goes , don't try to run before you can walk . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenshank1 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 If you can handle 6 spaniels, you be fine with a lab 😀😀😀 Step by step guide to gundog training by Eric Begbie is a small paper back but loads of good info. There are loads of good gundog traing books and lots of good videos online and loads of gundog training DVDs. The Working Labrador by David Hudson has loads of good handy tips. The Pet Gundog by Lez Graham is good with hints and tips for Gundog fitting into modern family life. The Training and Management of Working labs by Jeremy Hunt is also really worth a read Read loads and pick out the best tips that best suit your situation and your pups character. Peter Moxons Gundog Training is genuinely a classic , old fashioned and a lot of outdated stuff but also some brilliant tips and outlines key stages separates out what basic spaniel and Lab training then advanced . Enjoy the training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 Marsh man 👍👍👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 No motty do your own thing to me means you’ll know ur own dogs limits.Books can give good pointers no doubt but I believe the owner will know best As I say if the books help hound dog then it won’t do him any harm reading them I’ve bought gun dog books and wildfowling books but they can only give you so much pointers Different when you get into the field or marsh with your dog on your own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 Lab training will seem like a breeze,half trained from out of the box and you are no new comer to dog training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salmo Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 Labs are born half trained springers die half trained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 Hound dog hope you get sorted mate plenty of more forum users that are more experienced duck men than me sure you'll get some good advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hound dog Posted January 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 thanks for all your advice , cant wait to get him and get started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 I wish you every success in training your lab. It is very rewarding when a dog you trained yourself pulls off a good retrieve. Good dog work more than compensates for the odd poor flight. The books I used in my early years were the PRA Moxon and Joe Irving ones but I learned most when my wildfowling club arranged dog training sessions among its members. We ran classes and working tests and I learned plenty. Id add that every dog is different but getting help and advice for more experienced trainers in person or on PW can help you around more specific problems. I did this earlier this year and got advice from friends and PW members. Keep the training fun for you and the pup. Stop if it's no longer fun for either and leave it for the rest of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyshireDale. Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 Read as many books as possible, most trainers will more or less do similar things and you will build up knowledge and a sound training method out of all the combined teachings, just the same way as you, yourself, will teach your dog, "through repetition". some books state how well your dog should be doing at a certain age but they are all different and ones that learn fast, can forget just as fast!! Do not forget to let your pup, be a puppy!! My latest lab pup started retrieving dummies from water at 4 months old and was showing all the signs of being much more mature than he actually was, then he went back to being a pup again and lost interest for a while, so i just left him alone until his interest returned again, as it did and he is as keen as mustard again, now aged a year. You have more time than you think to train him and you don't need to keep throwing countless retrieves for him, they don't really get tired of it but its not necessary, mix your training up because they're very clever dogs and they will anticipate what your going to do next if you stick with a routine. In my opinion, Books are better than videos, as you will be comparing your dog to the one in the video which, behaves perfectly (yours doesn't) for the camera, that's why its being filmed!! Training is the easy part, solving the problems that you face whilst trying to teach each individual dog, is the 'art of training', knowing what to do, when things don't go like the book says!! Most people who have trained dogs for a number of years, will still pick up any new book they come across, which they haven't already read, because there may be just one little thing in it that they didn't know and it will have been worth reading it, just for that. Its not Rocket science but common sense, try and think how you're coming across to the dog and why he cant understand what you want him to do, remember, he doesn't know what your words mean until you show him, then use the same word for that task every time!! all the best, read & re-read until its sunk in, then read another book & another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltings Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) john Hallstead senior had a really nice training temperament on video or you could try Walter Harris at Sunstar kennels training weekends at Dorchester he teaches you to handle your dog and gives you an insight into where your dog goes wrong because of you and putting your dog in a position it cannot fail to build confidence in itself and your handling worth the money cracking bloke your dog instincts are to work and its up to you to handle / obedience the most important element in all training stop on the whistle is everything while its backside is on the ground its looking to you for direction cut corners pay the price so a self employed dog scream your guts out and it will not come back until its had enough and / ruined the day for everybody else guns and beaters not happy you may not be invited again even if shooting pigeons an obedient dog is everything the moral of the story is the best dog in the shooting field nobody knows its name Edited January 24, 2019 by Saltings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prem1234 Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 6 hours ago, Saltings said: "the best dog in the shooting field nobody knows its name" how true !! that's a good saying 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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