contract killerz Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 I have been training a black lab. She is nearly 8 months old now and she is coming on well. I have taken her duck shooting with a few friends and she is very calm and steady with the gun. However, i have not let her take any retrieves as I don't want to rush things. Last thing I want is her to pick up bad habbits. I have been concentrating on her in the woods and cover recently letting her flush pheasants and she has taken to it leke a duck to water. Always stopping once the birds get into the air and responding to the wistle and comands well. Does anyone see a problem with me taking her beating in a couple of weeks. I think this would be a good chance to let her work with other dogs and yet still not have much resposabiltiy. I wouldn't usually take a dog out in her first season but my lab is far steadier than most and acts twice her age. Any thoughts would be most appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palombier Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 CK Seems to me you are bringing the dog on a little bit too quickly. I know its tempting but if you rush things you will only regret it later. I would not take the dog out shooting until it is about 15-18 months old and only then a limited exposure. Stick to obedience and only when that is 100% start introducing dummies and a starting pistol. Then progress to cold game water and jumping etc. Iwould advise against allowing your dog to go beating at such an early age. Hope this gives you a few pointers. Regards P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millo2 Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 CK Seems to me you are bringing the dog on a little bit too quickly. I know its tempting but if you rush things you will only regret it later. I would not take the dog out shooting until it is about 15-18 months old and only then a limited exposure. Stick to obedience and only when that is 100% start introducing dummies and a starting pistol. Then progress to cold game water and jumping etc. Iwould advise against allowing your dog to go beating at such an early age. Hope this gives you a few pointers. Regards P Not always the case mate, it differs from dog to dog http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...?showtopic=6420 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I agree with you millomite, our springer titch was out doing rough cover from 7 months and now at the age of 13 months is showing amazing potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon master Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Yes I agree with the rest of the lads, If you think your dog is steady and you can keep it under control then let them do what they are breed to do. You dont see animals in nature having to wait 12-18 months before they start acting or hunting like their own kind. Dogs are well capable of getting into the action well before that age, and I think if you wait too long then you will effect your dog when it turns up to a shoot and there are loads of new dogs and faces to get used to. Young dogs just like young people take in information much faster than the older guys so CK get you Lab in there, if she is steady under gun fire then there is no reason why you can not add the experience of getting your dog out mixing with others on an informal beat. Millomite has included a link about my first trip out with my young ESS and what a day I had. I'm by no means a gundog expert, far far from it but you ask questions read books, and then make your own judgement about your plan of action, and if it fails then you try again. The PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I'm afraid I agree with Palombier, in my limited experience, and following advice from lads that I see as experts, I have always made certain that any dog I take onto the beating line is rock steady, not only to gunfire, but to the flushing of birds, hare, rabbits etc. I also think that leaving them to 18months (ish) old allows them to grow out of some of the playfullness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contract killerz Posted November 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Thanks for the advise. I have decided to jump in at the deep end and take her on a rough day tomorrow. It should be ok as i will be taking a gun and if all fails with the lab i will enter the line of guns and see if my gun skills beat my dog judgement. Will report beck with the latest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 good luck C.K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contract killerz Posted November 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 As i have previously posted i had decided to take my lab pub tess out on a rough day's shoot. I half expected to be letting you all know that tess had a tough time would just be my luck. However i started the day on a snipe bog which gave me a great opportunity to watch her closely and see how she reacted to the commands i gave her. This went extremely well. Next the kayle, I decided to keep her out of the beating line for this as the large amount of pheasants in a small space may excite her. So instead i stood with the guns and had her patiently sit while the drive produced plenty of high birds which mostly got missed by the farmers with guns!! For the rest of the day tess responded well and flushed the birds well not chasing or making any noise. I was delighted. The dinner speaches consited of many thanks for the landlord and the estate agent, my father and a special thanks to me for providing an "excellent" dog which showed up my fathers and all the guns asked me to come back again. I guess this answers my question that a dog is never too young if she is calm enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 congratulations C.K. I'm glad to hear it all went well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon master Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Me 2 mate, happy days but please let me know how you dog fiars on the second outing. Happy for you and your dog though. The PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contract killerz Posted November 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Will do we are out again next monday at a bigger shoot close to home. Its run by my uncle so no room for error. C.K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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