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training labs

footballer70footballer70 Member Posts: 69 ✭✭
edited January 2002 in Ask the Experts
does anyone have any tips for traing a registered lab for pheasant or quail.He's two yrs old, and i recently had problems with him not wanting to retrieve dummies.
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Comments

  • AntiqueDrAntiqueDr Member Posts: 691 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If he's anything like my Lab, you'll need to tie a biscuit around the bird's neck.
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  • timberbeasttimberbeast Member Posts: 1,738 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If he won't retrieve, he's probably had sone serious trauma, which could even be yelling at him, depending on the personality of the dog. Retrieving should be the funnest, most natural thing the dog does, and food treats are not the way to teach this, nor is punishment. It should be fun. Some people have dogs run away, and when the dog comes back, they punish it. That is telling the dog that it is wrong to come back! The dog associates its last action with either praise or punishment. The dog is rarely at fault. Every time your dog does something correct, praise him and make a fuss over him/her. A Lab lives to make its master happy. If it's afraid of the dummy from a bad experience, try a different spot, and use a tennis ball or something else, and make it a game. Any retrieve it makes, love the heck out of it. Once it is having fun, you'll figure it out from there!
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  • laxcoachlaxcoach Member Posts: 1,296 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try fastening bird wings on the dummy.
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  • shdytreeshdytree Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    thinking of getting a spaniel of some kind to retrive doves next season.. small type no springers. maybe a field or croker, what do you recomend..thanks
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  • ClairClair Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think you are passing the best one. Springer
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  • ClairClair Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Brittany
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  • bhayes420bhayes420 Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The main thing is work and work and work with the dog. The dog will let you know when it wants to stop. When you have the dog under control where it won't run off in the field and ALWAYS comes when calls, hunt and hunt and hunt it. It just takes time. Lots of time. There are lots of ways to train a dog, most everyone feels their methods are the right. I have trained 2 labs on pheasant and quail, and a brittney. All good dogs, but each one different. I always just recommend work and more work, then hunting and more hunting. There is a game preserve near my home that hunts "planted" pheasant. I go there, buy several, and the owner lets me plant them and then work. That way I am assured of having the dog on birds. No small feat anymore in lots of areas. Once the dog gets good, I go back up there, and hire out as a guide for hunters without a dog. Don't make much ($30-$40 a day) but the dog gets lots of work. And that is really the name of the game. Good luck!
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