to late to train?

[ackbizzle]

so i just go the approval from my rental people to get a dog, but came with some rules. has to be over a year and then the wife said she wants one who is already housebroken plus i have a 6 month old son and a cat so i also need to consider that. so i have been limited lol. been looking through a lot of the adoption pages and found a 3 year old black lab that we like but im just wondering if thats to old to train. i know every dog is different but just wanted to get some opinions before i put a lot of time into training. thanks

[vandeman17]

what is your budget? Many trainers sell "started" dogs that have been through training and are usually older then a year. They can be spendy but could be a good way to go for you.

[JLS]

Too old to train for what?  A good bird dog has the breeding in him, all you are doing is training him to maximize the use of that.  A good lab will have retrieving instincts regardless of what level of training he has or hasn't had.  You can't train him to use his nose either, he'll have one or he won't.

Through training and exposure, they learn how to use their nose to locate birds.  Kind of like a beginning hunter learning to read a track.  After a while you see stuff without even thinking about it that new hunters would miss.  Same thing with your dog.

You can develop instincts, but you can't instill them if they aren't already there.

What's the worst that could happen?  You don't have a dog now, so you'll be no worse off.

[Stilly bay]

Too old to train for what?  A good bird dog has the breeding in him, all you are doing is training him to maximize the use of that.  A good lab will have retrieving instincts regardless of what level of training he has or hasn't had.  You can't train him to use his nose either, he'll have one or he won't.

Through training and exposure, they learn how to use their nose to locate birds.  Kind of like a beginning hunter learning to read a track.  After a while you see stuff without even thinking about it that new hunters would miss.  Same thing with your dog.

You can develop instincts, but you can't instill them if they aren't already there.

What's the worst that could happen?  You don't have a dog now, so you'll be no worse off.

[ackbizzle]

looking for a dog to take duck hunting with me, and my budget is not big enough for a starter dog. going to go look at some dogs tomorrow so i can just take a bumper with me and see if anything have the desire to retrieve it. and even if i do get one and it doesnt work out it will still be nice to have a dog in the house

[vandeman17]

looking for a dog to take duck hunting with me, and my budget is not big enough for a starter dog. going to go look at some dogs tomorrow so i can just take a bumper with me and see if anything have the desire to retrieve it. and even if i do get one and it doesnt work out it will still be nice to have a dog in the house

I have two dogs and the first I was hoping would be a duck dog but she didn't turn out to like to water retrieve. She is still a great dog and I wouldn't trade her for anything. 

[Curly]

I think your landlord would appreciate it if you got rid of the cat.
 

Hope you find the right fit for your family.  Labs are great.  You should be able to find a year old or so lab that will work for you.  Good luck.

[ghosthunter]

Put a couple drops of scent on your boot. See what happens.