What are some good training books?

[EWUEAGLESHUNTER]

Just got a black lab pup. This will be my first time raising a pup and training it on my own. My plan for the pup is to mainly hunt ducks and maybe some pheasants. There are so many books and dvd's on the market for how to train a hunting dog, and each one seems to claim their techniques are the best. I would like some advice to help point me in the right direction based on your own successful experiences.

[JLS]

http://www.amazon.com/Themselves-Taking-Advantage-Condtioned-Learning/dp/0963012746

I used this one when I got my lab.

[Holg3107]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Labrador-Shooting-Dog-All-Around/dp/1893740013

Here's my favorite. Mike is an awesome guy who I had the pleasure of hunting with while I was a kid. His dogs were amazing and he was always a step ahead of the game.

[LndShrk]

Just got a black lab pup. This will be my first time raising a pup and training it on my own. My plan for the pup is to mainly hunt ducks and maybe some pheasants. There are so many books and dvd's on the market for how to train a hunting dog, and each one seems to claim their techniques are the best. I would like some advice to help point me in the right direction based on your own successful experiences.

There are many facets to training your new best bud.. 
Many of the different books are geared toward a specific program.

If this is truly your first time raising a pup I would highly suggest getting a hold of Richard Wolters Water Dog and reading from cover to cover. Also would recommend Family Dog. He does a great job of breaking the "Psychology"  down.

His program is a little outdated in the sense that there are some very old school thoughts but it is a very good starting point.

For hunting and field trial type training I like Evan Grahms Smart work series.

You will need to decide if you are going apply an ecollar or not as well.

If you PM me your address I will mail you my copy of Waterdog (And Family dog if I have it cant remember)

[EWUEAGLESHUNTER]

Thanks, my cousin was just telling me the other day how good of a book "water dog" is.

[ghosthunter]

Just got a black lab pup. This will be my first time raising a pup and training it on my own. My plan for the pup is to mainly hunt ducks and maybe some pheasants. There are so many books and dvd's on the market for how to train a hunting dog, and each one seems to claim their techniques are the best. I would like some advice to help point me in the right direction based on your own successful experiences.

There are many facets to training your new best bud.. 
Many of the different books are geared toward a specific program.

If this is truly your first time raising a pup I would highly suggest getting a hold of Richard Wolters Water Dog and reading from cover to cover. Also would recommend Family Dog. He does a great job of breaking the "Psychology"  down.

His program is a little outdated in the sense that there are some very old school thoughts but it is a very good starting point.

For hunting and field trial type training I like Evan Grahms Smart work series.

You will need to decide if you are going apply an ecollar or not as well.

If you PM me your address I will mail you my copy of Waterdog (And Family dog if I have it cant remember)

 
I used game dog on my first dog along with 30 others. Go to a used book store. You can get a lot of books. Every trainer has a method that works good for certain problems. When I ran into a problem I would set down and read several trainers methods for my problem.
Game dog by Wolters may be said by many on here to be out dated. But for a first time guy reassures you that you are moving in the right direction.

With my 2nd lab she is 14 months now I also purchased 10 minute Retriever.

Go easy don't rush.
Good luck.

[Wenatcheejay]

Thanks, my cousin was just telling me the other day how good of a book "water dog" is.

+1 

[Colin]

Please take all of what I am about to say with a grain of salt since I have not trained a Labrador as of yet. These are my thoughts on what I have researched and read thus far. I started a similar thread a few months ago and I am still in the reading and watching everything I can in preparation for getting a pup next year sometime.

Books that I have read and a few comments:

Retriever Training - A Back To Basics Approach (Robert Milner)
Easy read, directed at the hunting meat dog, overall very easy concepts, "positive" type training is emphasized.

10 Minute Retriever (John and Amy Dahl)
Straightforward, no frills, concise drills and steps, came highly recommended by FT and HT veterans, a little hard to follow in some steps but not impossible to understand, solid information. !st book I read that discussed FF in depth do I didn't understand the "why" of all the steps at first.

The Labrador Shooting Dog (Mike Gould)
Interesting take on the conformation of field dogs versus show dogs, also directed at primarily meat dogs, a little hard to follow as far as giving a training schedule or program.

"The Art of Raising a Puppy" (Monks of New Skeet)
Worth a read and very interesting as far as puppyhood goes. Not really aimed at training as much as understanding how and why a puppy learns and reacts.

"Retriever Training" Tom Dokken
Good read. Good steps but a little un organized. Lots of good info on CC and FF.

"Game Dog" (Richard Wolters)
Great easy read, very simple and makes sense to the beginner, although methods are commonly considered outdated worth a read.

(Mike Lardy) Volume 1 Articles
Great program, easily outlined and detailed. All 3 volumes can be a little pricey but I intend to buy all of these when the time comes. They are highly recommended by FT and HT.

Some DVD's that I have and are reasonable priced:

Chris Akins Duck Dog Training 1 and 2:
Akin obviously has a passion for dogs and changed my mind about FF and CC. I was kind of put of by the idea but have since come around to see that its really just another type of pressure training. Pretty cheap fomr Mack's Prairie Wings, like $25 each. Not a whole lot on early puppy training but some.

Fowl Dogs 1:
Solid video with step by step training but a little lacking on the why of things at times. Like Akin's video a little lacking on the early puppy training. Cheap through his website like $30 I think.


DVD's I would love to get but are a little pricey for just the research phase that I am in ATM:

Mike Lardy's Total Retriever
Bill Hillmans DVD on training a puppy
Jackie Merten's Sound Beginings - puppy training
Even Grahms training program DVD's (SmartWork or SmartFetch or something like that)


Lol this was long and just off the top of my head. Please remember that this is just from my research online and from what I have read at this forum and others. Just throwing out what I've learned in hopes that it will help somebody.

If I got a puppy today I would buy the Hillman or Mertens puppy DVD's and start reading the Grahm or Lardy programs.

[87Ford]

I have not trained a Labrador as of yet. These are my thoughts on what I have researched and read thus far.

If I got a puppy today...

Colin, that is quite a list.  I think you're ready to train your first Lab!

I used tri-tronics Retriever Training by Jim and Phyllis Dobbs as a guide to FF my Lab.  I was quite successful using their method and plan to train my new pup the same way.

[RadSav]

If this is truly your first time raising a pup I would highly suggest getting a hold of Richard Wolters Water Dog and reading from cover to cover. Also would recommend Family Dog. He does a great job of breaking the "Psychology"  down.

His program is a little outdated in the sense that there are some very old school thoughts but it is a very good starting point.

I agree, outdate to some degree, but for the first time trainer Wolters writing style is very understandable and his methods are proven.  I've read and used both Gun Dog and Water Dog.  Have not had the pleasure of having a copy of Game Dog.  I'd have to dig through the storage unit to find the few books I felt were better if training for a second time once the basics covered by Wolters are well known.  I do believe there are better books.  But, few if any more easily understood by a first time trainer.

[Ridgerunner]

Tag as it looks like I will be training a new golden retriever in 2014. .

[Happy Gilmore]

Teach it to sit, let it chase birds early and have fun for the first 8 months. Not much else needs to be done. From there, it's up to you and what your standards or expectations will be.

For a meat dog, little to no training is needed. Most aren't steady and learn by defacto out in the hunting blind while pissing off all of their hunting partners and anyone in a blind within 500 yards. For a hunting dog, you'll need to do some work. force fetch at minimum, steadness drills and lots of obedience. For an awesome hunting dog, you'll do formalized yard work and handling drills and you'll keep up on them year round. For an awesome hunting dog and maybe run a few hunt tests, you'll do the basic yard work, transition work, marking and handling drills with concept marking. You'll train year round and probably do less hunting.

John and Amy's 10-Minute retriever. If you have problems you can join the Chesapeake Bay Retriever forum I moderate and email Amy directly. She's available and would be happy to help you out. She regularly answers questions. Bill Hilman's videos are great. The puppy series is really good.

Evan Graham's stuff is thorough. I have the 3 video series if you want to borrow it.

Milner trains a no pressure method. He's never successfully trained a high level lab which makes me question his merits to write a training book.

Wolters never trained a dog himself. Even his last dog he claims was trained and run by others. The old timers considered him a counterfeit. He was a pretty good writer for not knowing anything about dogs.

[ducksdogsdownriggers]

James Lamb Free

[ducksdogsdownriggers]

James Lamb Free

Just kidding.  My father-in-law followed that book in training his first retriever in 1971.  He's on retriever #8 now. 

Times have changed.  I'm a TRT fan (Lardy), and would start off with Merten's DVD.  Happy G seems to be the most knowledgeable guy on this board, you can't go wrong taking advice from him.   

[ghosthunter]

James Lamb Free

Yeah I got that one, bought it used. I have used to solve some problems.