first hunting dog. need advice and supplies

[scottcrb]

so im getting my first hunting dog here in a few weeks and am looking for any advice on training, general obedience, any good gear i.e. e collars kennels leashes vests  training aids dvds food etc for both me and the new dog. i started with the sound beginnings dvd but really any advice or if anyone has extra or old accessories they are selling too let me know . thanks for all the help and info in advance. Hes a black lab and ill post pics when i get him.

[vandeman17]

If you are planning to train yourself then I would recommend a good retriever book. A kennel is good to have for kennel training and I also like an adjustable collar because it gives you something to grab if needed. Slippery little buggers when they are small. Treats are good, especially for labs as they are very food driven. If you can from the time you get him, decide on commands that you are going to use and stick with them. Don't force or expect him to learn it all right away but when he does something right, reward him. He will learn quickly what is good and what is not. Biggest thing I have learned is to remember that he is a puppy so don't expect too much and enjoy it while you can as they grow so dang fast!

[Russ McDonald]

I am going to tag this because we just got a female lab a couple months ago.  Basic obedience training her right now.  Got all the sit, lay down but her wait is not working.  She is very excitable.  Be patient is a big thing. She kennels really good and potty training was almost immediate on her.  Went to the door when she had to go out with in a couple days.  A few accidents if we weren't around the door to see her waiting for us to put her out.  Good luck.   

[scottcrb]

i think i will do some training on my own as well as some professional training down the road. was going to look into getting mike lardys total retriever training dvd around x mas to start with. i plan on getting a good kennel soon as i have a small one for now but im sure it will only fit him for a month or so. what treats do you like to use? i saw in the sound beginnings dvd it seemed to be a pretty big part of the training. looking forward to it and ready to have fun with him as well.

[vandeman17]

i think i will do some training on my own as well as some professional training down the road. was going to look into getting mike lardys total retriever training dvd around x mas to start with. i plan on getting a good kennel soon as i have a small one for now but im sure it will only fit him for a month or so. what treats do you like to use? i saw in the sound beginnings dvd it seemed to be a pretty big part of the training. looking forward to it and ready to have fun with him as well.

Any type of treats work. When they are a puppy, I actually just kept a handful of her normal food in my pocket because it was small enough that I didn't have to try to break a biscuit or something into smaller pieces.

I am going to tag this because we just got a female lab a couple months ago.  Basic obedience training her right now.  Got all the sit, lay down but her wait is not working.  She is very excitable.  Be patient is a big thing. She kennels really good and potty training was almost immediate on her.  Went to the door when she had to go out with in a couple days.  A few accidents if we weren't around the door to see her waiting for us to put her out.  Good luck.   

My cousin who is a trainer has tried to convince me to keep the different types of commands to the minimum. Sit, come and heal are pretty much all he uses. The wait thing shouldn't be necessary because once they sit, they should automatically wait until the next command is given. Easier said then done but with work it can be done. Makes things easier in the long run and simplicity is key. 

[Russ McDonald]

  Easier said then done is it.  Oh forgot she has the come command down too.  Retrieving was automatic for her too but getting the to drop is another thing.

[vandeman17]

Easier said then done is it.  Oh forgot she has the come command down too.  Retrieving was automatic for her too but getting the to drop is another thing.

Its all that darn energy and their desire to please and work that makes the stay part hard. I started with just making my dog sit and I would stand next to her and then give her a treat after a few seconds. Then next step was to move a pace or two away and the sit command. If she came to me I would walk her back make her sit and if she stayed, I would give her a treat. Gradually I got to where I could be across the yard and now I can go inside and come back out and she will still be sitting in the same spot. Its pretty cool unless you forget about them  She has been able to do this since she was about 14 months old.

[Russ McDonald]

Easier said then done is it.  Oh forgot she has the come command down too.  Retrieving was automatic for her too but getting the to drop is another thing.

Its all that darn energy and their desire to please and work that makes the stay part hard. I started with just making my dog sit and I would stand next to her and then give her a treat after a few seconds. Then next step was to move a pace or two away and the sit command. If she came to me I would walk her back make her sit and if she stayed, I would give her a treat. Gradually I got to where I could be across the yard and now I can go inside and come back out and she will still be sitting in the same spot. Its pretty cool unless you forget about them  She has been able to do this since she was about 14 months old.

When did you start training her?  My lab is only 3 1/2 months old.

[scottcrb]

also does anyone know a good vet (preferably with a hunting background) in the N seattle area?

[Badhabit]

At some point you will want to have your dog "force fetched". While I haven't done it to my dog the dogs that I've seen having been forced fetched are better dogs for having been. One of my pet peeves and mind you it is my pet peeve, Is a dog breaking from the blind without being given a release command. Sometimes for safety a dog needs to stay put and not dash out of the blind at the first shot. Lots of training aids for getting your dog to stay. Unfortunately when you hunt with others that bring their dogs that break it can make for an interesting hunt. Needless to say the trained to stay dog doesn't get its fair share of birds. E collars are tools that can really mess up a dog. If you use one make sure you read or watch the tapes on how and why and when to use it. Never hit the button in anger. Dogs trained on E-collars flat out know when the collar is not on and behave differently. Lastly, find a retriever club near you and have fun you're going to companions for awhile.

[vandeman17]

Easier said then done is it.  Oh forgot she has the come command down too.  Retrieving was automatic for her too but getting the to drop is another thing.

Its all that darn energy and their desire to please and work that makes the stay part hard. I started with just making my dog sit and I would stand next to her and then give her a treat after a few seconds. Then next step was to move a pace or two away and the sit command. If she came to me I would walk her back make her sit and if she stayed, I would give her a treat. Gradually I got to where I could be across the yard and now I can go inside and come back out and she will still be sitting in the same spot. Its pretty cool unless you forget about them  She has been able to do this since she was about 14 months old.

When did you start training her?  My lab is only 3 1/2 months old.

I started with the basic commands a few weeks after I got her so at about 12 weeks old. I just kept it short and made it fun. It sounds like you are well on your way if yours is doing what it is so far at 3 1/2 months. 

[cipryan]

I have trained an english setter and chocolate lab in the past 3 years by myself.  The more time you put into them the better they are.  Focus on sit, come, stay/woah, and heel.  That's all I did and genetics did the rest.  Introduce them to birds early and often.  There is things that we work on every day to get a little better, like breaking from the blind  . 
But I had both dogs on birds or retrieving at 6 months old.  More exposure and more time has made the biggest difference especially for a pointer.

I use the e collar, but only as a safety measure.  Other dogs, deer and rabbits etc.  Tough to call them off a good chase at times.  I do use the beep function of the e collar and trained both of them while using it.  Its a good come call when beeped twice and one beep to get them to sit and look at me to locate or adjust direction.

[AspenBud]

Introduce Your Dog to Gunfire

[scottcrb]

looks like a good way to do it but might be hard for me on the westside. might take him to the range parking lot in the future to get him used to the sounds from a distance at first. i heard a small toy cap gun while they are occupied eating is a good start too.

[vandeman17]

looks like a good way to do it but might be hard for me on the westside. might take him to the range parking lot in the future to get him used to the sounds from a distance at first. i heard a small toy cap gun while they are occupied eating is a good start too.

If you have a little .22 or something that works too. If you can have someone else shoot while you sit there with him that helps. It won't take more then a few shots for you to tell if he will be gun shy or not. I feel the key is to make it fun and exciting for him. Gun goes off, talk to him in an excited voice and be playful. He will start to correlate gun shots with fun and not as a bad thing.

[Badhabit]

A couple of more things to add to your list. Get a good Canine first aid kit. There are super glues out there that are for medical emergency application that work well to temporarily close a wound from glass or barb wire cuts that don't come with the kits. When shopping for a truck/car kennel think about how big your pup is going to get and buy size appropriate. If the kennel is going into the bed of a truck secure the kennel so it doesn't slide around and terrify your pup. A neoprene vest that fits properly for cold weather. If your hunting an area with lots of underwater obstructions you might want to pass on the vest as I've seen dogs get caught on sticks between their coat and the vest and not be able to swim back to shore. There's tons more, if you love your pup keep it behind you or at your side when shooting. The muzzle blast will make them go deaf just quickly as it would you if someone were shooting over your head. I cringe when I see guys put their dogs in layout blinds with them field hunting,a train wreck waiting to happen.

[GurrCentral]

I would get the Total Retriever from Mike Lardy, I would not however introduce him to gunfire by taking him to a range. You want him to associate the gunfire with a positive thing (a retrieve).  Once you have him retrieving like crazy, have someone stand about 80 yds away, throw a mark, and shoot a 22blank or cap. then gradually have them move in closer. I would not have them come all the way the first day. Do this a couple days, move on to a 20 guage with field blanks and repeat the process. This is something you do not want to rush.  Mike Lardy also has an e-collar conditioning dvd. It is a good watch. The e-collar is a very effective training tool. Do not teach with it, reinforce with it. Another thing that is good is getting wings from various birds and getting his prey drive going. Start with wings, then progress to live birds...when he is ready..Good luck!

[wildweeds]

I'll start with the fact that I've got a passion for birddogs,in as such I cringe when I read posts suggesting range time/gunclub activities to break a dog to the gunfire,I also cringe when I read posts suggesting .22 anything for breaking to the gun,fact is a .22 " KRACKS" sharply and a shotgun goes "Boom".Dogs are not born gunshy,Man makes them gunshy with uninformed training tactics.I watched the video that Aspenbud posted,I guess that will work just fine,it's obvious that the student in the video is all buisness and crazy to do the job.Total focus on either a bumper as shown or a wing clipped live bird is the deal.The thing to be cognizant of is the age of the student in that video,I'd estimate it's age of 6-10 months and has been drilled to love the retrieving game.It's a 10 year commitment,there's no sense in getting in a rush and potentially having a non hunting gunshy pet,There are alot of those type that get dumped off without a collar because it's gunshy. I feel I can comment on this because I've had dogs 35 years and YUP I made one gunshy.I'm at dog 28,I only made the mistake once.And yup it involved a gunclub and shooting over a food bowl.For a lab get a pigeon or two off of craigslist,yard the primary wing feathers out of one wing and you've got a training tool that can be used over and over provided the dog doesn't chomp and kill it.

[GurrCentral]

I would agree that 22 blanks crack and shotguns boom....so keeping this inmind may lead you to using a four-ten or field blanks with a 12guage with the intro. I have a couple different bumper launchers that utilize 22blanks as the power source..haven't had a problem...if you are concerned with it you could go with a winger...or find someone to throw for you..

[Blackjaw]

Follow Wildweeds approach to gun introduction and you will be fine. Training has already been covered well by other posters, but just to re-affirm: If you have a dog that will consistently come when called and stay when told (100% of the time, no matter what the distraction) you will be miles ahead of 99% of people who take their dogs hunting. Therefore, drill the basics in the yard (keep it fun when they are young) and gradually get them into the field and start with distractions.

As far as treats go, the cheapest hotdogs you can find, cut into really small pieces work well and last a long time (provided you remember to take the baggie out of your vest at the end of a training session and put it in the fridge  )

Good Luck,

Rick

[scottcrb]

first of all thank you for all the advice .  refraining from any gunshots for the first 6 months of life or so sounds to be a good idea and i wont take him to the range to get him used to shotgun blast or firing over his dog bowl. glad i asked all these questions. maybe i should ask if anyone has a good retriever club in the Puget Sound area they like? looks like this sat will be the day i pick him up. getting pretty excited . i do have some pheasant wings in the freezer already from opening day success and sure i will have some ducks wings from this year to stockpile for the summer of training ahead. what is a good age to introduce to wings/birds gunshots etc. ? really want to get obedience down first.

[WRL]

The Art of Raising A Puppy (The Monks of the New Skete)
Sound Beginning (Jackie Mertens)
The Ten Minute Retriever (John and Amy Dahl)

If you can swing it, the Total Retriever Training/Total Retriever Marking by Mike Lardy.

Rainier Hunting Retriever Club
Puget Sound Labrador Assoc

WRL

[WRL]

The Art of Raising A Puppy (The Monks of the New Skete)
Sound Beginning (Jackie Mertens)
The Ten Minute Retriever (John and Amy Dahl)

If you can swing it, the Total Retriever Training/Total Retriever Marking by Mike Lardy.

Rainier Hunting Retriever Club
Puget Sound Labrador Assoc

WRL

[scottcrb]

thanks lee see ya soon 

[scottcrb]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

[vandeman17]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

If you want to get your dog professionally trained I would recommend Conway Kennels. It is my uncle's outfit and they do a great job. My cousin would be the main trainer and he treats all his dogs like his own.

[JBG]

+1 On "Ten Minute Retriever"
Smartworks series by Evan Graham is very good to.  He is also active on another national forum so you can actually ask him questions and he answers. 

Sit. Stay. Come. and do 5 reps of "fun" fetch is about all you need to do for the start.  I would not wait until Christmas until you start a program.  Books are better I feel because you can take them where ever you go.

[WRL]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

Yes. What would you like to know?

Whistling Wings holds their events up at Pepper's and Carlson's and Pat Murphy's.

WRL

[scottcrb]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

Yes. What would you like to know?

Whistling Wings holds their events up at Pepper's and Carlson's and Pat Murphy's.

WRL

just pros cons opinions etc? pms ok too if you'd rather.

[Happy Gilmore]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

Yes. What would you like to know?

Whistling Wings holds their events up at Pepper's and Carlson's and Pat Murphy's.

WRL

Whistling Wings has a monthly training day, I think the third sunday of every month at Peppers or Carlsons. (Carlson's is closed to public until hunting season is over) Probably just Peppers now.

Cascade HRC has training days at Pat Murphy's place in Monroe.

I would call around and talk to trainers and visit more than one trainer before you make a decision on who to use. A quick internet search will find them for you. Take advice you get from club training days with a grain of salt. It isn't often the greatest advice. When you're new it's hard to find much else.

Andy Fontenot - AKC and HRC hunt tests / Gundogs
Pat Murphy - AKC and HRC hunt tests(labs and pointers) / Gundogs
Conway Kennels -AKC HT / Gundogs(labs and pointers) / Field Trials
Butch Higgins - AKC and HRC hunt tests / Gundogs

They are the main West Side guys. East Side of the State also has a couple options.

[scottcrb]

thanks happy . yeah its hard to know what is good and bad just from hearing things from random people . i like the idea of the hrc clubs just to have more access to training and areas especially being on the west side where i cant shoot or have room for live birds in my backyard or anywhere real close. plus i think interaction with other dogs and trained dogs would be good. i would like to do some training on my own but also have a pro help or even down the road have a pro take the dog for a month or so to polish up what i have started, i work 40+ hrs a week so having a lot of time to train will be hard but i plan on at least 20-30 min a day hopefully more on the weekends. Also i dont have thousands of dollars to just send him away to be trained and i want to build that connection and relationship with him.  just really excited about the process and getting a new dog and don't want to miss out on anything or do something wrong. all the info really is helping. any recommendations on collars and when is a good time to start with those? dog will mainly be waterfowl and some upland and dont have a need for multiple dog option or a mile plus range.

[KFhunter]

I ran labs as a kid with no professional knowledge, no books, and zero guidance on how it was "suppose" to be done, but I'd take any one of my dogs from the past and put him up against anything in the field today...especially Jet.  man what a fantastic dog with insane hunting drive.   He fetch ducks in order, lay down on a retrieve and sit still in a blind all day long.  He ran straight and true according to the direction I pointed and would take a blind retrieve with nothing more than my idea of a hand signal.   Everything was "wrong" and I'm sure everyone would shake their head at a competition...but he'd go find all the ducks with an energy and fervor that would be hard to match.  And no whistles 


I did know to be careful with introducing gun fire,  when I was about 5 someone gave us a ruined lab that was scared of gunfire and lightning.  I couldn't even use my daisy bb gun around her.

Then I entered the pointing world and had to relearn everything

[scottcrb]

yeah im sure it will be a long and fun and rewarding process.

[scottcrb]

just an update . his name is Lemmy.

[JJD]

Lemmy is a handsome boy.  Hope you enjoy many hunts together.

[weathergirl]

anybody know anything about whistling wings hrc ? or andy fontenot of water dog U ?

I joined Whistling Wings last year and have only really positive things to say.  Everyone was SO helpful--great people.  I don't think things start up again until the spring, but I would highly recommend them.  There is a trainer that is part of the group, Jeff Hunter.  We haven't had him do any training for us yet, but if I do that's where I'll go.  I think he also is available in the spring/summer (?) or maybe more (?) to help you learn how to train.  I can't remember details, but he is definitely a good one to talk to.  I'm sure I can find his contact info if you want to know more.

Anyway, by going to a couple of practices with WWHRC, my dog was easily able to finish her SHR title in August.  Another member here, RainingSteel, is also active in the club. 

Kelli

[scottcrb]

Thanks kelli . I.plan.on joining after the first of the year. I.met with.one of the Members on Friday and had a quick training session . He said great things about jeff hunter as well. Guess I'll see ya out there this spring . I can't find any info on the net about Jeff though .

[RainingSteel]

I agree with everything Kelli said. Also, Lemmy looks great!

[scottcrb]

Thanks rainingsteel guess I'll see you.out there too

[Armysfdiver]

I hope you all don't mind me chiming in. I'm a new member to this site and just exploring and came across your all's posts. I am an avid hunter, and for my birthday last January, my girlfriend gave me a beautiful Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Her name is Dushka, and she just turned 1. I started working with her when she was 11 weeks old. As you all have stated, retrievers, labs, etc. Just want to retrieve. It's in their blood. I've been teaching her on my own, and using this book titled "Water Dog", which was recommended to me from another hunting friend of mine who also has a Chessy. Dushka now has some dove and geese under her belt, but she still has a long way to go, and me being a novice to training gun dogs, I feel I'm not doing her just, or bringing her to her full potential, and would also like to consider taking her to a professional for next years hunting season. A friend of mine has recommended this man on the East side named Al (not sure of his last night but do have his phone number) but every time I call him he is always booked up. So I will continue working with her until I can get her into his next class.

[Happy Gilmore]

If you notice I don't make many referrals about training however, I've sent numerous people to Butch Higgins for their gundog training and all have been happy. Butch is a good honest guy who will do a good job with a Chesapeake.

http://www.butchhigginsretrievers.com/

[Armysfdiver]

Happy!! Thank you very much for your support and help with this. Dushka is one fantastic partner with a great temperament. I will contact them asap to see about getting her in. Thanks again