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.