Looking for a new friend with patience in SE

[Todd_ID]

I've got two black labs that are good retrievers but I have never hunted with them.  I'm hoping to find someone somewhere close to Clarkston with a good pheasant, chuckar or duck dog that would be willing to let me go along with one dog at a time so they could see what a good hunting dog does.  Unfortunately, none of my hunting buddies do any bird hunting or have any dogs that they hunt with.  I'm not hoping for miracles in their training just looking for some direction in getting them to be productive household members.  Plus, they love being outdoors as much or more than I do, and it feels like a shame to not hunt with them.

Like I said, this is going to be a tough couple days for you and your dog putting up with my untrained knuckleheads, but it could be pretty darn fun, also!

[T-Bone]

Not to "boohoo" your idea, but untrained or ill mannered dogs do not "learn" from association with well mannered or very well trained dogs. To be honest, expect your dogs to bounce around or play aggressive domination games with the other dogs; consider the services of a professional trainer instead.

[mossback91]

Not to "boohoo" your idea, but untrained or ill mannered dogs do not "learn" from association with well mannered or very well trained dogs. To be honest, expect your dogs to bounce around or play aggressive domination games with the other dogs; consider the services of a professional trainer instead.

Seen it happen

[Todd_ID]

Thanks for the input guys!  I was wondering if that was going to be the case.  I remember hearing a few times over the years that, "all he needed was to see a good dog in action, and he was a good hunter after that."  Evidently that is either BS or exceptionally gifted dogs.  I think I'll just wait until I get another pup to start from scratch.

Consider the idea rescinded due to good advice from this board.

Now, if anybody in the SE wants a hunting partner without dogs, then look me up!

[high country]

todd, get some bird wings and rubber band em onto a dummy. play fetch with the dogs using it. hide it and toss your dog a scooby snack when he finds it for you AS LONG AS YOU ARE WITHIN RANGE, a flushing dog that works farther away then you can shoot will only piss you off. the next thinng to work on is keping them in range. pretty easy with a check cord and a zap collar. don't write em off yet, they are natural hunters.....you just have to remind em'. for your own sanity don't hunt with two dogs......you will spend waaaaaaay too much time worring about the dogs. any dog that is not gun shy can be a decent hunter. it might pay to hit a pay to play joint to see if one of them will pick it up, odds are they will.

[Todd_ID]

todd, get some bird wings and rubber band em onto a dummy. play fetch with the dogs using it. hide it and toss your dog a scooby snack when he finds it for you AS LONG AS YOU ARE WITHIN RANGE, a flushing dog that works farther away then you can shoot will only piss you off. the next thinng to work on is keping them in range. pretty easy with a check cord and a zap collar. don't write em off yet, they are natural hunters.....you just have to remind em'. for your own sanity don't hunt with two dogs......you will spend waaaaaaay too much time worring about the dogs. any dog that is not gun shy can be a decent hunter. it might pay to hit a pay to play joint to see if one of them will pick it up, odds are they will.

Thanks for the ideas high country!  That sounds like a good way to get out and play with them while testing them out.  I'm already thinking of some games that would simulate hunting scenarios in my field and also on the water that they would love and probably would learn pretty quickly.  I'll make sure to have a boat handy just in case, though! HAHAHA  Retrieving the dummy in the river is their favorite pasttime, so they'll be fine once I work them up to the full noise of a 12 gauge (I think I'll start with a silenced .22 and go up from there).  The blind retrieve in the field is going to be a cakewalk for them, because they love hunting up golf balls that I hit into the field with a pitching wedge.

[high country]

I would try to break them into guns by first holding back their food a bit later then normal. when you feed them they will be super excited, so take a book and drop it on the floor, or a doubled over belt and snap it. always try to intro them to new stuff while treating them. when you take them out for a field trip take a buddy and have him back off of you 50 yds or so.........toss a dummy and have your buddy shoot as it is airborne. give the dog a treat when it brings it back to you.....cut the distance......repeat.......pretty soon you can shoot over the top of them with no worries. what ever you do, don't get mad. if you turn it into a bad expieience they may never want to go into the field again. once they are a bit more refined you can raise the discipline bar a bit.

[robb92]

There is a book you can get call the 10 minute Retriever, get that book, was recommend to me when I trained my lab while I was in England, good book for a first timer.
Here is the link:::
http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Retriever-Obedient-Enthusiastic-Minutes/dp/1572233036

I also got some dummies and when I wasn't using them I placed them in a ziplock bag full of pheasant feathers and I also got some training scents and would squirt some onto a tennis ball and it works really well.
Good luck with it.

[Todd_ID]

Thanks for the ideas guys!  The book is in the cart, and I'm excited to give the mutts a try.  They're naturals, for sure, but neither they, nor I, know it yet.  This gives me some good starting tips for working with them.  If nothing else, I'll have a good excuse to have them out in the hills and down at the river.

[DeerHarvester]

They are LABS you will be good to go in no time flat.  They know how to hunt, you just have to teach them how much or little they can get away with.  Also play with dead birds and retrieve with them.  One of your biggest challenges will be range, they will pick up the scent and retrieve, but the range is a control issue.  Labs like any other dog will take control when given the opportunity.  Run some drills for a couple weeks and get your dogs out in the Field.  Have fun!

[FrankDown]

I have a standard schnauzer as a pet.  They may have been originally used as an all around dog (hunting pet guard) but he is hard headed, smart, but hard headed.  Luckily he didnt turn out gunshy.  I didnt do anything special just shot when he was further away to start with a couple times and it didnt bother him.  He will not point, he will not bring them to me, he seems totally uninterested in birds and rabbits after they stop moving.  He stays close though.  He will let me know where something is, and he will chase rabbits for a second.  He is  a terrible dog for hunting compared to a good pointer or retriever.  However I get way more shots with him than without because he has a nose and stays close.  If you cant get yours trained by someone experienced or get much help with it dont write them off.  Just have fun with them in the field and you may get some help.  I just took my along for the company  and after a few times we got something worked out that benefited both of us.  And the house dog didnt give me crappy looks like the springer spaniel did when I missed a shot.  He was happy just to get out and run around with me.  The springer spaniel was a good bird dog for pheasant.  Wish he was still around.  Maybe Ill get another one some day after this one knocks off.