Play time and training

[gasman]

I have a 4 month old lab that i am trying to train (i am not a bird hunter but want to next season and have never trained a dog before) for bird hunting for next year. I devised a game that we play in the house and just started adding the out doors to the game.

I bought some pheasant wings from Sportsman's warehouse a few weeks ago and a friend brought me some duck wings from a guy at work, the first time i gave him a wing he played with a little, than I gave it to him again and played with it like it was "cat nip", throwing it in the air and rubbing his body on it and having a good time. I limited his time with it so he would not chew it up and is doing a goo job. Last week i started hiding it around the house and giving him a treat every time he brought it back to me. at first i made it easy and left it in plain view. then i started dragging it across the floor giving a scent trail to follow. he did not find it the first time because he was expecting it to be in the open. Until he learned what his nose is for. now he puts his nose to the floor and searches it out pretty well, so i decided today to make it a little harder and would toss it to a spot and send him after it, and he figured it out quickly. He does not watch me hid the wing, so it is all by sight and scent. To night i threw a curve ball at him and threw it out side in the back yard right in front of him, he went out there put his nose to the air and found the wing every time.

I am no expert but i feel he is doing very well. Here is a couple of pictures.
The first one is of him sitting in my chair, that is where he is to return to and the second is of him retrieving the wing from the yard.

[benbo30]

looks like your dog is doing good , glad for him and you , now its my turn to get my dog going  he is only 9 weeks, i do have another lab that is 1.5 yr old but she is mainly a family dog

[PacificNWhunter]

Sounds like he is doing great. It's amazing how much talent a dog has on it's own, all you have to do is encourage it! keep up the good work.

[luvtohnt]

Good work. Now that he is interested in birds you can use the wing to your advantage, to work on general dicipline like sit, stay, ect... The extra motivation the wing gives will make you look like a pro in mo time.

Brandon

[RPM]

nice start

[swanny]

I did the same thing with my lab when she was a pup, now 7. We would tie the wing to a fishing pole and drag it around the neighborhood, zigging and zagging down the street. She would follow the scent exactly and find it every time. Haven't done it in a few years, but I swear the scent is still there cause her nose is always on the ground!

Great looking dog, keep up the good work!

[Wacenturion]

Sounds as if you have him on the right track.  Creative little games like that really can be beneficial to progress.  The most important thing you're doing is training him while he is young.  The biggest mistake people make with hunting dogs is wainting till they are adult size to get serious.  Young pups are just a giant absorbing pad when it comes to learning....and easier to correct when little.
 
Just keep it interesting no matter what you do.....pups have a definite attention span.  If they get bored.....quit till the next day.  Don't get frustrated....keep things positive, but recognize that your pup will have his off days.  Want to keep it fun and their interest peeked. 

Sounds and looks like a future star and companion for years to come.