Post by: acrocker on October 19, 2016, 05:48:51 PM
She is mildly interested in a fender and might chase it for a toss or two if she's in a good mood, but most of the time she just looks at me like I'm stupid for throwing it, even after I try to get her excited by teasing her with it and tossing it in the air. and waving it in her face. If I put some duck wings on a fender, I can keep her attention for maybe 4 or 5 tosses, then she's done.
I've read and been told that a lot of pups don't really get the retrieving 'fever' until they are 6+ months old - has anyone else had experience with that and is this something I need to be worried about, or is it likely that nature is going to kick in and make her the hunting and retrieving machine that I hope she can be? I'm hoping this is a case of my own impatience, but a friend of mine got a lab a month before me and his dog can't stop chasing whatever is thrown for him.
She comes from a very well-known and reputable breeder, and has excellent blood lines, so it's in her genes - that shouldn't be an issue.
Anybody have any ideas or experience with this?
Post by: Duckslayer89 on October 19, 2016, 05:53:41 PM
Post by: skipjack on October 19, 2016, 06:17:43 PM
Post by: Colin on October 19, 2016, 06:54:03 PM
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Post by: brew on October 19, 2016, 06:59:59 PM
RIP Gator...you were the best dog i ever had the priveledge of hunting with
Post by: huntnfmly on October 19, 2016, 07:01:21 PM
4-5 retrieves is perfect you have to stop before she does leave her wanting more
Post by: aaronoto on October 19, 2016, 07:40:05 PM
I'll go against what others might say and recommend not pushing it - throw a bumper one time once or twice a week and that's it. It has to remain fun - don't keep throwing it if she's not interested. Once she gains a little more interest you can start tossing a few more. Once she really starts going crazy for it, begin to make her work for it - the toss/retrieve should be her reward. As a bonus, you'll be amazed at how well your dog will listen if they know they get a retrieve if they follow directions :tup:
Post by: Happy Gilmore on October 19, 2016, 08:53:51 PM
Get the pup some birds. Scent isn't a bird. Scent is the same as a plastic bumper. It's just a smell not a reward. If you scent a bumper every day all it does is nothing. They need live excitement.
Post by: Waldo84 on October 20, 2016, 07:43:09 AM
Also: BIRDS!!! apparently they love those things.
Post by: wildweeds on October 20, 2016, 12:23:19 PM
Post by: Happy Gilmore on October 20, 2016, 01:29:32 PM
Post by: Stein on October 20, 2016, 01:53:16 PM
Post by: ForestDump on October 22, 2016, 01:27:52 AM
Post by: Schmalzfam on January 18, 2017, 07:48:10 AM
I was gonna ask if she was teething?
Seems about the age when they start.
I used to toss items that were more ply able at that age.
A canvas bumper down the hallway and a little treat when they brought it back, even if they had the drive, they got rewarded the same :)
Post by: acrocker on January 23, 2017, 06:58:01 PM
Post by: cougforester on January 23, 2017, 07:06:30 PM
She's getting better, almost 8 months old now, still not crazy excited about it but she'll get up for a few throws every now and then and will return items to hand. She's good for about 4-5, maybe 6-7 tosess on a good day, and she's just done - drops the item and just moves on. I've had her out on a couple duck trips this year, just to let her see the other dogs work and hear the guns, and she is interested in carrying the ducks around in her mouth but not crazy about jumping in the water to get one. She did go really nuts over a covey of quail, though, just sniffing and rooting around where they had been sitting, so maybe she's telling me she's going to be an upland dog... ;)
I would think 4-5 good retrieves is all that's necessary in order to encourage good habits. My lab is 7.5 months old, and he could do more but I want to keep enforcing good habits! I usually do two fetching sessions a day so he still gets a decent amount of work in, but doesn't get bored and start chewing the dummy/dropping it short/ not running a direct line.
Post by: Happy Gilmore on January 26, 2017, 12:57:48 AM
Post by: ribka on January 30, 2017, 08:35:02 AM
When session was done she went back into the crate for a few hours and when she came out a quick training session.
After a month or so no need for crate. Then can incorporate blind retrieves and water training . And don't forget to train year round
Post by: JDHasty on January 30, 2017, 09:03:36 AM
I had one that just flat out wasn't interested, and then when she turned on she was unstoppable .
At one time there were five FC/FTC chocolate labs in the US and Canada and four of them were either out of my kennel or one dog removed. I have been around a lot of good dogs and this one was one of the most the most turned on retrieving fools I have ever seen.
FC Abby;'s Little Cooper - only ran one Qual and won it, after she aged out of Derby won the first Open she ran and IIRC won the following weekend and was FC at just over two years
FTC Chocline's Cigar & Choclines Spitfire
I forget the other dog's name
All have Hasty's Annie Oakley in the front end of their pedigree. Unfortunately the pedigree of Bower Lake Ben is screwed up all over the internet. He is out of Hasty's Annie Oakley and Barracuda Blue. Not Trieven Anne Teak x Barracuda Blue
http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/pedigree.asp?id=10592
Post by: Happy Gilmore on February 05, 2017, 09:39:40 AM
I would not give up.
I had one that just flat out wasn't interested, and then when she turned on she was unstoppable .
At one time there were five FC/FTC chocolate labs in the US and Canada and four of them were either out of my kennel or one dog removed. I have been around a lot of good dogs and this one was one of the most the most turned on retrieving fools I have ever seen.
FC Abby;'s Little Cooper - only ran one Qual and won it, after she aged out of Derby won the first Open she ran and IIRC won the following weekend and was FC at just over two years
FTC Chocline's Cigar & Choclines Spitfire
I forget the other dog's name
All have Hasty's Annie Oakley in the front end of their pedigree. Unfortunately the pedigree of Bower Lake Ben is screwed up all over the internet. He is out of Hasty's Annie Oakley and Barracuda Blue. Not Trieven Anne Teak x Barracuda Blue
http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/pedigree.asp?id=10592
You're talking about Mark Clarks chocolate who sired abbey?
Post by: JDHasty on February 05, 2017, 05:29:53 PM
I would not give up.
I had one that just flat out wasn't interested, and then when she turned on she was unstoppable .
At one time there were five FC/FTC chocolate labs in the US and Canada and four of them were either out of my kennel or one dog removed. I have been around a lot of good dogs and this one was one of the most the most turned on retrieving fools I have ever seen.
FC Abby;'s Little Cooper - only ran one Qual and won it, after she aged out of Derby won the first Open she ran and IIRC won the following weekend and was FC at just over two years
FTC Chocline's Cigar & Choclines Spitfire
I forget the other dog's name
All have Hasty's Annie Oakley in the front end of their pedigree. Unfortunately the pedigree of Bower Lake Ben is screwed up all over the internet. He is out of Hasty's Annie Oakley and Barracuda Blue. Not Trieven Anne Teak x Barracuda Blue
http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/pedigree.asp?id=10592
You're talking about Mark Clarks chocolate who sired abbey?
Yes, Mark and I did more than a few breedings with that dog. I was the first to recognize him as a power stud and breed to him.
Abbey was out of my Annie X Cosmo breeding and was a pup I kept for myself. Gave her as a replacement for the only pup I ever sold that has bad hips.
I sold most of my pups to hunters that wanted bird hunting maniacs with POWER to spare. They could eat you alive if you didn't respect that dynamic. There was a time that I hunted behind six or seven of them in a pack and not one was out of control, but if they got on a bird... you better be ready for a run. Cold nosed as they come, fast and smart as all get out. I had a couple that would break away and run in front then circle back once they knew the bird was close and put the trap on it.
I was an A Class trap shooter, with a State shoot buckle on my belt and my reflexes were lightning fast back then. I shoot a little Ithaca 37 20 ga choked as tight as heck and shoot Federal P256 #6 and back in the 1980's and 90's I rarely missed bringing in a pheasant that the dogs got on.
Post by: Happy Gilmore on February 05, 2017, 11:04:24 PM