Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: luv2hunt on December 14, 2011, 07:55:25 AM

Title: Lab pup questions?
Post by: luv2hunt on December 14, 2011, 07:55:25 AM: I have a 10 week old chocolate female lab who is doing great... She already knows the commands sit, stay, kennel and obeys them well. My question is at what age should you start leash training? She already wears a collar, but if you put a leash on her and try to walk she just sits or lays down and wants nothing to do with it. Question 2. Is it to early to start shooting a gun around her so she's not gun shy? Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: rtspring on December 14, 2011, 08:01:32 AM: Not sure on the whole leash deal. But out of my three labs I have trained. I started shooting around them as soon as I could. They come to know the BANG means business.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: singleshot12 on December 14, 2011, 08:10:34 AM: It may be a little too early if she's showing signs of not wanting anything to do with it. Wait a couple weeks and slowly introduce the leash by just putting it on her, give her a treat, carry the leash on walks, associate it with fun things, hook her up occasionally at first when shen sits and stays, give it a little tug as you call her to come with a treat in your hand, give her the treat when she comes.
Get he retrieving first and get her to love it before introducing gun shots with the throw, and start off with a cap blank or 22 for that.
This is what I do with all my labs and they've all turned out great, hope this helps. Oh and females can be more sensitive and emotional than the males, they're just like people so take it easy. :twocents:
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: Stilly bay on December 14, 2011, 09:21:29 AM: now is the perfect time for a leash. what I like to do with pups that young is clip a very light leash to them and go out in the yard or somewhere interesting for a walk. every time that pup pulls on the leash stop walking. don't tug back or try and reprimand her (that will come later) just stop walking and soon she will get the idea that if she wants to be able to go investigate smells she has to do it with you by her side.

doing this has saved me a ton of heartburn down the road when we move on to "heel" it brainwashes them nice early & not to tug on the dern leash :bash:
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: vandeman17 on December 14, 2011, 09:38:19 AM: I don't know if it was good or bad but it worked for me... what I did was put a leash on my pup and let her run around with it for a few minutes at a time so that she realized that it wasn't a bad thing. Then I started putting it on and then just following her around as she played holding on to it. After a week or so of that I gave it a little resistence and started with the actual training of it and it worked pretty well. :twocents:
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: PointNLab on December 14, 2011, 11:26:38 AM: I would get a lite short leash and clip it on her in the house and just let her get used to it. As far as the guns, most dogs aren't gun shy so it is typically our introduction that freaks them out. Get her retreiving realy well from a remote (friend) gunner. Once she is birdy as all heck, use a 209 starter pistol used by the gunner at 40 + yards while the bird is in the air and the pup is running to it. Do this over/over then gradually bring the gun closer.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: Happy Gilmore on December 14, 2011, 12:55:33 PM: Quote from: PointNLab on December 14, 2011, 11:26:38 AM
I would get a lite short leash and clip it on her in the house and just let her get used to it. As far as the guns, most dogs aren't gun shy so it is typically our introduction that freaks them out. Get her retreiving realy well from a remote (friend) gunner. Once she is birdy as all heck, use a 209 starter pistol used by the gunner at 40 + yards while the bird is in the air and the pup is running to it. Do this over/over then gradually bring the gun closer.

How's the fog over there Doug? Dropped off a stud in Ellensburg yesterday...miserable there.....

Oh, y :yeah:.... what Doug says......
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: luv2hunt on December 14, 2011, 02:24:22 PM: Thanks for the advice guys... I forgot to mention I have already tried the light leash and all she wants to do is chew on it and try to rip it apart. It's been 30+ years since I have been around a puppy full time and forgot how much work the little buggers are. With all the chewing she does I think my kitchen is going to need to be remodeled or one of my toes is going to need to be sewn back on lol. Anyway great info and keep it coming.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: Happy Gilmore on December 14, 2011, 03:07:42 PM: Quote from: luv2hunt on December 14, 2011, 02:24:22 PM
Thanks for the advice guys... I forgot to mention I have already tried the light leash and all she wants to do is chew on it and try to rip it apart. It's been 30+ years since I have been around a puppy full time and forgot how much work the little buggers are. With all the chewing she does I think my kitchen is going to need to be remodeled or one of my toes is going to need to be sewn back on lol. Anyway great info and keep it coming.

that's fine. Just let her. She'll get bored and ignore it after a while.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: thinkingman on December 14, 2011, 05:59:22 PM: Happy helped me introduce gunfire to my pup.(I learned a lot from Happy!)
I'll try to explain what I watched him do....
Get the dog some bird exposure...city pigeons.
Progress to tossing the pigeon in the air...the dog should be totally focused on the bird.
Now toss it in the air and while the dog is focused, squeeze off a couple of light blanks.
Watch the dog for her to break concentration from the gunfire....if she stays focused, graduate to louder blanks while doing the same thing.
Worked great for mine.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: PointNLab on December 19, 2011, 11:42:07 AM: You can spray the leash with hairspray or "Bitter Apple" to curb the chewing. Still Foggy here Paul. I see more roosters in the yard than in the field lately.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: luv2hunt on December 19, 2011, 01:43:13 PM: Thanks again for the reply's... Things are going somewhat well with the leash other than she likes to stop constantly and doesn't want to follow. I give light tugs and she isn't phased by it at all (very stubborn). I will keep working with her and see if I can break her of this... Any suggestions? Another thing I have been noticing is her psycho personality... She is calm and loving at one point, then on occasion she will walk up to you and let out a bark and go on a terror mission trying to bite and racing around the room. Maybe this is normal although I doubt it :dunno:.
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: vandeman17 on December 19, 2011, 01:58:56 PM: What I have done before is make sure either the leash is short or just hold it near the collar. That way you can really guide and enforce what you want the dog to do. I also try to do it until you can tell they lose interest, praise them, then do it again later. Don't make it a punishment but also make sure they know you mean business. It can be tough sometimes but you will figure it out. :tup:
Title: Re: Lab pup questions?
Post by: Happy Gilmore on December 19, 2011, 02:00:38 PM: Quote from: luv2hunt on December 19, 2011, 01:43:13 PM
Thanks again for the reply's... Things are going somewhat well with the leash other than she likes to stop constantly and doesn't want to follow. I give light tugs and she isn't phased by it at all (very stubborn). I will keep working with her and see if I can break her of this... Any suggestions? Another thing I have been noticing is her psycho personality... She is calm and loving at one point, then on occasion she will walk up to you and let out a bark and go on a terror mission trying to bite and racing around the room. Maybe this is normal although I doubt it :dunno:.

Normal for a puppy. Don't worry. Maybe think about going to an obedience class nearby a time or two a week? I know it sounds silly but, from my opinion, 90% of all the problems people have with their dogs is just poor obedience and not understanding how to deal with a little unruliness.

I'm sure there are some classes somewhere nearby you which wouldn't cost alot.