Water Dog

[311Hemi]

Quote:

---

Whoa and Stay are really the same.

---

True, but I train "whoa" by itself and the dog is in a standing position. I don't start with "stay" first and then try to transfer "stay" to "whoa". But obviously there are many ways to train a dog....just depends on what training program(s) you are using.

Can you tell I have to much free time at work?

[tealitup]

Well I ended up staying close to home this opening. I brought my pup with; after the morning flurry of ducks I brought her down to the water.

She jumped into the river; smelled the decoys - came over to me and gave me that "look". Ran around the cat tails and enjoyed every minute. When some other hunters about 200 yards away shot - her ears perked up and got excited. I then took her about 40 yards away and had a friend shoot his shotgun. She ran over to him - tail wagging adn excited. Played fetch in the water.

Over the next hour I worked in the shotgun closer and closer. She does not have a care in the world with the sound; rather she gets excited.

I know some are going to say that it is a bit early, but if you were there watching her reaction to sounds and sight you would have agreed.

It was a great time having her out there. More fun then shooting and ducks (we did not get any). She would sit when asked (and stayed) and wanted to play fetch in the water, in the decoys!

Later in the afternoon I took her down a road with pot holes. She only walked about 15 yards in front of us - and nose to the ground. I was one proud man of a 12 week old pup. She did awesome! (even without birds)

[Kallista]

It sounds like you both had some fun..

I am taking my pup out when hes 12 weeks, and have another person fire a ways off, then move in slowly depending how Hunter does keep moving in as i play fetch with him..

[tealitup]

So question for you all. My little puppy will not stop barking. I mean I can play with her for 3 hours non-stop. I sit down to take a break and she starts barking.

My wife eats - she barks. Its driving me crazy! I have tried to ignore her when she barks but she will keep going for 15 minutes.

Also, the vet told me something today (perfect health). If I am going to breed her I should do it before her second heat cycle. I guess mamory glads tend to become cancerous if not spaded before their third cycle??? any thoughts?

[LABS4ME]

I've been told you reduce the chance of breast cancer to almost zero if you spay before the 1st heat cycle, it's cut in half if done by the second heat cycle and it makes less difference as you keep going in years after that.

What vet is telling you to breed before her second heat cycle? I think I'd make a vet change. You cannot have her hips and elbow evaluations done by then and she is barely mature by her second cycle (usually 14-18 months old). How are you going to be able to evaluate if she is a dog that should be bred by the time she is 1 - 1 1/2 years old? I'm more interested in making a good hunting dog or trial dog 1st, and then worrying about breeding later. I have an almost 2 year old dog right now that I am leaning towards not breeding. She is a good dog, but not necassarily better than what can be found out there. The purpose of breeding is to improve the breed. If the dog offers no improvement, they should be withheld from breeding. I've had hip and elbow pre-lims done and they look like they'll pass no problem, eyes are clear, she hunts nice, is real obedient, but she has different 'hitches in her giddy-ups' in many of the different training aspects, and I'm strongly considering withholding her from further breeding.

Breeding takes a lot of research and investment in both time and money, and they all don't go off without a hitch. There are many times that complications will arise that puts either the pups or Mom's life in jeopardy. It happened with a member here recently.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this. Don't put a timeline on breeding your girl. See what she has to offer. Get her trained to the level you want. Make sure all her health clearances are in order. research the right male for the breeding. Then put the plan together. If she's 3 then she's three. If they are going to be bred, you can't base the risk of breast cancer, against her age of being bred. The chance will be there and it is what it is... you can't have it both ways.

I may be coming across as harsh, but I'm being flat out honest with you... just letting you onto the realities of breeding dogs. If you have little to no intentions on ever becoming a breeder, I'd spay early (8-9 months), if you are like me and may consider it, and they develop cancer when they get older, then that will be that. You can't look back. It's the risk we run by not spaying early. I evaluate them all and decide at 2-3 if they will be bred. I know the incidence of cancer will be higher, and if I don't breed them, then it was for nought, but I still spay them to get rid of the heat cycles and gain whatever small percentage of odds are left at dodging the cancer, back in my corner.

Good Luck!

Ken

[311Hemi]

Ken....good post! I agree with everything said.

Especially the breeding before the 2nd heat cycle ! Not before 2 years of age.....period (IMO). The dog needs to be evaluated and OFA wont do it until 2. I know Penn will do it sooner but I think that is only hips and not elbows and I don't know how it plays into things. Not sure if it's offered around here. I don't like dogs being bred off pre-lims either. Been there and wont do that again (being a buyer that is).

[tealitup]

I was hoping that you would respond Labs; thank you for the advice. I thought the same thing when he said to breed that early. I don't really want to "become" a breeder - rather if she is a great dog I would love to have the chance. If I did breed her more likely I would keep one puppy and sell the rest for a minimal charge (break even - no need to make money at it).

[JDM]

I bred a good female once. I will never do it again. It was a ton or work, and if you add up the hours and costs, I don't even think we broke even. Plus, we had 12 pups. I did keep a female though and it was fun to see the traits that were passed along.