My first hunting pup

[JB18]

Hello all,  I am new around here but wanted to introduce my first hunting lab.  She is 3 months old and i think the training is going well as i have no idea what i am doing other then reading books and trying what they recommend. 

 

Before and after a weekend walk pics

[going4it]

Follow the books, they work. Trained my dog with one and couldn't be happier. Good luck and enjoy they grow up fast. 

[monstermoose78]

Welcome JB to fishing Minnesota! Great looking pup! Just keep training short and enjoy it

[monstermoose78]

I just went through it. Now my pup is a giant lab, but it is fitting. There is a lot of knowledge here with raising pups. Just ask and you will get great help

[ZachD]

Welcome what are you training her for waterfowl upland or both?

What is her name?

[JB18]

Her name is Luna, 

 

I have been looking at trainers to teach her (and me) upland hunting with an introduction to waterfowl.  She has already surpassed my teaching skills and i don't want to ruin her with my lack of training knowledge. She is a Sponge!

 

 

 

 

[ZachD]

Check out Stevensons Dog Training in Ramsey, That is where I brought my dog to train he is really good.

[monstermoose78]

I was going to get a trainer but it really is easy if a big dumb monstermoose can do it you can.

[JB18]

On 3/5/2017 at 11:18 PM, ZachD said:

Check out Stevensons Dog Training in Ramsey, That is where I brought my dog to train he is really good.

 

 

I talked to him last fall but when i called to book he is booked out until September. 

On 3/6/2017 at 6:33 PM, monstermoose78 said:

I was going to get a trainer but it really is easy if a big dumb monstermoose can do it you can.

 

It is more about time and space.  I can talk her for 15 minutes in the back yard but getting her to use the nose some place is where i will have issues. 

[monstermoose78]

she will use her nose. Toss the dummie up wind into taller grass once she gets good at fetching. I used some grouse wings on my dummie for my dog. I taught him to wait for the command to make the retreive. I would toss the dummie into the tall grass up wind so Finn had use his nose to find it.

[rundrave]

3 hours ago, JB18 said:

 I can talk her for 15 minutes in the back yard but getting her to use the nose some place is where i will have issues. 

 

You have to remember at just a few months old she is still a pup. I would keep it simple and focus on sit, stay and come. I am not a waterfowl guy but am a big upland hunter. I know waterfowl guys will have their blind retrieves etc.

 

But when it comes to simply just making the nose work. When you think she is ready, take a hot dog, cut it up into a bunch of small pieces and throw them on the floor and then use what ever command your going to use in the field. Dead bird, or hunt dead etc. She will start to associate that with putting her nose down. Then move to grass in your yard and do the same thing with the hot dog pieces. Give the command and she will start searching for the pieces in the grass. Then when she is older take away the hot dogs and start moving into planting birds etc. And eventually into some bird drags.

 

The key here being when you say dead bird that dog needs to start searching. They wont always see a bird go down, and if you hunt pheasants your going to always have birds that get shot and end up running. You need to get that dog searching where the bird went down and find that track.

Edited March 9, 2017 by rundrave

[JB18]

I love the hog dog idea! i have been hiding treats for her to find randomly but i need to add the hunt dead command. I keep trying to find ways to tire her brain, she has so much energy and walks only tire her body and after she sleeps it off she is ready to go.  She will do anything for food and this hot dog thing might keep her busy for a little while.

 

I tied a pheasant wing to a dummy last night and she went crazy for it.  i never seen her run that hard for fetch before! 

 

 

[monstermoose78]

I would agree with Dave working with basics sit stay come. 

[monstermoose78]

Well how did it work out

[JB18]

We are doing pretty good.  Her Nose is not good...or she just runs or hunts to hard and forgets to use her nose.  We still get birds but it is hard.  

[JB18]

I was trying to upload a couple pics but it keep failing.  

[monstermoose78]

That sounds like my lab he ran hard at first. He slowed down now and learned to slow down some. Your pup is young yet

[fishingstar]

I have a lab that was in her second year. She got a lot of work this year. She would get exited and not us her nose . I also have a eight year old she was the same way. 

to keep them using there nose in the fall I put pheasant sent on a tennis ball at night and let them find it in the dark

That seams to help them using there nose while hunting.

It only gets better when they know its that time of the year.