[commited]

Well i have a 5 month old black lab male, who with out a question has gone beyond anything i had hoped of him, as far as being a well trained gun dog. Bragging set aside :rofl: During the summar months i do alot of crabbing and fishing in the chesapeake bay, and my question is, i can let "Kent" my dog come along with me?

Theres no question i expect him to do so during the hunting season, but he is still young. He also LOVES water, when out on the dock he will constantly jump off, just to get wet and swim. I have no problem with him doing this, but i would if he jumped off my boat, especialy at 30 mph, with a 90 honda behind :no: He isnt scrared of anything, which does discourage me at times.

So i guess my question is, do you think he will control himself on a moving boat out on the bay, or is there a way to train him to do so? (I kind of do not want to time him up on the boat, because it would be uncomfortable, and he wouldnt be tied during hunting.)

 

[Goosehunterdog]

I would train the dog to sit in the boat before it moves...I always train a hunting dog to sit in the boat while on shore as a pup..

 

[LaRedneck]

First off free swimming isn't highly reguarded. Read this: http://www.ducks.org/Hunting/RetrieverT ... ttoDo.html

4. Free swimming in swimming pools or ponds
Uncontrolled and unrestricted swimming will produce pups that know no difference when it's time for water work. The pup may decide to hit the water for a refreshing dip when the moods strikes him... right in the middle of your training session. And how does the handler respond? You can find him running the bank in a frenzy, yelling and peeping the whistle. In this case, the handler is teaching the pup something special: "Hey, I'm out here where the boss can't get me... this is great!" I've seen this too many times. Handlers teach too early that the pup can get beyond his control. I try never to let a pup discover that he is not in some way under my control.

Secondly you can look at this several different ways. One if your unsure of your dogs behavior then you'll be paying more attention to him than enjoying a day out fishing. Also you could see this as another chance for your dog to get hurt, like jumping off the boat or getting a hook in the foot. As always you should start off easy and work on land first before you just take off in an unfamiliar surroundings. Now once you get the dog handled I see no problem with it. Good luck.

 

[HNTFSH]

So i guess my question is, do you think he will control himself on a moving boat out on the bay, or is there a way to train him to do so? (I kind of do not want to time him up on the boat, because it would be uncomfortable, and he wouldnt be tied during hunting.)

Have you taught him not to jump out of the boat on gunfire and ducks falling? I think that would be harder to train! :yes:

I also agree with the guys above.