[Stanwood]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knew how to train an eight month old Lab to take a line. He obeys pretty good and will do double retrieves on wings and bumpers.

Stanwood

 

[gsphunter]

Are you talking about taking a line for a blind retrieve or is your dog not running a line to the bumpers?

 

[Stanwood]

I'm talking taking a line for a blind retrieve.

Stanwood

 

[ACEBLDRS]

Have you started her on retrieving a line of bumpers spaced out every 10 yrds or so. that is the initial step.

 

[gsphunter]

I started with pile work. If your dog is super fired up about retrieving then it almost doesn't matter what word you send your dog with. Set a pile of bumpers in front of the dog maybe about ten feet in front of the dog. When I say pile her is what I mean:
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This is a nine bumper pile. It gives a good target for a dog starting off. Like I said though set the dog about ten feet in front of the pile and give your normal fetch command. Then start working the word back into this drill instead of your normal command. Once the dog has latched onto "back", work on extending the distance by about ten yards each session until you have a dog that will run about 100 yards straight back.

Is the dog force fetched?

 

[Stanwood]

The dog is not force fetched. He is a reteiving nut. :smile:
I have not started having him retrieve a line of bumpers.

Stanwood

 

[ACEBLDRS]

i like that gsp. how far appart are the bumpers.

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[shrpshtr]

I started with pile work. If your dog is super fired up about retrieving then it almost doesn't matter what word you send your dog with. Set a pile of bumpers in front of the dog maybe about ten feet in front of the dog. When I say pile her is what I mean:
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This is a nine bumper pile. It gives a good target for a dog starting off. Like I said though set the dog about ten feet in front of the pile and give your normal fetch command. Then start working the word back into this drill instead of your normal command. Once the dog has latched onto "back", work on extending the distance by about ten yards each session until you have a dog that will run about 100 yards straight back.

Is the dog force fetched?

good stuff gsp. i'll have to make note of this. it sounds like it will do just fine!

 

[gsphunter]

Deepen the pile as you extend the distance. When the dog is close to you, it won't be running full tilt to the pile, so it will be easy to stop and grab the first one. I would say 6-7 feet should be enough space at a hundred yards when the dog is really moving, but to start with you only need about 3 feet between bumpers. As for distance from dog/handler to pile just keep extending that as the dog improves, but like I said, start close where the dog can see them without a problem.

Actually that pile didn't turn out the way I typed it. The first bumper should be centered between the second two, and row of two should be centered between the row of three. It should look like a diamond. I'm sure you guys figured that though.

 

[bullet]

Good info on the pile drills GSPhunter. Dog should to be FF first

 

[Stanwood]

I don't have the time or money to FF. What else can we do?
thanks
Stanwood

 

[shrpshtr]

stan, i would really work on what gsp said. that's great stuff. it sounds like with a little time it will fix your problem. good luck.

 

[ACEBLDRS]

I don't have the time or money to FF. What else can we do?
thanks
Stanwood

If you don't have the time or the money. Your in trouble, because it takes one or the other to have a well trained dog. I give mine time and more time. The guys who don't have the time spend money. the guys who don't have either, don't have a huntin dog. that sounds harsh but it is true. even if you don't want a hunting dog, a dog takes time.

You only need to spend about 15 20 minutes a day on the FF. So i wouldn't say time is the problem.

 

[gsphunter]

ACE is right Stan. It may sound harsh but time is what is takes if you are going to train your own dog. I don't have the money to pay a pro trainer, and I honestly don't want to, because I enjoy the training almost as much as the hunting. I will say that I had to cut some things out of my schedule when I got my dog. They are a big comittment. I would say that I spend an average of 45 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Sometimes more or less depending on weather/schedule/or what I'm training at that point.

You don't need 45 minutes a day at all, but I take things super slow because I am an extremely amateur trainer.

If you are just trying to get a hunting dog ready to hunt, maybe just skip blinds. I know I'll probably catch some crap for saying that from other guys here, but FF is like a foundation for starting blinds. Let the dog retrieve the ducks he can see go down, and maybe you could retrieve the rest? Good luck and keep it fun! Fun is the best way to train.