[B_G]

Hi.

I am new to this site. I'm also new to owning/training a waterfowel dog. I've only ever owned/hunted with Beagels and they pretty much train themselvs. I have a 5 month old Golden. She's a pretty sharp dog. I've already taught her all basic obedience commands and a few party tricks and now we're both bored. I figured both of us would enjoy learning to duck hunt. Is it too late to start her training? I was thinking of taking her to a pro school since I have no Idea what I'm doing. Any Ideas or recommendations on where to start? Sorry for being clueless.

Thanks
Brian

 

[SteveInTN]

If she has basic OB down then you're right on schedule. Look around and buy yourself a retriever training video or book (SmartWork, Water Dog, Mike Lardy, etc, etc). If you don't want to do it yourself, find a good local trainer. If she has a hunting pedigree then she is getting to the perfect age.

 

[B_G]

To be honest, I'm not really sure what her pedigree means. She came from a highly recommended breeder With AKC & OFA papers. My original intent was to get a dog to hang out with, not hunt. I really don't know what traits to look for in a hunting golden. She is very mellow in chaotic situations ie dog park, will retrieve a tennis ball out of the water( I live on a lakefront) and learns very fast. Basic obedience only took a couple weeks at 15 min a day. Are there any physical traits I should be looking for.

Thanks for the advice on the videos. I'll pick a couple of them up. :thumbsup:

 

[SteveInTN]

Nope. Did the breeder hunt or advertise they were from a hunting pedigree? To find out for yourself, look at the certificate from the AKC where it shows several generations back on both sides. Do any of the dogs have FC, AFC, MH, SH, JH beside them? This would be an overt sign that your dog comes from a 'working' retriever. This is one thing that a prof trainer will look at when consulting you on hiring them. This simply shows a propensity, or likelihood that the dog has what it takes. It is most definately NOT a hard and fast indicator either way. I do know some trainers that will not accept dogs that are not from a hunting pedigree.

Beyond that, if you want to train her yourself, I think that you can judge for yourself or obtain the advice or someone who can actually observe the dog. I would imagine that most any retriever can succeed as a hunter if their training is adequate. That is where there is usually a breakdown. Some dogs might not rise above the level of adequate, but adequate is, uh, adequate!

I'm confused too

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[muskiemac]

BG:
I think that with a little groundwork and a lot of training, that you can make a go of it. I would start out with a couple of good books, one by Jerome Robinson,"Training the hunting retriever" and one by Mike Gould "The labrador shooting dog". Don't be put off by the title, it has a alot of good info. I would start by switching off of tennis balls and onto retrieving dummies. Get your dog steady, and gradually start to work him through some heavy shore weeds, and decoys.
Next you will need to get you hands on about six pigeons, and start the dog working on live birds. After the dog is totally crazy about birds, then adda blank pistol. Only shoot when the dog is right at the bird. (Mike's book goes into details about this) After a couple of months, you should be able to progress through a 20g to a 12g.
Also at this time i would slowly work up to doubles. Once your dog can do doubles, and work through decoys. Start switching over to water more with the doubles, and make all your sessions as realistic as possible.

I would also contact your local retriever training club, they will have a lot of good help. I would also look at the GRANDRIVERWEB website, and the message board section- lots of info.

One last thing, avoid force fetching and e-collars at all costs

 

[unload]

So many elements come into play. #1 for me is getting your dog use to loud noises. Term used here is Gun Shy. If your dog is gun shy or scared of loud noises it could be tough to train him/ her yourself. these books and videos are some what good. But you as the handler knows your dog the best. Once your dog relates to loud bang with retrievering no problems at all.
As a matter of fact I've seen dogs jump out of trucks when you pull up to the hunting area and run around the truck all exicited, once they here a shot they calm down and are ready to have fun. I had one dog, if she saw me come out of the house with my shotgun, I didn't have to make her load-up. She beat me to the truck. Either way you go. Just remember to have fun and spend time your dog.
It probably best to buy one of these books and then you decide if you think you have the time to do it. Or take it by a trainer and see what they think about you training it. The book I use is Water Dog.