Proud of my Puppy!

[Dirtysteve]

I took my year old Lab (Tally) on her first "real" hunt yesterday. We went to a pheasant farm and shot a few birds. I am not an experienced trainer so this was her and my test on how we have been doing. The first three birds she found, flushed and partially retrieved. I was disappointed about the retrieves, so I quit hunting and went out to a bare field and had her sit and we worked through some retrieves with the dead birds. I have only worked her on pigeons so I thought maybe the size difference was a concern. After about 2 throws she realized how to hold these birds correctly and brought them right back.
We then continued hunting, 7 birds later she had brought each one back to hand and made an outstanding dive off a bank into a river to retrieved a cripple. I was happy as could be!
By the way she held a point on 2 of these birds until I told her to get it, maybe I have a future pointing lab?

 

[littlebuck]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-29-04 AT 12:13PM (MST)[p]It sounds like the pup is doing great. I like to shoot all the birds I can for young dogs. When I used to go to hunt tests I would keep the old ducks and use them for training, anything to get a bird in their mouth will help. It sounds like you did the right thing to stop and let the dog get used to the larger bird. Oh and about the cripple their is nothing like seeing a hot retriever on a bird that's getting away. You can teach the dog to hold or point on birds if thats what you want. I just let them do whatever thay want. Good luck with the dog.

 

[kilbuc]

Congrats, you are doing the right thing, good basic training then putting lots of birds in front of a young dog. The puppy will put it together and do the rest. Puppies are fun.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"