Just to endorse what everyone else has said - we started gun dog training late, but we are loving it - its what the dog was built for! I see it as an extension of the indoor training outdoors - much more challenging but also much more rewarding.
I don't think we will ever use it 'in anger' - I've got a big soppy pet, but its great to see my dog learning new things and working with him towards these and gives us a real focus for our training.
John W's book is a really helpful read, and the Gun Dog Club manuals are really good too, even if just for everyday training.
I bought the 'Kimberley Gundogs' DVDs too - I found that watching suits my learning style.
I do hope you try this training - i bet you get hooked.
I have just started gundog training with my German Shorthaired Pointer although he's a Hunt, Point and Retrieve breed (HPR) so the training we attend is specifically for his breed and other HPR's.
Leo absolutely loved the first session even though we didn't do much and we are having fun doing 5 minutes of fun retrieves in the garden each day, they have also given me obedience exercises to practice. I hope that we will have lots of fun but also enable me to be able to read my dog well (v.important when you have a breed with a strong hunting instinct like I now do) and have good control over him when were out and about.
The key in the early days so I've been told is to make everything fun, fun, fun and just concentrate on building a good relationship with your pup to get that "work with me" thing going! Its certainly working well with Leo anyway and if he thinks were doing anything he's straight there by my side... Working tests is my aim!
Go for it, you'll likely love it! Be careful though.... you might *think* you're not interested in actually working your dog or competing.... but before you know it you'll be dressed in country clothing you'd never have been seen dead in before, be getting more dogs, needing a 4x4, thoroughly enjoying standing in the p'ing rain eating a soggy sarnie and drinking yucky instant coffee from a flask It's a bit addictive!
The Kennel Club website has a list of gundog clubs around the country. You could try seeing what clubs are local to you and giving them a ring to see if they run training or can point you in the direction of someone who does
Don't do it. Teaching a lab to retrieve and be obediant is cruel, and you'll be wasting your time!!!!
Seriously, it's great fun for both owner and dog. Whether you want to pickup or not doesn't matter. You both will throughly enjoy it. Wispa knows when she's working and when play time is.
Give it a go, and I bet like the rest of us, you'll be hooked.
Go for it, you'll likely love it! Be careful though.... you might *think* you're not interested in actually working your dog or competing.... but before you know it you'll be dressed in country clothing you'd never have been seen dead in before, be getting more dogs, needing a 4x4, thoroughly enjoying standing in the p'ing rain eating a soggy sarnie and drinking yucky instant coffee from a flask It's a bit addictive
your dead right there Mo - we are just missing the 4x4 but hope to rectify that at some point.
Go for it, it's the best thing I've ever done and I'm completely hooked. Like Irene has also said, beware, it's very addictive and before you know it you'll have more dogs, need a bigger house etc etc
I started gundog training about a year ago with Fin and am totally hooked! I knew I wanted to train my pup to work but I didn't realise how much it would take over my life (in a good way! )
So a year down the line, I am loving it, now own the 4x4 and am itching to get another pup so that I can train a youngster with all my new found knowledge from the mistakes I made with Fin.
I'm just thinking about getting sorted with the country clothing - losing 2st means that all of last years outdoor gear doesn't fit. Oh well - just a good excuse to buy some new gear!
My plan was to start gun dog training with George once he was old enough (he is 5 months now). I purposely selected a dog from working lines and my initial aim was to see if we could pass Grade 1. It is not something I had been involved in before, but we live in the country, love the outdoor life and I thought it would be good fun for both of us. I joined the Gundog club, bought the books and booked an initial assessment with a 'gundog trainer'. Unfortunately this was is not an experience I would want to repeat. She didn't like the look of George from the word go (even though he is a very well bred working lab). She told me he had no natural retrieving instinct, was disobedient and I needed to harden up with him. I was advised to take all of his toys away from him and leave him for long periods of time on his own, so when I did spend time with him he would want to work for me. I came away feeling extremely disillusioned and decided maybe this wasn't for me. I want George to be a family pet to live in the house with us, but also want to train him to be an obedient dog outdoors. I thought we were doing really well with him. He walks well on a loose lead, will sit and stay and recall is good. Ok his retrieve does need a bit of work but he is still a baby. Not sure where we go from here. javascript:emoticon('')
Valian, Personally, I'd look for someone else. Sounds to me like the assessor doesn't know what she's talking about. I agree with you, at 5 months he's still a baby, and training needs to be fun. Don't give up just because one person says George is no good.
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