[zotar]

Hello! I am new to this forum so greetings! I have just got my first lab- parents had loads so well used to them, but this is my first- hurrah!

I am trying to do all the right things with the Pup, now 10 weeks old. She is fairly mouthy and chews my hands off etc.

I have a burning question- I concentrated on getting a good working line as I want to train her up for the gun and trialling- however most of the literature says even at this young age she should be retreiving stuff. However, she is not that interested in chasing and bringing things to me- more interested in everything else that happens! Also not good at coming when called. Are there any good tips to aid them getting into the habit of fetching and retreiving- or ar such a young age does it not matter?

She also likes to find things in the garden (stones etc) and then hide under tables to chew- running away from me- is this normal for a pup. I have not shouted at her, so am a little concerned that something is amiss here!

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[_Mary_]

Picking up stones is normal for a lab pup!, you have to be careful she doesn`t swallow them though because that may mean an op to remove them.

You can use that as an oppurtunity to train her to give you things back, not sure how you`d do that though so as not to spoil her for later working ability, the members who do that kind of thing will be better able to advise

Welcome to LF btw, pics of your girl would be nice to see

 

[zotar]

If I have done this right- there should be a few pics here....

 

[Margaret]

What a lovely pup.Welcome to LF.

 

[Moj]

Welcome welcome :wave:

Everything you describe is totally normal.

One thing I'll do with next pup (who I'll want to train for gundog work too) that I didn't know to do with my current one is to praise it to the max whenever it holds something in its mouth, even a stone!! I was too busy trying to extricate potentially harmful items from her mouth and stupidly taught her to drop things. Now having a devil of a job re-teaching her to 'hold'.

 

[Ettinsmoor]

The most important bit of information for you at this stage if you plan to try to work your pup is NEVER EVER CHASE YOUR PUPPY. It sounds like you may well have been doing this already, but the pup is still young so you should still be able to correct things.

Make sure you have some tasty titbits handy at all times - in your pocket or in an easily accessible place. Whenever you see your pup with something in its mouth be it stone or whatever else it shouldn't have tell the pup how wonderful it is and encourage it to bring the stone to you (by waving a really smelly tasty treat about near its nose to begin with) and being really vocal and clappy telling the pup how clever it is to have found the most wonderful treasure you have ever seen and swap the stone for the treat.

There you have it in one a recall, and a retrieve and a delivery into your hand all in one. Its as easy as that .

 

[Guest]

That is an excellent post Jill and I would just like to say, this goes for pet dogs as well as potential workers.

If you can encourage the pup to bring it's finds to you and be happy to swap for something better, you'll have far less likelyhood of it running off with it's prize and swallowing it, just so you can't have it. :wink:

 

[dotandmegan]

she is not that interested in chasing and bringing things to me- more interested in everything else that happens! Also not good at coming when called. Are there any good tips to aid them getting into the habit of fetching and retreiving- or ar such a young age does it not matter?

She also likes to find things in the garden (stones etc) and then hide under tables to chew- running away from me- is this normal for a pup. I have not shouted at her, so am a little concerned that something is amiss here!

Any advice greatly appreciated!

I train for recall from the very beginning, using a whistle as they get their food dish, gradually encouraging a "sit/wait" until they hear the whistle before being allowed to eat. Works a treat especially as they're getting 4 meals a day and so lots of practice

Once you have recall round the house both using voice and/or whistle it's essential to get the pup to come to you if it picks ANYthing up in its mouth. That goes for pebbles, twigs or slippers :roll: Some of those can be dangerous if swallowed, some just downright naughty :evil: but as peeps have said above NEVER chase your pup to get something off them - it becomes a game they love and you'll find it hard to undo. If they drop it on the way to you no great shakes, and you can train for a proper fetch as you go along by praising to the Heavens if they do bring something and hold it nicely till you tell them to drop/give. Peeps who work their dogs will give you advice about that.

But we learned the hard way with previous pups about the chasing thing - better to turn and walk away if they think a game is on 8O

Welcome to LF BTW Love the photos!