Retriever Thread!!!

[MGG]

Sounds like a amazing hunting lineage!
Im trying to train one of my Goldens to hunt and it is going downhill quick thanks to 4th of July and stupid people letting off fireworks to close.
Do you have any pointers?
I do have him tracking and Retrieving. We are working on swimming(but im focusing on pheasant) Started him with a starter pistol that was before the 4th he didnt phase. He knows recall pretty good. Its the gun part thats got him. Im going to take him out to the prarie again soon and slowly work with him.

Does he have a strong drive to retrieve? We train all of our dogs off of the water dog book by Richard Wolters, some would say it's outdated but personally I think pretty much everything is still applicable. If you've never read it I'd recommend it. Family dog and Game dog are by him as well and I really like them. I found Game Dog on a free books shelf at a thrift store and snatched it up, haha. I read the whole thing and have been working in some of it to her maintenance training.

How old is he? We've never had an issue with gun-shy dogs. If you start them young it usually doesn't happen. What you could do is if he has set feeding times, get him excited for his food and shoot off a cap gun or something similar right before you feed him, then praise him. They learn to associate that something good comes with the bang. We also use the Retrieve-R trainer dummy launcher, it makes a gun shot noise as it shoots off the bumper. Something like that could help if he gets really excited for bumpers.
Goldens are good but their long hair in thick brush gets to be a pain, haha. Too many burrs and stuff like to get stuck in it. I'm a big fan of the short low-maintenance coat of labs.
If you're working for pheasant I'd recommend getting some bottled pheasant scent to put on all of his dummies too. It's amazing when they learn the scent means the prize and how they start to work a field to wind it. They know exactly how to go back and forth based off how fast the wind is blowing and what direction. Even if they have no idea where they dummy is. If he's older he should catch on pretty quickly.

I always think it's so odd that some dogs get scared by fireworks. Ours try to get out because they think it could be a bird being shot down, in a interesting way, haha. Avery will run back and forth looking out the windows to try to spot who's "shooting".

It got really funny after I taught her to sit to shot because she'd hear it and sit and then look around all confused.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Does he have a strong drive to retrieve? We train all of our dogs off of the water dog book by Richard Wolters, some would say it's outdated but personally I think pretty much everything is still applicable. If you've never read it I'd recommend it. Family dog and Game dog are by him as well and I really like them. I found Game Dog on a free books shelf at a thrift store and snatched it up, haha. I read the whole thing and have been working in some of it to her maintenance training.

How old is he? We've never had an issue with gun-shy dogs. If you start them young it usually doesn't happen. What you could do is if he has set feeding times, get him excited for his food and shoot off a cap gun or something similar right before you feed him, then praise him. They learn to associate that something good comes with the bang. We also use the Retrieve-R trainer dummy launcher, it makes a gun shot noise as it shoots off the bumper. Something like that could help if he gets really excited for bumpers.
Goldens are good but their long hair in thick brush gets to be a pain, haha. Too many burrs and stuff like to get stuck in it. I'm a big fan of the short low-maintenance coat of labs.
If you're working for pheasant I'd recommend getting some bottled pheasant scent to put on all of his dummies too. It's amazing when they learn the scent means the prize and how they start to work a field to wind it. They know exactly how to go back and forth based off how fast the wind is blowing and what direction. Even if they have no idea where they dummy is. If he's older he should catch on pretty quickly.

I always think it's so odd that some dogs get scared by fireworks. Ours try to get out because they think it could be a bird being shot down, in a interesting way, haha. Avery will run back and forth looking out the windows to try to spot who's "shooting".

It got really funny after I taught her to sit to shot because she'd hear it and sit and then look around all confused.

You know so much!

 

[MGG]

You know so much!

There's always something to learn about dogs/training!
I love it though. Definitely a passion of mine.
I can't imagine ever being without a lab. I've been around tons of dogs and I just always come back to my labs. There's a reason they're one of the most popular dogs in the world.

 

[ShrekDawg]

There's always something to learn about dogs/training!
I love it though. Definitely a passion of mine.
I can't imagine ever being without a lab. I've been around tons of dogs and I just always come back to my labs. There's a reason they're one of the most popular dogs in the world.

Yeah, I love it too but definitely don’t know nearly that much hah at least about retriever training. I know about other stuff but yeah.

And I love Labs too! They’re amazing. I really want a well bred purebred eventually. Yours would actually be amazing because I really want a field line or a mix of field and show hahah

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Does he have a strong drive to retrieve? We train all of our dogs off of the water dog book by Richard Wolters, some would say it's outdated but personally I think pretty much everything is still applicable. If you've never read it I'd recommend it. Family dog and Game dog are by him as well and I really like them. I found Game Dog on a free books shelf at a thrift store and snatched it up, haha. I read the whole thing and have been working in some of it to her maintenance training.

How old is he? We've never had an issue with gun-shy dogs. If you start them young it usually doesn't happen. What you could do is if he has set feeding times, get him excited for his food and shoot off a cap gun or something similar right before you feed him, then praise him. They learn to associate that something good comes with the bang. We also use the Retrieve-R trainer dummy launcher, it makes a gun shot noise as it shoots off the bumper. Something like that could help if he gets really excited for bumpers.
Goldens are good but their long hair in thick brush gets to be a pain, haha. Too many burrs and stuff like to get stuck in it. I'm a big fan of the short low-maintenance coat of labs.
If you're working for pheasant I'd recommend getting some bottled pheasant scent to put on all of his dummies too. It's amazing when they learn the scent means the prize and how they start to work a field to wind it. They know exactly how to go back and forth based off how fast the wind is blowing and what direction. Even if they have no idea where they dummy is. If he's older he should catch on pretty quickly.

I always think it's so odd that some dogs get scared by fireworks. Ours try to get out because they think it could be a bird being shot down, in a interesting way, haha. Avery will run back and forth looking out the windows to try to spot who's "shooting".

It got really funny after I taught her to sit to shot because she'd hear it and sit and then look around all confused.

Strong drive to retrieve i dont know if thats the word. Maybe extreme drive to retrieve! I can throw a ball or bumper 30 times and he will bring it back every time!
Ive never read those books ill definitely look into them! And into the Retrieve R launcher! He gets super excited when he sees the bumper!
He is 9 months old. We started him on the gun at 4 months. Since he was 10 weeks when we brought him home.
The food thing we could try but we have to travel about 20 minutes away to let the starter gun off.
Im going to take him out there as soon as my foot is better(or within the next few days and just have someone else holds him) and try the gun noises again.
We have pheasant scent that what i scent train them on.
Denver has a ton of fur and takez about a hour to brush that not including a bath or trim.
Tucker takes 10 mintes he basically has a lab coat!(he is field line)
Thats funny yours think fireworks are gun noises. I dont know if maybe he associates the gun noise with fields. And when we are at our house he doesnt like it?
Thanks for all your information! You surely know more than me about hunting with dogs!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I have a golden. She's not a working dog, she's just a spoiled lap dog. I'll post a few pictures of her in a little bit.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have a golden. She's not a working dog, she's just a spoiled lap dog. I'll post a few pictures of her in a little bit.

I love Goldens my friend has two and they are amazing. We used to have one when I was little. I barely remember him though. I do know my dad said he was terrified of water and wouldn’t even cross this big bridge when they used to live in Florida. I also grew up with a Lab. I do remember him. He was amazing too.

 

[ShrekDawg]

And then in high school/college we had a Lab/Pyr.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I have a golden. She's not a working dog, she's just a spoiled lap dog. I'll post a few pictures of her in a little bit.

I love goldens!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

@MGG is this like the Retrieve R launcher?