lab pup

[Nick87]

Hunting them together, however, can sometimes be tricky.

Yah I can totally see that, not looking for that at.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

A week later, still enjoying puppy walks and hallway retrieving.

 

[dgc1963]

Great looking pup

 

[Kevin W]

Nice looking pup AlaskaHunter!!! We had a litter with our 4 yr old female Kepa this past July and kept two males from the litter. They are at the trainers now and doing great. The trainer sent this pic yesterday. The Sire is a 4XGrand Master Pointing Retriever and the Dam I own has a fairly loaded pedigree tree and hunts very well. So we are excited to see what these two can do!!!

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Pup is now 10 weeks old. Older lab is 6 years old.
Nice fields for afternoon training session each day.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

I have a very clear memory of sitting on the can in my dad’s bathroom sixty years or so ago and reading the first line of the Gene Hill column on the last page of the latest Field&Stream (not a precise quote, but pretty close):
“Whoever thinks you can’t buy happiness doesn’t know about gun dog puppies.”

Absolutely, utterly, dead-on accurate.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Big paws, likely around 70 pounds when an adult. I prefer larger females for cold Alaska waterfowl hunts.

 

[jejack26]

I usually get new pup when the older dog is 5-7 years old.
Sometimes it takes a few attemps...I want a spring pup and a female.
This one was no different. Started looking in October.
First litter I was interested in was unsuccessful breeding.
Second breeding from a different breeder in November,
put my deposit down and number 2 on the list for a female.
Unsuccessful breeding, so the breeder sent my deposit back.
Third time found a breeding I was interested in, pups on the ground,
sent in my deposit and was lucky as only 2 female blacks left.

One year I was number 1 on the list with my deposit in and all pups were males...
Sometimes it took me a couple springs before I finally got a pup.

5-7years is in their prime, typically they start to slow down on upland hunts around 9-10.
I usually hunt the old lab most of the time and hunt the pup that first season on only
easy hunts where success is likely and mostly building good habits in pup.

I do something very similar. Buying dogs has changed in last 30 years. A lot more information available or is it disinformation? I'm always researching kennels and lines. Do you mind sharing what you look for in a prospective litter?

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I do something very similar. Buying dogs has changed in last 30 years. A lot more information available or is it disinformation? I'm always researching kennels and lines. Do you mind sharing what you look for in a prospective litter?

Genetic tests for EIC and CNM.
Both parents OFA hips & elbows as well as eye CERF

Breeder will replace dog if dog at 20-26 months fails CERF or OFA test.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Once pup is crazy about hallway retrieves and has developed a consistent habit of returning instead of "playing keep-away",
we move outdoors.
In my training program, pup must be steady for each retrieve outdoors.
I start with a small paint roller that rattles and is easy for pup to see and find,
primarily working on the good habit of direct return to the handler.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

Alaska, what is your technique(s) when a dog likes to do a little glory circle around you?

 

[Colby3]

nice looking pup

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Alaska, what is your technique(s) when a dog likes to do a little glory circle around you?

I start with hallway retrieves so pup develops the habit of returning rather than playing "keep-away"
of parading around in a glory circle. A long hallway with a closed door at the end is ideal.

With pups, I focus more on a good return than longer retrieves.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I start with hallway retrieves so pup develops the habit of returning rather than playing "keep-away"
of parading around in a glory circle. A long hallway with a closed door at the end is ideal.

With pups, I focus more on a good return than longer retrieves.

I found that having some treats in my pocket can cut down on the showmanship. "Hey! You want a chewy treat, you better bring me that bird." After a long day in the field Ellie will think twice about dallying if it means a delay in getting something to eat.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I use treats with pups to teach and to condition eager obedience.
In this 6-second video, pup is learning several key concepts in this simple everyday moment:
1) Pup learns that eager obedience pays off with a reward. Pup learns one command initiates a prompt response by pup.
2) Pup also learns the verbal marker "good" for the correct behavior. Later I used "good" in competition when the lab is focused on the correct destination in blind retrieves or when the lab is focused on the correct location on tough memory marks.
3) Pup learns to maintain eye contact and wait for the handler's command. With retrievers, eye contact and focus is important later on for casting in blind retrieves.
4) In this case an auto-sit is the correct behavior after kenneling. Pup should eventually understand that auto-sit is the default behavior. Sit on the line while birds are being thrown, sit when a hen pheasant flushes, sit and wait while I sneak in jump shooting...

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Training on the back deck at 14 weeks old.
Pup gets a treat reward for whistle recall and whistle sit.

A fast whistle sit will later be important for blind retrieve training.
And a fast whistle recall may someday save the dog's life.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

One of the most important aspects of puppy training is the daily puppy walk.
Just the owner and pup. No other dogs or people.
Pup bonds even more with the owner and responds to the owners silent walking patterns.
Pup learns new sights, sounds, and smells of wild places and wild birds.
Pup learns there is nothing to fear and being in the field can be the highlight of the day.