You don't have
to be an expert to get a retriever pup off to the start he will
need to be a successful hunting dog. It's really a simple matter
and requires very little time. When I ask prospective customers
what they have done with their dog, previous to them contacting
me, their answers are usually disappointing. The worst thing you
can do is nothing. Some people think if they do nothing, they are
at least doing nothing wrong or not causing the dog to form bad
habits. They feel they can now turn this six month old pup over
to a competent trainer, and he will be able to pull a rabbit out
of the hat, producing a wonderful hunting dog. This is wrong! 
Another common misconception is, that training
for a hunting dog should consist primarily of obedience. Owners
go into lengthy descriptions of how well their dog has learned to
heel, sit and stay. When I take a dog afield to hunt pheasant, the
last thing I need is a dog that knows how to heel, sit and stay
well! I want a dog that runs, hunts and flushes well. Why should
the first things we teach a puppy be the things that least prepare
him for the job ahead? I can probably leash break the most orangutan
type dog in three days. It may take months to get a poorly started
retriever pup, to learn to like the water, and jump in to retrieve
a bird, if in fact it can be done at all.
For the first two months of a retriever's life, besides care, he
mainly needs to be socialized with the family. If you don't feel
competent at this task, turn it over to the kids. They usually do
a wonderful job. When the pup isn't playing with the family, confine
him to his dog crate located on the porch, in the garage, or some
other convenient place. I like to locate the crate out of hearing
distance of my bedroom. This makes for a better nights sleep while
the pup is getting adjusted to life away from his litter mates.
If you start the pup off from the beginning, sleeping in a crate,
he'll be used to it and never object to jumping in the crate when
it's time to go hunting. Most retrievers will retrieve naturally
if given the opportunity.
I like to toss a tennis ball across the kitchen floor to entice
the pup into making his first retrieves. If you bounce it slightly,
it will usually attract the pup's attention and they will usually
want to chase and retrieve it. This great, early training session
takes all of five minutes and even the busiest of people can usually
fit it into their schedule.
Retriever pups usually wear out their warm welcome, with its cozy
sleeping place in the house, in short order. When the corners of
door mats and moldings are frayed, and one or two
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shoes partly eaten
or missing, industrious plans are usually under way to get the dog
run built in the back yard! We can move our retrieving exercises
into the yard as well, using a small canvas dummy. The pup will
probably want to run back to his house with the dummy. Position
yourself in his path of retreat, and toss the dummy away from his
haven. You can catch him as he tries to run by you and toss the
dummy again and again.
It is important to get the pup out of the yard and accustom him
to as many strange situations as possible. Take him for a run in
a field if you can. On his run, the pup will encounter many of the
things he'll need to learn about, to do his job later. I'll often
detour through puddles and streams, making introduction to water
a simple, fun affair. Take the retrieving dummy along on your adventure.
Expand the pup's retrieving experiences to include higher cover
and water.
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| Make introduction to water a simple, fun affair, and your retriever will be swimming and retrieving in it before you know it! |
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is important to introduce the pup to birds during
these early months. Just substitute a bird for the dummy and toss
it for him. If he won't pick it up on land, try tossing it in water.
Often the pup will pick something up more readily when he is swimming.
Usually you can obtain pigeons from racing bird breeders or freeze
some of the birds you shoot during the season, with their feathers
on.
Just about the time the pup is really starting to catch onto the
retrieving game and you are proud of the little fellow, he throws
a curve at you. He won't come back with the dummy and decides a
game of "keep away" is a lot more to his liking. At this point we
snap a light weight rope onto his collar, approximately fifty feet
long, and let the pup drag it. When he picks up the dummy you can
jerk him back into you with short jerks on the rope. This also works
very well in water.
Only after the pup has become a wild and wooly, retrieving fanatic,
is it time for some obedience lessons. I never like to try and steady
a young pup. Remember it is easy to take the vinegar out of a pup
but you can't put it back in. If you take a pup to a trainer, that
loves to retrieve, loves the water, and is well socialized with
people, you've given the trainer a dog that is ready to go to work.
The chances of the training being successful are greatly increased,
and the end result will likely be a hunting dog you will be proud
of. |
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