Hunting dog question

[powdergun]

I bought a lab pup in the fall and he is 6 months old now. He was to small for this falls season so we have been working on basic training and retrieving. Everything is going well and he is an awesome dog.

The weather was nice this weekend so I took him out to the farm and went for a walk . We came up on a slough so I made him retrieve a stick or two and he was a demon and routed it out were ever I tossed it.

I spotted a couple of geese out on the frozen water and wanted to see his reaction. He spotted them but after about ten seconds he completely ignored their presence. Now my question to all of you experienced dog trainers is is this normal for a hunting dog. His parent are awesome hunting dogs from a hunting line.

Should he have shown more interest ?

Btw I am new to this so any advice is welcome. I hope he becomes a good waterfowl dog and I am willing to put in the time to train him. So far he has taken to training very well.

 

[Jim870]

Has the pup been introduced to birds yet? He also hasn't been hunted yet, so unless the geese where close he was probably trying to figure out why you where so excited about those noisy dark things on the ice. When he established that they weren't another human or animal that was interested in playing, he decided they weren't of any particular interest and it was just another weird human characteristic like sitting in front of boxes (tv's and computers) and holding bits of paper in front of our faces to signal our desire to play. Even if the geese where close if they didn't exhibit prey behavior like running or dog/ human play behavior he is completely unsure of what they are and how his interaction to them is supposed so he tried to figure it out until something else caught his puppy attention.
You state you are knew to this, so I have to ask have you been following an established training program? There are books and training groups that will really help you and I urge you to pick up a training guide be it "Retriever Training" or "Waterdog" or any of the countless other options out there, read it, ask questions on any parts that aren't clear to you and follow it.
Have you looked into any retriever clubs in your area? You may not be looking to create the next national field trial champ but they will help you make your dog and yourself the best you can be, they will also help with important steps like introducing your pup to birds and if you have not already gunfire.

Remember to go at the pace of your pup and that you can't throw him into a brand new situation and expect him to excel.

 

[powdergun]

yes i have done a pile of reading and am working at a good pace. Winter makes it tough to work in a hunting scenario so no that spring is coming we will be starting that. You make a good point with regards to his perception of the birds. With some hard work I hope to have a lot of fun this fall.

 

[charles69]

Also if he is a retriever you do not want him to go nuts chasing geese until they have been shot or will be hard to control him when he is sitting totally still by your blind or you do not want him jumping into the pond with the ducks early either.

 

[powdergun]

I was just curious as to how much innate curiosity a Lab should have regarding game birds. Right now he is great at waiting by my side for a release command before he retrieves. Perhaps his reaction is actually a good thing then.

 

[Bland]

Excellent advice from Jim. Nothing replaces time spent getting to know each other. Learn to read your dog in various situations. There are subtleties of behaviour you will pick up on and can then respond to appropriately. Repetition and patience are the most important part of any training programme. Nothing is more important than a good recall so really work on that.

 

[chisholm]

Jim hit the nail on the head! Whats your location? There may be some guys training near you or a retriever club close by that could help you out big time.

 

[JCMarin]

My recommandation will sound stupid but it worked for me. Comes from a very old 1940's book I pick up. Go sit in the middle of a forest for a few hours with your beer or lunch. Free your dog and observe your dog. Let it smell, run after squirrels or birds. Cland casserols to make noises. Make sure it stays at a reasonable distance from you and no food rewards, just plain old good boy girl when it comes close to you. It helps with their hunting instincs to develop. You remain the boss and comfort buddy. I tried a few times with mine because the kids play with the dogs and it would rather eat things and fight than look at birds. and it helps. They are more comfortable in the woods and the woods become the play ground. Later, when you introduce birds, it is less a bigger step for them to go for game birds. Needs patience and several hours but bring a good book.