hunting dog training books?

[peterf]

Richard Wolters Water Dog and Gun Dog. I have many of the books mentioned here and I have trained several Labs for Upland and Retrieving. I find the best and quickest results come from these.

 

[TonyMo]

There is nothing better than a day in the field/marsh with your gun dog. I'm not sure if I have a dog because I hunt, or if I hunt because I have a dog.

Obedience must be solid first as everything is built on top of that. You already know that as you are an experienced dog trainer. Trainig gun dogs are not much different. YOU don't teach pup to retrieve/flush. He got that from his parents. It's in his genes. You are just teaching him do it when you say so.
I had the Wolters books. However, I like "The 10 Minute Retriever" by Amy Dahl better.

If you are looking for an entire system, have a look at "Total Retriever " by Mike Lardy
h ttp://www.totalretriever.com
and
"Smartwork" by Evan Graham
ht tp://www.gundogsupply.com/evan-graham-smartwork-smartfetch.html

Dog owners/trainers can get pretty passionate and tell you that "....this is the ONLY way..." Listen to everyone and pick those things that you think will best for YOU and YOUR dog.

 

[ditchtwicker]

I myself was brought into a family that ran labs in trials, on waterfowl, and in the uplands for pheasants and partridge, and I disagree, when it comes to a lab, you can train it to go both ways with no problem.
I have many friends who run labs as well, for everything.
How the dog is trained is far more important than what breed it is.


Cat

Actually, you're agreeing with Longwalker. You're both saying Labs are great waterfowl dogs and great on pheasant. Though I would definitely give the edge to a pointer on partridge.

My last dog was a lab and it was a very tough choice not to buy another one, but I mostly hunt upland and went with a versatile. And he's so damn enthusiastic in the water that he gets me out hunting ducks more than I would be inclined to otherwise.

 

[Cinch]

quote; "She will likely be primarily used for upland if that makes a difference."

Wow! every poster here didn't bother to ask what kind of hunting results you expect. It really matters - a lot! A lab is a retriever - not a specialist flushing dog, like a Springer spaniel, and not a pointing dog, like the European versatile breeds, although some claim limited success when training so-called "pointing labs".
Most labs are best trained as retrievers, and then adapted to the uplands as enthusiastic flushers. You will get lot of satisfaction from your lab by working with her strengths, but do not expect her to be an upland bird specialist. She can become a very good upland bird hunter and companion, but you do have to realize it is a mismatch expecting a lab to be a "primarily upland" hunting dog. About the only upland bird that a Lab is very well suited to hunting is pheasant. I hunt with and train European versatile dogs by choice, and am currently training a Lab for the extra experience. Labs are extremely companionable, hard working, and happy dogs. No better dogs exist for hunting ducks and geese. But any of the versatile breeds is better for hunting upland birds with the notable exception of pheasant. Flame away Lab enthusiasts!

I could not have said it better myself (a "Lab enthusiast"). Excellent advice/explanation Longwalker!!!

 

[TimC]

To be honest skip on the basics at your peril, there are very few books that cover the basics in such a comprehensive easy to follow manner as Begbie.