Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs i pick my lab up tonight

Very cool!

If I was to have a lab, it would be a yellar one!

Looks like he is coming along great, even with the handicap of the handler!

I'm just glad he knows more than me, and can teach me what to do!
Lots of video's and books are helping alot.
Never having a real hunting dog or one that isn't just a pet, his intelligence is overwhelming. He is really smart.
The end of October is going to be his first hunt test. Guess we will see if he gets his first 2 passes or if handling errors mess him up.

It is amazing how much they will teach us! With Maggie, I played off of her cues and trained at her pace and used methods that complemented her personality.

This new girl will be done the same way.

3 more days till the new one?

My new GSD is a bit different than what I'm used to and I adopted your plan of reading him and progressing at his pace...its working!

Guess we are all on the same page.
Trap tells me what he understands and what pressure i can put on him.
When he gets confused or doesn't understand i can sure read him. Then we try a different approach.

Gonna take trap down to the river today. There's a pond down there that we are going to train in today. Hope i can get some pics. Taking calls, shotgun, and a frozen duck.
Nose work today!

Man, both you and that dog have to learn to relax!

John

Good guard dog too... He sleeps with one eye open.

Wife took the pic. I was out.
Didn't get out yesterday. Work got in the way......
Long rig move today, maybe late today?
I wanna work his nose on blind retrieves.

Great dog! Cole is like our first born child, since we have no children especially.

Only thing I didn't break him in on properly was a vac cleaner. He hates em. But he does fine with anything else.

11.5 great years so far! 95 pound child, sleeps in bed with us. Laying on teh couch right now as I am about to leave for fire drill.

I won't be happy when he is gone, but I'll get another. Won't be without now if I have any say.

And yep, I've had him on my shoulders going out of the vet clinic, on top of me on the couch, in bed etc....

Splat, Trap is a great looking dog! He's got those classic Labrador looks and mannerisms.

You guys are gonna' be hell on wheels when duck season opens.

The bad part is that Labs know exactly when you've screwed up. When I missed a bird (very common occurrence ) My Jenny would look over with that "Is that all you got"? look on her face and I usually felt the need to apologize to her for blowing the shot.

Sure do miss her.

Thank you.
Day off, so we went to the hunting spot and did some training.
Swimming after a dokken. Notice the mud ring? He loves to do dynamic entries. I just make sure there are no sticks or branches he can land on. This was about a 10 foot bank. He is fearless.


Its real muddy in the eddy area. He has the drive to keep going.

Cool -- part yellow lab, part black lab!

John

Laughing.
Yep a 2 tone.

He come like that from the factory, or is that custom?

All cleaned up.

Had trap out late last evening on one of the places i hunt.
We were working on blind retrieves.
Here he is on a whistle sit on his way to a blind retrieve, waiting for direction from me.

Some deer in a side field. No deer hunting on this place...

It's really nice to see all the new dogs everyone has gotten this year.
We are off to the lake to try for some salmon and some swimming fun.

Thanks for posting all the pics Splat. I'm really enjoying seeing all of Trap's adventures and milestones.

I've wanted a dog to go with me and enjoy a good life doing outdoorsy things. I couldn't have asked for a better buddy.
Here is today, kicking back while tolling for salmon.


Never had a dog trusting enough to swim up to me and just relax in my arms in deep water. I just put my hand under his chest and held him up. No kicking or moving around. He also would just go far enough towards shore and sit in the water and watch, kinda like playing lifeguard.
The wife and I are getting very attached to him. We never have to correct him or raise our voice. Just talk to him like a human and he seems to understand exactly what we are saying. I could give lots of examples, but he is one smart, loyal dog.

I love my dog!