It's been a year and a half sense I had my 14Yo lab put down.
She was a great hunting partner family dog. Was like loseing a family member and swore I'd never get another one.
Well, last night my daughter brings home this lab pup, my wife instantly fell in love with it.

Looks like I'm going to be duck hunting again by next season.

Awwwwww....

He looks like he is ready, already!

I'm pretty sure Labrador puppy slobber cures most anything that ails a man.

Good looking pup there sir, hope he turns into a hell of a duck dog for you.

Now to decide on a name.

Good god theres nothing cuter then a lab puppy. (man card, removed)

Looks like a Roscoe to me.

Congrats!

Hadsome pup!! name it to honor you little girl some way cause sh must be special.

Good on the daughter and great for you. Have fun.

I see some mischief in those eyes.

Glad you're ready for another hunting partner.

Good looking pup!

His name is hunter.

I was thinkin' the same thing! Congrats on the new family member.....

Looks like a fine dog. Many happy adventures.

I've been reading "water dog" by Richard Wolters. He says to start traing young, real leasons by 12 weeks. 15 years ago when I got my last lab I only taught her what was expected of her as a pet, the only commands were Sit, come, heel, and of corse no durring the first 6 months.At about 6 months old is when I started realy teaching "leasons" and teaching wasnt through playing.
What do you guys think? Is 12 weeks to young to start trainging a retriever?

I start training the day they come home. Every dog, like every person, has a different learning curve. Make all your training fun, short and sweet, and if pup isn't 'getting it' just lay off that exercise for awhile. I had one dog that 'got' everything and then some from age 6 weeks, another- the Border Collie- barely could learn her own name until 8 months, then you absolutely couldnt pour information on her fast enough. My current pup, at 9 months, in somewhere in between the two.
But you are right in that a lot of what you train at an early age should be 'foundation' commands...the basic obedience stuff etc. If they won't 'sit' 'come' 'stay' 'down' for you, then you won't have their focus for the harder stuff to come....

If you knew the neuroscience of early learning in dogs, it is impossibl;e to overstate the importance of early training and socialization.

If you can find a very old book on the subject titled "How to Train Your Bird Dog" by Horace Lytle, get it. It is old-school and gets you into the dog's head better than most modern training books.

It was first published in 1927 by Field & Stream. If ever I run across my extra copy, I'll pm you for an address.

There is a lovable lug head, if I have ever seen one!

Good day....nice.