Dog Training

[davidkucharik]

I have a chocolate lab- "the great pillow hunter" is his name, that's all he will hunt. And he is gun shy, wont swim in my pool, and wont retrieve anything.....I take him out every time we go, and he is doin a little better, He just hit his 1 yr mark. Is this normal?

[firstcoueswas80]

My yellow lab would NEVER fetch anything when he was a pup. One day, a friend and his wife came over. My buddy threw the tennis ball about 10 feet. From then on, Charlie will chase anything thrown literally until his paws bleed. Nothing stops him. Not even parked cars, literally.

 

It will click. However, the gun shy needs to be broken properly. I used to bang pots and pans over his head when he was a puppy and that didn't work. He runs off around gun fire ( and shakes/hides during thunder storms ).

[Tres]

Take him to a trainer.

[8OWHUNT247]

Cap guns are great for gun shy dogs..

[azbirdhunter88]

+1 on taking to a trainer if you want a retriever dog. Tie a lead rope around your belt loops and attach to dog giving him about 5 feet. Take him out shooting and reward him after you shoot with a treat and pet him up good. Eventually he will get it. That's what I do with my pups that were a little gun shy.

[Sundevil99]

My Lab wouldn't swim for the first 3 years of his life in a pool (just stood on the steps and splashed). Then we went to Woods Canyon and couldn't keep him out of the water trying to swim everywhere. Some are late bloomers. Plus hunting dove and quail, swimming isn't really needed unless you shoot over canals. Not as many people hunt waterfowl here so love of swimming isn't such a big issue. The hardest thing to fix is gunshy though. Take your time, lots of research and if it never happens at least you have a family dog.

[Slack40]

Sent my pup to a trainer at 3 months old, best money I've spent. No digging, no chewing which labs are notorious for, and got a pretty good hunting and fishing buddy.

[208muley]

Get the book " water dog". Training gold! Worked for my dogs. I had a gun shy and water shy dog. I got him used to guns by having someone shoot a shotgun 200 yards away and I played with the dog on a lead. Then I would work closer and do very short throws with a bumper. Keep working closer and closer, if he gets a little weird then take a break. Pick up wher you left off and make sure the gun is fired 180 from the way you are approaching, and keep getting closer. Once you get 30-40 yards away have the gun shot follow you throwing the bird in the air a bunch of times (still aiming 180 away) and pretty soon he will put the two together that a gunshot brings the fun retrieve and that's it.

 

Water shy. Go to a river creek etc and have him retrieve in a shallow clear spot so he can see the ground. Gradually work deeper. Once he has to swim if he balks get ready to swim with him. I drug my dog till he had to swim than swam with him to the bumper . Once he got it someone on the bank called him back. Unorthodox I know, but it worked like a charm! Could never get him out of the water from then on. Some dogs don't think they can swim but once they know they can they never stop.

 

Awesome looking dogs guys!

[208muley]

If he won't retrieve, go to a hallway in the house and close all the doors so there is only one way to go which is where you are. Throw a bumper to the end of the hall then let him pick it up, call him with nothing more than his name and (here, back, to me etc) Even if it takes him 10 minutes to get there give him a "drop" command and take it from him. Then and only then love on him like crazy, no food, then do it again and again and you get the picture...... Keep commands with all training very basic and simple and consistent. Lots of talking will confuse the dog, one word commands only. Have fun and don't let him see you stress, be stone cold and calm the entire time until he does something right then love him like crazy. Teach the whole family to use the same exact commands you are or they will really confuse the heck out of him.kids are the worst just they want to play chase and tug of war and all kinds of things. Try to resist any of that with your training aids. I could go on and on but get the book, read the whole thing first To understand the progression then go have fun.

[Tres]

If he want retrieve have a professional "force fetch" train him.

[JakeUSMC]

+1 on water dog. It was recommended to me from a fellow member and it is awesome. Another good book that was recommended to me was training a retriever (I think that is the name).