Got a new Labrador

Oregon Fishing Guide · Mar 16, 2004

Hey Everyone,

How about an off the wall topic here.

I just got this lab. She is just about 2 years old. She comes from a good registered blood line but she has never been worked at all. You would never know it by her natural insticts. She has never heard the word heil yet she will never go out farther then 8-10 feet then stop turn around and come right back to my side. I can give her hand command to sit and stay, throw the dummy out as far as I want and she will never fetch it until I give the command. She wil be very anxious to get it but won't until told to. She is such a natural and obedient dog I can't believe it. I don't think she has ever seen water except rain and her water bucket so I took her to the river today and had her retrieving from along the river bank and then slowly working her in the water. She retrieved fine until she got in water to her belly and would not go any farther no matter how hard I tried. My buddy and I then took her over to the boat dock and pushed her in at the edge and she didn't seem to fear it at all. We did this many times and I even got where I threw her in the water and she would swim out wagging her tail and wanting more and we played this may times but she would not go in by herself past her belly. What do I do? It is much too cold for me and the kids to go in with her and I was thinking about having my wife come down and push her in but for some reason these just don't sound like good ideas so she will have to do it on her own. Thanks for any help. Jon

schmalts · Mar 16, 2004

hope you enjoy her as much as i did mine. great dogs

kingfish · Mar 16, 2004

OFG, I have a two year old female black lab. Don't force her to do anything she is hesitant do to naturally. Keep working with her and she will become trusting of you..
Labs love to retrieve so just keep chucking her dummy for her...If your going to work her around a river find a nice big pool to throw her dummy in she might be a little hesitant of the moving water...Throw the dummy a little farther with every retrieve.. Get real excited and praise her allot with every retrieve. Good luck and love the heck out of her....Keith

kilbuc · Mar 17, 2004

I think you got a winner. May want to wait til later this spring/summer when the water warms up. Then get in the water with her. Also my want to introduce her to birds on land, then birds water. Her natural desire to retrieve birds will help relieve her reluctence to go all the way into the water. But you have lots of time, just take it slow. Also may want to get a couple training books to find additional hints.

But welcome to the world of the Labrador. God made the world round so labrador retreviors wouldn't fall off the edge...LOL

from the "Hearland of Wyoming"

muleyman · Mar 18, 2004

We got a pure breed black lab in December. Very smart dog. Anyone know why they tend to piss everywhere when they get real excited?

kingfish · Mar 18, 2004

Female???. I don't know why but some do, some don't...Mine doesn't but my buddies does....

muleyman · Mar 18, 2004

Male, and still young, only 5 months old. H eonly does it when we just get home and he's jumping all over the place from excitement.

muleyqueen · Mar 18, 2004

We just got a Labaradoodle!!!!!!!!!!! A lab and poodle mix but she is a registered dog. I'll post some pics soon.

The peeing thing, don't make a big deal out of greeting her. Say "hi" when you get home but basically ignore her until the initial excitement wears off. This usually helps. Also some dogs will just grow out of it by the time they turn 1yr.

Your local vet (almost), B.

muleyqueen · Mar 18, 2004

Here it is, the labaradoodle. It's a great dog, kind of a box of rocks, but doesn't shed and looks cool.

Oh, her name is C.B. short for coyote bait. She's really noisy and I know she will be calling in the dogs.

littlebuck · Mar 18, 2004

2 things to be very carefull with when training older green dogs! shooting and water. I have a friend that picked up a 1 year old lab durring the duck hunt 2 years ago. When he told me about the dog I told him to have someone shoot while he was playing fetch with the dog standing about 75 yards away from the gun. He was to excited to get the new dog retriveing ducks so he took it out and blasted a duck with his 10 ga. the dog was standing right next to him. Guess what happend? He is now the proud owner of a very gun shy lab. # 2 Never force a dog into the water . You can coach him and get in with him and call him to you. Try all sorts of things, But don't force him or her into the water. I have a few lab's one is out of a big name field trial sire but my dog would just as soon keep his feet on dry land. However the dog has amazing pray drive, He will break ice climb trees what ever it takes when it comes to getting feathers in his mouth. But when it comes to training around the water sometimes he's a chicken!! I have to be very carefull with him. I think MM should have a Labrador fourm! nice labradoddle sounds like a cool dog.

Buckrub · Mar 19, 2004

OFG,
Please don't throw your Lab in the water anymore!!! Not the way to develop a young dog and especially a 2yr.old w/ no experience. Labs want to please and she will learn, if your patient and persistant. Gett'in in the water with them is the best way to start'em. Also, if you can get her real "birdy", I use dead pigeons for training, get her nuts for birds and then use a dead bird for a retrieving dummy in the water. Keep the retrieves short in duration and above all else---FUN !!!! She sounds like she has good genes for hunting and retrieving. Take her out in some decent cover and "plant" a few dead pigeons around, then "hunt her". Let her course the area, but under your control, and when she finds a bird and brings it to you, LOVE and PRAISE her a bunch!!! Before long you'll be working w/ a close upland dog w/ a great nose for birds!!!
I've got 3 yellows(mom & a son and daughter) and when they work a field they find EVERY BIRD in the field w/ no exceptions. They test me all the time cause their love of birds just tugs at 'em , but alittle elecronics and a whistle keeps them focused. They're part of my family and I love'um dearly. Best combination, hunter, friend and constant companion---Ya gotta love LABS !!!!!!!

kingfish · Mar 19, 2004

Buckrub, GREAT POST!!!!. My lab is the smartest lab I have ever had and I think allot of it comes from making her a part of the family...She sleeps with me and my wife (at the foot of the bed) or with my son...I keep her bathed and brushed...I trained her myself...Praise the heck out of her when retreiving. She is hand signal and whistle trained...She goes with us everywhere...I would love to see a dog forum...LABS FOREVER!!!!.

littlebuck · Mar 19, 2004

HERE IS A PICTURE OF MY LABS AT LAKE POWELL SPRING OF 2003. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN JUST OUT FROM THE HITE BOAT RAMP. IN 2002 WE WERE WATER SKING IN THE SAME PLACE.

littlebuck · Mar 21, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-04 AT 08:03PM (MST)[p]

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More lab. pic's . The dog going off the rock for the dummy is the same dog that is in the duck boat. How can I get the pictures to go under the last one insted of to the side?

kilbuc · Mar 22, 2004

Littlebuck....great lab pictures, love the black one in the tub. classic lab on a warm day.
My lab goes with me everywhere also, just can't leave'em home.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

RuttCrazed · Mar 23, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Mar-23-04 AT 07:11AM (MST)[p]OK, enough of these long-tailed dog pics!
Here is a picture of my shorthair in action:

Sorry it's so big, I haven't quite figured out photobucket yet.

Rut

littlebuck · Mar 23, 2004

Great picture ruttcrazed! But why did you cut the tail off that lab?

RuttCrazed · Mar 24, 2004

Is that lab pointing or just walking sooo slow that you took a pic in midstride? J/K. My brother has a lab that looks a lot like that one, and will occasionaly point. Great Picture!

Rut