Hunting Dogs In The Off Season

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Oklahomabassin

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I take my lab out 2-4 times a week to retrieve. I practice on blind retrieves, finding the "bird" in tall cattails or other vegetation. With the nice weather, he has a lot of distractions with the other lake visitors.
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Okie4570

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I think it depends on the individual dog, its age and its capabilities during the season on what reinforcement is needed in the off season. IMO a good dog doesn't forget. They all may have a bad day every great once in a while though just like people. That said, I've got one 10yo retriever who has no papers and I spent $100 on, that i couldn't ask for more of.......and I have a $300 registered 8 month old that isn't worth eight eggs. I've lost count on the hours spent with him. He will do everything perfect but pick up what he's supposed to retrieve when he gets there. Charges it hard on command, puts his nose to it and returns and sits by me ready to do it again. He will retrieve a duck from the water on command back to hand, but if I turn around and throw it in the grass he will charge it on command, nose it, come back and be ready to do it again. All of his force fetch training has been great and does exactly what he's supposed to while working with him.

The 10yo was never force fetched trained, didnt need it. He also took less that 10 min to be taught to go find and bring the TV remote to hand when we say "remote".
The two dogs aren't even comparable in abilities and drive.
 

Oklahomabassin

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I think it depends on the individual dog, its age and its capabilities during the season on what reinforcement is needed in the off season. IMO a good dog doesn't forget. They all may have a bad day every great once in a while though just like people. That said, I've got one 10yo retriever who has no papers and I spent $100 on, that i couldn't ask for more of.......and I have a $300 registered 8 month old that isn't worth eight eggs. I've lost count on the hours spent with him. He will do everything perfect but pick up what he's supposed to retrieve when he gets there. Charges it hard on command, puts his nose to it and returns and sits by me ready to do it again. He will retrieve a duck from the water on command back to hand, but if I turn around and throw it in the grass he will charge it on command, nose it, come back and be ready to do it again. All of his force fetch training has been great and does exactly what he's supposed to while working with him.

The 10yo was never force fetched trained, didnt need it. He also took less that 10 min to be taught to go find and bring the TV remote to hand when we say "remote".
The two dogs aren't even comparable in abilities and drive.
I agree about a good dog not forgetting what to do. My pup still gets into some mischief if he isn't excercised or worked regularly. I enjoy watching him work as well.
 

retrieverman

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I agree about a good dog not forgetting what to do. My pup still gets into some mischief if he isn't excercised or worked regularly. I enjoy watching him work as well.
There’s not much better than watching a good dog work, and both y’all appear to have some jam up good ones. Speaking of mischief, I was talking to a guy today who’s a first time Lab owner, and his pup is an 9 week old little boy. He was amazed at how much trouble such a little dog could get into.
I found out almost 30 years ago when I got my first Lab that the old adage “idle hands are the devil’s tools” was written with Lab puppies in mind.:thumb:
 

dennishoddy

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I agree about a good dog not forgetting what to do. My pup still gets into some mischief if he isn't excercised or worked regularly. I enjoy watching him work as well.
My first hunting dogs were beagles when rabbits were thick. Penny was a beast on the trail never quitting until the bunny was killed and then she retrieved it to hand. Her reward and the first method of field dressing was to step on the head and remove it by pulling on the back legs. Three or four chomps and it was in the belly.
One good day south of town she couldn't eat anymore. Started taking the heads off the side and burying them.
Almost a month later we hunted the same place. She started finding the heads where they had been buried several yards off the trail. One would think that she smelled them, but the wind was not in her favor to get a scent.
Wife was attending a dog obedience class at the same time with her lap rug and told me that the instructors told her that dogs don't have memories.
I think this thread disproves that theory.
 

Oklahomabassin

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My first hunting dogs were beagles when rabbits were thick. Penny was a beast on the trail never quitting until the bunny was killed and then she retrieved it to hand. Her reward and the first method of field dressing was to step on the head and remove it by pulling on the back legs. Three or four chomps and it was in the belly.
One good day south of town she couldn't eat anymore. Started taking the heads off the side and burying them.
Almost a month later we hunted the same place. She started finding the heads where they had been buried several yards off the trail.
Wife was attending a dog obedience class at the same time with her lap rug and told me that the instructors told her that dogs don't have memories.
I think this thread disproves that theory.
:pms2:
 

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