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When did you get the Retriever addiction

11K views 48 replies 45 participants last post by  Colonel Blimp 
#1 ·
I have had dogs since but purchased my first Lab in 1979 before that I had **** hounds in high school. My first lab that was out of field trial breeding was a yellow sired by AFC Super Disco Dancer, a 1985 National Amateur Finalist. I sent the dog south with Wayne Curtis and upon his return from Texas the dog was 20 months old.

The dog failed his first derby because of my error. A few weeks later on the dike road at the Duluth Retriever Club 4th series a fair swim. I tried to remain calm but internally I was in distress. When the Judge walks over, his hand on my shoulder and tells me "get this one clean and you are the winner". I nearly fell ater two weeks of our failure the dog was on the derby list with his second win. Hooked from here on.
 
#3 ·
I currently have my first Field Bred Lab and she is 7months old. We are about to start training with a Pro. I got hooked watching her breeder,her Sire's owner and a friend of mine training. I got to watch some dogs in my pups line work and just seeing the dogs responding to their handlers did me in! So much for my original plan to just do obed. and agility! I still don't really know what I am about to start but, I sure am excited to get started :)
 
#4 ·
My affliction is genetic. I know no other life.
My late father founded the Maryland RC in 1947. I probably attended by first trial inutero. Add a good first dog and Derby 4th on my first try, there is no cure!

Tim
 
#14 ·
My affliction is genetic. I know no other life.
+1 I had Black Field bred Labs all growing up. Always had atleast one black dog around sometimes several. Got my first show bred dog a yellow female in 1999 and have experimented and struggled trying to get some all purpose results with several show bred dogs since. Just went back to my roots and now own three Black Field Labs (as well as co-own a couple really nice Show Labs).
 
#5 ·
I have had the hunting dog addiction since I was old enough to carry a stick in the field with my grandfathers pointers but got the retrieve Jones going sometime in my early teens. A local variety store’s (T G & Y) sporting goods department had the Peterson’s True Blue dog visit on a Saturday…begged mom to take me and when I saw “blue” I just had to have one. I was working for a birddog guy at the time and he helped my mother find a well bred lab and been hooked on the animals ever since.


But I will admit we would have had a lot more success this morning if we would have had a nice pointer with us.
 
#6 ·
As a boy my father would tell me stories about a great lab he owned in his teens that the town folk would ask to hunt with. I was always intrigued but never actually understood it. I was brought up a deer hunter and bird hunting was one thing my mother made my father give up when us kids came along.

My start was 4 years ago when I came home and my girlfriend at that time left a little black lab in our apartment where we couldn't have dogs saying her parents dog was old and they would take this one since it was free. Well, as it went her parents didn't want it, so I had to get rid of this mix breed lab. My mother talked my father into it and so it happened that I started him with obedience and handling. He was luckily smart enough to catch on to everything even from my novice skills. Thank God for that, cause if I'd have started with the high roller I've got now, I'd have given this up.
 
#7 ·
Uhhh Bob,

You might want to edit that, unless she was that old...

John Lash
 
#8 ·
I got my first golden in about '78 and she was to be just a pet but she ended up being a wonderful hunting partner for my ex (neither of us knew anything about training a gun dog but she worked so nicely for both upland and duck, guess we got really lucky!). The next to come along was in '95 and she got me started in ob and agility. In the end, she had a UD, 8 legs to a UDX and AX, AXJ. In '97 Sage came along and again went UD, MX, MXJ. The next to join the family was in 2000 and bless his little heart, he is what made me switch to a field line for my next one :):). Firemark Serendipity came to me in 2007 as an agility/obed. dog. I made the mistake of taking her up to a pro to evaluate her to see if we could maybe do a JH or WC. We are now totally immersed in field doing a combination of pro training and pro training me to train her and we are loving it. She is hunting (yes, with the ex but with me handling her, don't want her messed up:rolleyes:) and she is doing great there, just need a better shooter ;-). Hope to see some of you in the NW at the HT this next spring/summer. Jean
 
#9 ·
I got started in 1980 by buying a FT bred dog in Delaware. Recommended by Jay Sweezey, who I had only met by telephone. I called various local numbers and would be referred to another and another until I ended up calling him. He was training the sire of that litter, so they came highly recommended...

The puppy was $350 and I could hardly believe I was going to pay that much for a puppy. I only planned on hunting with her, the breeder from Delaware contacted the Fort Pitt Retriever Club in Pittsburgh and gave me some numbers to call. I joined and started training with a few other members.

Best I ever did with her was a Qualifying third, only had field trials then.

John Lash
 
#10 ·
I just got my first retriever in June. She is now 8.5 months old. My friend raises goldens and wanted me to keep the pick female for her and if she passes all her heath tests at the approriate age she will breed her to keep her line going. She has been trying to do this but her first attempt they ended up with cancer, the next time she tried they had heart problems, and now this will be her third attempt and this will be her third generation from her dogs that she has kept intact and not sold as pets. She also raises Shiba Inu's so didn't have room to keep another so that is how we came to get Corona. She asked me if I liked bird hunting and I asked why and she said that these pups should be quite birdy. She told me about the hunt tests and I checked with the guy who helps at the 4-H dog project who is part of the retriever club and he evaluated her and said she has plenty of drive and we made it to two weekends of training and then I got sick so come spring we will be training for at least a JH. Sorry kinda long! ;)
 
#12 ·
I got my first lab in 1977. I was in college and was just looking for a pet. I had been looking for an English setter but was not having any luck finding one. I came home from college one weekend and my dad told me about a friend of his that had a litter of lab puppies - field/show cross. Told him I was not interested. He mentioned it again over the next day but I still said I wasn't interested. But just a few hours before heading back to school, I told my dad I'd like to just go "look" at the puppies. My mom said "If you go look at them, you know you will come home with one." I said I was only going to look.

Well, mom was right and Ticket my youngest lab is now the 8th lab I have had since that day that I was just going to "look";-)

Andy
 
#13 · (Edited)
I too got my start following **** dogs back when I was a kid.

Then, my High School girlfriend's dad, "Big Andy" Macejewski invited me to go duck hunting. He had a retriever named Roscoe that had been trained by a guy named Ken Stupka. The dog handled, and could run multiple marks out to a whopping 100yds, and that blew me away.
Mr. Andy took me hunting every weekend; and with each and every outing my amazement grew. I swore that one day I would own a dog like that.

Well I bought a show dog puppy washout back in 1991 and began training him to hunt. I knew that his sire was a "Champion", I didn't know that CH meant anything other than a field champion. I named my new buddy Char. He was a long legged, great looking, athletic 93lb retrieving machine that is credited for starting my obsession for these wonderful dogs.


My first attempt at playing the retriever games was a Hunt Test run by the Tejas Retriever Club. Our first attempt was a Senior test, and neither Char, nor I, had ever even seen a hunt test, much less a Senior level test. My brother Philip talked me into entering. He said that "Senior was easy, and Char could do the work".

HOLY MOLY, I thought I was going to either puke or pee my pants when I walked up to the
line. Of all things, a walk-up!!! The first series went well despite my ineptness. Thank the Lord for my boy Char.

When I found out that we had actually passed, and I received that wonderful orange ribbon I thought that I had to have more of that stuff! HRCH/SH-Char passed away at the age of 9. He has since been followed by HRCH/MHs-Coal,Dancy,and Missy, MH-Jiggy, and big hopes for future MHs Blue and Tip.

I hope that I'm standing at the line with a magnificent animal 30 year from now!!! What a game!o
 
#15 ·
Probably when I discovered the inner psycho in Darla at her 1st junior hunt test. I had never practiced going in and out of blinds, and had never group trained. She was flinging her 7-8 month old self and I had to crank the leash around a tree, and she started hollering and I didn't even know who this dog was! And then when she blasted out to get the mark she slammed into a dip, flipped over, popped back up and continued straight. The judge behind me was all sorts of festive saying "NOW THAT'S A DERBY DOG!". And I was all pleased even though I didnt' have a clue what a derby was... After that I did some investigating... ;)
 
#16 ·
when I was kid we had black female, looking back most likely a field lab. that dog could catch a frisbee every time. no matter how far or high or what obstacle, she caught that thing. it was the best fun I had. once I had kids and joined the force I got into shepherds. after putting my shepherd down, i couldn't bring myself to get another one, so now I have two labs. They are alot of fun and great personalities. I am enjoying the new challenge of retriever training.
 
#17 ·
I was 37 years old, living in Las Vegas. My co-worker had a lab that he purchased and had professionally trained. I never went waterfowl hunting before but I tagged along with him. No gun, no license...I just sat in the blind and watched. I was completely amazed and the hook was set.

The following season I purchased a pup and had her trained by a fantastic trainer (yes, in my opinion). I took her to the NAHRA Western Regionals that year (SR). It was a "blast". She and I were complete buddies both in the blind and out.

"Starbuck" was stolen on 2 July 2008 while I was deployed to Iraq. I've been searching (and praying) but what can you really do from 8,000 miles away. I still hope that someday she will be scanned and returned but in the meantime I purchased another pup from a breeder in Teaxs. She is in training and I'll pick her up when I return home in February. I'm sure that she and I will bond as I did with Starbuck and I can't wait to run her in her first hunt tests!
 
#18 ·
I got my start with Magda. It is a recent afflication, as I had grown up with pet dogs, usualy Lab crosses. It was just over three years ago that I acquired Magda, my liver curly. Her breeder suggested I try hunt tests with her, as I don't hunt. Still haven't made it to a test yet, but love training. She has great drive, which she showed in May at the National Specialty where she got a WC, eleven weeks after having pups, and not seeing me for five months. She has been a great intro to the sport, and I am hoping her pup Shaya will also have some of her drive. I have to confess that I like hunt tests better than conformation, and Magda who is also my first show dog, has both Canadian and American Championships and was Best of Winners at the 2007 National Specialty.
 
#19 ·
When my lifestyle was no longer conducive to the horse addition... :cool: It's hard not being able to train day in and day out because your 3 year old won't stay put while you ride. Couldn't afford daily babysitters and my husband was gone a lot with work.

Friends at the local kennel club got my interest started. The mental aspect of training retrievers and dressage horses were similar. And the best part is that I would only have to be occupied on the line with a dog for a few minutes as opposed to an hour. Even when doing drills I could stop the dog and tend to the kids.

Much more flexability.

Angie
 
#20 ·
It was 1975 or 1976 and I was a school teacher in Scottville, Michigan.
I was asked to help out and be a bird (girl) at the Wiskey Creek Recreational Center...I think it was a Big Test...FC ?? NFC???? I was oblivious to Labs and Test and at that time trained English Setters.......hahahah....After that weekend...I sold my setters...contacted a Well known Labrador Breeder and Trainer...and got my first Lab...and "The rest is a Journey". I still train with that Wonderful Family that Sold me my First Lab..but now The Son is my Mentor. The sight of those dogs performing those marks remain Visions in my Mind today....It was Love For those Labradors at First Sight!!!!
 
#21 ·
I've posted mine every time this topic comes up, so I'll spare everyone (& the crowd roared!), but I'd love to hear how some of the really successful "heavy hitters" got started.

M
 
#23 ·
1966 September 1st- Southern Berkshire Golden Retriever Club- Sanction All- Age trial. Judges Helen Ginnell, Frank Hazeltine- Derby Jam. Lots of tears and because of my alcoholic, type "A" personality and life long neurotic need and love for the Labrador breed I have very few other interests in life-it has been very healthy for me.
 
#24 ·
1990 -Shoot Duck . Duck sails in cattails. Look for duck . 2 hours later . Find duck . Mental note to self --Get Lab . Got Lab . Need help training . phone calls .
be a Bird boy Westchester Ret. Club. At the OPEN . Judge screams at me as if I'm a child . All birds must hit THAT spot .
AND THE GROUND SHOOK AS THESE ALL AGE DOGS ROARED DOWN THE HILL . HOOK SET.
 
#25 · (Edited)
10/10/1994 my "heart dog" was born to a BLF owned by my good friend Todd, who was a duck hunter. I had never hunted ducks and wasn't really interested in it. I wanted my lab pup as a pet first and also as a blood trailing dog since I was an avid bowhunter. I had never seen a trained retriever work at all.

In January 1995 when my pup was around 3 months old Todd calls me and says "you know those Canada Geese that we always see on your dad's farm?" I said, yes. He said "well, this is the first season in Georgia that you can just go buy a license and hunt them and the season is right now. You want to try it?" Well, the deer season was closed already, so the next thing I know I'm out there with my friend, my pup's dam (Sadie) and another friend of Todd's. I've got a borrowed 1100 that only holds 2 3/4 shells. Here come the geese off of the roost pond. We shoot and one falls from higher than pine tree-top high into the pond (think cannon ball). Todd calls her name and Sadie goes sailing off the steep bank (she had a "big" water entry) and retrieves the goose. As Sadie is swimming back with the huge resident canada goose I'm thinking "no way she is coming up that steep bank with that big ole' bird" but she did. Later that afternoon we are walking around the farm and Todd is letting Sadie run. She is probably 200 yards away running down the dam and he says "watch this" and blows a single blast on his whistle. She whirls around, slams her butt down and looks at him as if to say "yes Boss, what do you want?" Then he blows multiple blasts on the whistle and she comes charging as if to say "wow, I get to COME!" It was like she hadn't seen him in a year and I'm thinking wow. Then we are walking along the side of a very large pond and a bird buzzes us and Todd drops it on the water at a considerable distance. He sends Sadie and she is headed straight for it. It was a merganser and it dove and came up a huge distance to her left, but Sadie is still steaming toward the original fall. Her eyes are so low to the water and the bird is sitting low in the water and there is no way she can see it, especially with the chop on the water. Todd blows his whistle and gives Sadie a left "over" cast and she takes it and carries it a great distance and I'm thinking "this must be the smartest dog on the planet...I wonder if MY dog (her pup) could EVER do THAT?!?"

The next thing I know I'm buying training books, whistles, bumpers, a 12 gauge, planting a dove field and trying to learn how to blow a duck call.

EDIT: I left out the other part that I always remember about that day. It was January in Georgia, but it was not cold at all. That afternoon we were hunkered down beside the roost pond hoping they would come in before sunset (end of legal shooting hours). As a huge flock approached (honking loudly) I looked over at Todd because he was to signal when it was time to "take 'em." When I looked over at him I saw that Sadie was shaking uncontrollably from the excitement (again, it wasn't cold). It hit me at that point just how much she loved what she had been trained to do.
 
#26 · (Edited)
My addicition with dogs started after high school . I started with **** hounds (redbones to be exact) , but due to working second shift and trying to raise my kids , it wasn't exactley benifical to be running through the timber until the wee hours of the morning . So a buddy of mine sends his lab to a trainer , I get a pup out of FC Nan-Dool Elwood Blues , and the hook is set . Good bye coonhounds and nite hunts , Hello retrievers and Hunt Tests . By the way , NO dog games are cheap , my pocket book still says OUCH
________
Vision insurance advice
 
#27 ·
My first dog when I was still a child was a sighthound (Saluki) followed by a cocker spaniel. I got my first FT dog right after grad school she was a Golden from Torchy Flynn. I took her to Rex and before I even got her out of my station wagon (those were the days...) Rex said get rid of her.

So I gave her with papers to Val Walker of Sungold, and this Kiowa daughter became one of Val's foundation Goldens.

My first black lab was from Delma Hazzard, his name was Reefer Madness out of Snake Eyes Double Or Nothing and he washed out. Then I got one from Judy Weikel Aycock. And so on and so forth.
 
#28 ·
I got my first FT dog right after grad school she was a Golden from Torchy Flynn. I took her to Rex and before I even got her out of my station wagon (those were the days...) Rex said get rid of her.

So I gave her with papers to Val Walker of Sungold, and this Kiowa daughter became one of Val's foundation Goldens.
Regardless of the fact that many see him as having walked on water-why would you get rid of a dog based upon anyone's opinion when the dog hadn't even had a chance to prove itself?!? (Asking w/ all due respect, but very curious). Did she go on to do anything at Sungold or was she ever given a chance?

M
 
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