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I Think She Finally Got It!

793 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Kenneth Niles Bora 
#1 ·
Some of you might remember a few months back me posting a thread about my 6 month old female chocolate lab puppy not staying focused and wanting to play keep-a-way with the bumper. Several people offered a lot of good suggestions but most of it was stuff I was already doing, so there wasn't really much that I could do different. Over the past week or so, however, she has picked it up fast and seems that everything finally clicked with her.

My question is: Is it normal for dogs to go through a period around this age where they seem to act like everything you had taught them was thrown out the window completely?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
I don't have the experience of the trainers on here but 6-9 months is an age I have never really enjoyed. My last dog was miserable at this age. My newest pup has been much easier to work with. I find this age challenging bc many of them start to gain independence and will test you. Maintaining your standards is important. I find OB starts to slip at this age in high distraction situations.

That has been my experience. Obedience work and pigeons have been the key to keeping my pup focused.
 
#3 ·
I've been thinking about getting a "co-owner" for my 6 month old. They can own him from now until about 16 months, and then I will take him back!:evilbat:
 
#4 ·
Sometimes they just need more time to mature than others. My first Lab, Sue, was the keeper of my heart from the day she was born. I force fetched her on the patio table and it only took two weeks. We ran the old 'gun dog' clubs several years before the more organized hunt tests arrived. Some days she would nail everything thrown her way and others she would look at me as if to say 'you want me to do what?' Some week ends they would see us coming to the line and someone would say, 'here comes Cleo and old crazy Sue, wonder what she is going to do today?' We loved each other so it didn't matter to me what anyone said, we were just there to have fun.

When she turned 18 months the light came on and she was the most consistent dog we owned. She didn't always take home a blue ribbon but she would rarely come home without one of some color.

Give her time and keep trying.
 
#5 ·
I love the time between 6 months and 18 months old. It's cc, then ff, simple casting, ftp, TT and then basics are over for most of my dogs until we get liquid water.

Then all the transition drills learning how to run blinds with and without diversions.

In marking they're doing singles, going to cheating singles and beginning doubles. They are getting into more complicated cheating singles and tight doubles. It'll grade into easy triples to triples with cheaty memory birds. Their derby career starts if you have derbies when they're starting to put it all together.

6 months to 18 months a great time to train a trial/hunt test lab. They're learning every day, mentally putting things together constantly.
 
#6 ·
I would say yes it is normal.

I know that now Peyton is almost two, and there are still days when all she wants to do is get home from training so that she can swim around in the "Big Water Dish" in the back yard.:rolleyes::D

Just enjoy the ride...

Mark
 
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