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Meat Retriever

8K views 43 replies 24 participants last post by  fishduck 
#1 ·
Hello all,
I have a deposit down on a pup that should be coming home sometime in May. I have been doing research on this site and there is a tremendous amount of information available. The difficulty I am running into is that most information seems geared toward training a dog for competition or trials.

I am looking for just a meat retriever. I hunt 5 -15 times per year, mostly waterfowl, a little upland and the rest of the time is family time.
I have the Hillman’s training a retriever puppy at home, how much further will I need to go from there? Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Joe
 
#3 ·
If you want an obedient dog that will retrieve for you, the beginning of the process to get there is pretty much the same as the beginning of the process to build a hunt test or field trial dog, and the programs will work for both.

I'd just start following one of the programs and stop when you feel like you've gotten your dog to the point where you're satisfied. The benefit of taking that approach is that when you decide you want to teach your dog more, or that you do want to run hunt tests etc, you'll have a good foundation to build on.

I'd go through Hillman's program - since you have it, and when you get toward the end of it, then decide where you want to go from there.
 
#6 ·
My advice is to use one of the programs available. Training is training and the dog won't care what it is being trained to do. Option B is to do basics, force fetch and obedience then fill your pockets with rocks before you get to the duck blind.
HAHAHAHAHAHA, Pretty epic..... Rocks are way cheaper than shells.

Everything stated above is very very true.
Ex;
Your dog is marking a bird on the far right spread and your buddies down two on the extreme left. Would you not want a dog to be able to run a line for x number of yards and grab them two without throwing rocks or shells?
In all honesty it really only takes 20-30min a day or every couple days to achieve this....

Follow Hillman, most of us have used then find a program that works for you, I think Fowl Dawgs is the cheapest and is a good one.... I used it for a few weeks before switching over to Lardy. I just like the ways Mike explains everthing in a group setting and you get to here people asking questions.
 
#5 ·
I really cant think of one aspect of training for ht or ft that is not applicable to training for the duck blind. Granted, most waterfowlers don't have the need to marking 300-400 yd downed birds or running a 350yd cold blind. However, the line manners, handling, marking skills etc all translate to the waterfowl retriever. Sounds like your on the right track already with Hillmans DVD. I'm guessing once you start getting into it, you'll want to really see how far you and the pup can really go. Good luck and have fun.
 
#8 ·
I wonder if we could patent a Retriever Handler Flagged Rock Chucker. It would accurately launch a flagged rock on a high arching trajectory with a big (biodegradable) flag that would land on the downed bird. It would then squeal, quack, whistle, kick, flash, and splash and generally make a fuss until the dog (wearing a sensor attached to his collar) got near enough, at which time it would turn off, sink under the water and swim itself back to the blind. The dog would then see the downed bird, and return it. Would you endorse that in your book Roseberry?
 
#9 ·
Sounds like the same place I was at 3.5 years ago, Now I have 4 Labs run in every Hunt Test I can manage to get too, so my advice would be, beings you already have Hillmans puppy video go get Chris Akins Duck Dog Basics 1 & 2 Cost you about $50 for both and see where you are at, in say 6 months. At which time if the Retriever bug has bit you, buy one of the more extensive training programs Lardy, Evans, Stawski and there are others. Good Luck
 
#12 ·
Akins Duck Dog videos will work well for your situation. I would also get with a nearby training group or AKC/HRC club and participate. You and your dog will benefit if it is only a meat dog. By way, in almost all meat dogs is a dog that would like to be running HT's.
 
#17 ·
A dog that is used strictly for hunting.
Some use this as a derogatory term to mean a dog with little or no training.
The term, most likely goes back to the market hunters days, when a dog was one of his most valuable assests. A dog that would consistently bring back the meat.
A true "Meat Dog" is not a untrained dog, but a trained dog that does not play dog games.
 
#16 ·
I will tell you this,I cant stand the average guide dog that breaks.I have been all over with my past dogs and killed countless birds with control.If it takes you to put the gun down and take care of the dog do it!It will be the most rewarding thing in the end.Force fetch is for sure and blind work a must in my book.it does take experience in the blind but nothing worse then a dog that breaks on every shot.I used to tell the guides leave those dogs at home!I'm working on another now.
 
#25 ·
Interesting comments on the meat dog term. I can see how it's negative in training circles but I meant it with the best intentions. I'm just interested in a decent to solid hunting dog but have no aspirations for anything else. But, like one poster said, who knows where the training will take me. I do wish there was a training club close by but it seems the closest is about 50 miles away. Makes it tough for me to do evening work and that's when most clubs seem to get together. I'm just west of Minneapolis.
 
#26 ·
Seabass77,

There has been some great advice offered to you on this thread, from some very knowlegable people (one of which I am not). I do claim ownership of THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE MEAT DOG!

Lonnie Spann
 
#27 ·
Meat Retrievers are awsome!!........... Consider myself an avid waterfowler too(Avid=Addicted?). I used to think there was no need for all that "high brow" training but the info above is all dead on. Whichever program you find, or parts of many training programs, they will all benefit you and make your dog more succesfull in the marsh/field. More succesfull = more fun. You don't have have to train to to win some big test. I happened on some HRC club folks in town after having my dog for a few seasons and discovered their knowledge/friendship was very helpfull in helping me teach my dog ways to hunt/handle better. I use what they do to train for my expeiriences hunting(ex: remote sit, retrieving blinds, down, sneaking, steadiness in the face of attacking waterfowl, ect..) Good luck and have fun, hunting will never be the same once you start using your dog, it'll be even better!
 
#29 ·
I was not intentionally being condescending with the rock comment. It does work. I used the technique this year with my young pup. Next year she will be handling.

I am in a dog poor duck club where I have the opportunity to hunt with QAA, GRHRCH, MNH, all the way down to my rock trained puppy. IMHO every one of them is a meat dog! They bring back the ducks so I don't have to make that slogging walk in the delta mud. What is needed out of these meat dogs. Poison bird blinds are common with ducks dead as a hammer in the decoys with a cripple swimming away. Tons of marks and blinds in the 2-300 yard range & occasionally 400+. Remote sits, bulldogs, honoring, line manners are all important.

When I look at all that is required, I cannot think of any aspect of a training program that I would skip. Nowadays I find the training as gratifying as the hunting. Long live the meat dog!!! Without that magnificent animal none of the retriever games would even exist!:D
 
#33 ·
...When I look at all that is required, I cannot think of any aspect of a training program that I would skip. Nowadays I find the training as gratifying as the hunting. Long live the meat dog!!! Without that magnificent animal none of the retriever games would even exist!:D
over the life of the Hunting Retriever it will have many tasks that will be harder than those at any test or trial. Just because they could not be set up in a testing situation. the tests are just a marker for you, while you make your hunting Dawg!
 
#32 ·
John--- actually the bird was recovered at the end of the day when my hunting partner came over and I asked him to walk over and hold his gun up in the 10 foot mass of tooo-lies, so I could get a line on where I thought the bird had fallen. Dawg was not in a position to see the bird fall and I am not a good marker (second bird down on a double). I had the dog looking about 30 yards off.

No handling in this scenario, so limestone would not have helped--tooo-lees way too thick. And, btw it was a banded mallard.

Oh, also--I am not casting stones, for those who, well use stones:)



 
#40 ·
Hello all,
I have a deposit down on a pup that should be coming home sometime in May. I have been doing research on this site and there is a tremendous amount of information available. The difficulty I am running into is that most information seems geared toward training a dog for competition or trials.

I am looking for just a meat retriever. I hunt 5 -15 times per year, mostly waterfowl, a little upland and the rest of the time is family time.

I have the Hillman’s training a retriever puppy at home, how much further will I need to go from there?
Why doesn't somebody help Joe out with the advice that even if he only hunts a dozen or so times a year, he might find an excuse to get out a lot more often to train if he gets exposed to how retrievers are trained?

Training is (almost) an end in itself to many, and it's not just a meritocracy but also a stage for many of us to supremely embarrass ourselves. Or to have our dogs embarrass us to the point of becoming "unembarrassable." That's when you know you've got your training groove thing on.

Blaine's lament about "meatdogs" and their owners is pretty accurate in my experience -

unfortunately most of the times we hear it from the following standpoint: guys shows up at a training day, his dog doesn't do what he wants it to do, or can't do a particular set up, guy will ask for advice on how to correct the problem/problems, and after going through a good explanation and trying to help him- you get the, "well all i want is a meat dog anyway...i aint really worried about it" so generally around here its someone's cop out to get out of the work involved in training.
but it's also been my experience to have the most experienced trainers try to help by giving the dog a bone - an easier setup, maybe a single, just to give the dog (and handler) some confidence in being new to all this. You want both of them to succeed so they'll come back for more - and more - and more. And soon they've escalated their interest into having a genuine trained working retriever (and maybe a k a "meatdog" but not in any way a disparaging label).

Joe, your handle leads me to believe you're on the east coast - let us know where, and surely somebody here amongst these good people will get you and the pup out for training when the time comes.

MG
 
#42 ·
You may be right! Though he could still be an East Coaster, because Cam Neely played for the Bruins (and was close friends with the then-Michael A. (later J.) Fox. And I used to take his old general manager, Harry Sinden, sea ducking to boot - but never helped train his dog. Then again he never tried to train me, a 'Bama boy, on ice skates either!

MG
 
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