[smokejmp52]

Hi, I'm new to the site and first let me say hello and happy to be aboard. I'm a firefighter paramedic her in maryland and the only thing I love greater than that is training with my yellow lab Cheyenne. She is 1.5 yrs old and unfourtunately I lost a lot of time in her training due to paramedic school. But we are moving on nicely and I hope to have her testing for junior soon.

My first question is it wrong to throw toys in the yard for her. She is non-stop energy and loves to retrieve everything. Frisbee, football, basketball. Her favorite is the nerf football that whistles. I try to enforce the same concepts in the yard...ie sit heel steadiness, but probably not to the level I due during training sessions. Please tell me what ya think?

Thanks....Dan

 

[caglatz]

Hi smokejmp -- welcome aboard -- Many people will say to never throw anything for your dog other than a bumper or bird, lest they get confused in the field. Right or wrong, I'm here to tell you that my dog knows the difference between business/training (i.e. his bumpers and birds) and playtime (other things) -- I found it most difficult to keep my family from playing with the pup when I wasn't around. We finally settled on anything but bumpers and birds for informal play. The dog does know the difference. Also, to prevent confusion, I do train my pup around decoys and other objects - while training/hunting his only interest is in bumpers or birds. There'll be many who will disagree with me on this but its worked for us.

 

[smokejmp52]

Thanks

Thanks....I feel the same way. I train as much as possible but man does she have some energy. I took all her toys away yesterday and put a bumper out so everyone could use it. Lets just say she was not impressed, so I broke down and gave it all back. I wonder just who's in charge in this relationship.

Dan

 

[buckeyegundogs]

Dan

Just curious as to what you have planned for your dog. Are you going to hunt with the dog, run hunt tests or is it going to be a family pet ?

 

[Chad Clagg]

BIRDS OR BUMPERS.

 

[smokejmp52]

She will be for all of those I hope. She is a great family pet, doing very well on her training. I'm getting more an more in to duck hunting as less and less deer land is available. I also would like to achieve her hunt test titles mainly to see if we can do it. [/quote]

 

[Losthwy]

What Cag said. They know the difference between play and work.

 

[Patti Benton]

Ria has a kong we play with in the house and that is her only toy. She knows a bumper means we are working.

 

[okvet]

Just curious as to what you have planned for your dog. Are you going to hunt with the dog, run hunt tests or is it going to be a family pet

Can't they be all three? :lol:

my kids throw all kinds of toys in the swimming pool for my dog to retrieve. She knows the difference between playing and training. She is a heck of a hunting retriever, just received her SR title this last weekend, and sleeps in bed with us every night.

 

[Mark Littlejohn]

Just curious as to what you have planned for your dog. Are you going to hunt with the dog, run hunt tests or is it going to be a family pet

Can't they be all three? :lol:

my kids throw all kinds of toys in the swimming pool for my dog to retrieve. She knows the difference between playing and training. She is a heck of a hunting retriever, just received her SR title this last weekend, and sleeps in bed with us every night.

My dogs are all three above, but they only get bumpers or birds. To get them to pickup a newspaper (when its raining and I don't feel like getting wet), a stray decoy (when we're hunting a shore wearing waders and have no boat) or a neighbor's cat (just seeing if anyone's reading this), I have to give a HOLD command.

To get your pup interested in picking up bumpers, put a couple of drops of eau de duck on it. Gun Dog Supply and other places sell duck, quail and other scents.

 

[KNorman]

They know the difference.

I was at a local park a few days ago and a young lady was there with some type of mixed-breed throwing a ball next to the lake. (She was a pretty good little fetcher too...both of them :wink: )

She saw I had my lab with me and she said, "Oh, a lab! Let's see if she'll fetch this ball", and threw it a few feet out in the lake.

Maya took one look at that ball and didn't show any interest. None.... Nada.... Zippo. :lol: The lady mumbled something like, "I've never seen a lab that doesn't like to fetch".

I could tell she was embarrassed for me :lol:

 

[teafortwo]

They know the difference but when you are playing with toys, don't ask for steadiness or make her sit and wait. Like you said, you just won't enforce these standards the same as you do when you are training and the commands will weaken. So, when you play, play completely and don't use any commands at all...unless you really are going to enforce the standards same as any other time. Which might take some of the fun out of the play for both of you anyways.

 

[huntingrdr]

Welcome aboard!

 

[smokejmp52]

Thanks for the feedback.....I think I'll let her play with the toys....