New pup need advice.

S

Sstone82

New member
Hey guys,
just got a new pup about 2 weeks ago (lab). I can't seem to get him excited to want to play. I know this builds the drive all he seems to want to do is chew on his toys. I try to get him excited and toss them just a short ways (couple feet) and he just seems to not care he'll walk over and turn around and grab a diffrent toy and lay down and chew on it. Thoughts? Oh he's almost 10 weeks.
 
At just 10 weeks old, he isn't able to focus on much of anything. Do small things with him to get him to interact more with you. Sit on the floor a few feet away from him and encourage him to come to you. Big praise when he does. Also, because he is just a puppy, expose him to as many different things as you can. At this young age, that may mean just taking him outside and sitting with him for a few minutes. He will come around. Congrats on your new hunting buddy.
 
519vx said:
At just 10 weeks old, he isn't able to focus on much of anything. Do small things with him to get him to interact more with you. Sit on the floor a few feet away from him and encourage him to come to you. Big praise when he does. Also, because he is just a puppy, expose him to as many different things as you can. At this young age, that may mean just taking him outside and sitting with him for a few minutes. He will come around. Congrats on your new hunting buddy.
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Thanks 519vx! I will just keep at it. This isn't my first lab but he is sure the laziest pup I've ever had. Also at what age do most of you guys start with birds and bird scents? I haven't really done much with bumpers yet still just wanting him to be a pup and learn his world with new sights and smells.
 
Yep, just love him, enjoy him, enjoy all the attention from every lady everywhere you ever take him out for 'socializing', and try to resist worrying too much about hunting training for now. Aside from socializing, including fun exposure to boats, decoys, or other gear, I would just work gradually on the holy trifecta of COME, SIT, STAY. With my recent lab pup I tried to bring bumper in at around 4 months and she was not interested. I put them away and did other things, swimming etc... brought them back out every few weeks. I didn't push it. But I used to have this thick piece of rope that I would pull in the grass and she'd chase teh end like a cat. One day, just for fun, I tied a pheasant wing to it. She loved that. So I taped the pheasant wing to a bumper and it all changed from there on. Might have been around 6 months. It was the 'chase' rather than the 'fetch' that I think really got her attention. Of course, for a flushing dog, this was more important than fetching anyways! So many of teh training support materials for labs are focussed on waterfowl work that I think sometimes those of us who train and use labs for pheasant flushing (.and retrieving) go down the wrong track a bit. Some of my favourite drills and ideas have come from training materials specific to upland lab training rather than 'the classics'.
But for now, have fun! Post a pic if you get a chance. It's not just the ladies who love lab pups! LOL
Dave
 
I have always started puppies on quail ,( pull flight feathers, ) at 10-12 weeks old , just let puppy chase birds - really turns puppy on !!! I go from quail to chukars, hen pheasants.Puppy may take time on retrieving but it will come- I want "bird" turned on in puppy as soon as possible . Good luck - have FUN with puppy !!!
 
Thanks for the advice guys! We've been working on the come sit stay a bunch! He's extremely smart and is picking up on it quickly. Having some trouble with stay but we'll get there. I don't care for most of the training I've found online for DVDs and such as they're driven towards waterfowl. I live in nebraska and yes we have good duck and goose hunting im a upland guy. I love watching a dog do its thing in the field!
 
Pick up a copy of the DVD Fowl Dawgs. I know you mentioned you did not like the dvd's for various reasons but regardless of what type of hunting you will be doing, the basics behind the programs are the same whether you are training for upland or waterfowl. Fowl Dawgs has a great segment on the uplands as well. Obedience, force fetch, and collar condition are the same for waterfowl or upland dogs. Never use the dogs toys for retrieving.
 
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