Help with 4 year old pointing lab

[tazmn01]

Just got a 4 year old black lab pointer. Looking for advice on working with him to finish him on upland.
Breeder kept him because he is breeding stock and decided not to use him. He said he hunted pheasant him, got him for me and my 10 year old to work on and hunt with. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This dog pointned feathers when we went to get him so this should be interesting.

[tattguy12]

just wondering if he was fixed? Our lab just went into heat and looking possibly to breed her once. let me know.


                             Kevin   

[tazmn01]

tattguy12

Send me pm and we will talk.

[Mayfly]

One thing you could do to get a feel of what your dog is doing now and capable of is go to a preserve. Get him in the field on live birds and you'll know his level and what needs to be addressed.

[tazmn01]

Thanks
The gentleman we got him from said today the he loves working with pigeons. Have been looking and it seems they are a little hard to come by? Thought me and the son would take to some land and see?

[Wolfer1199]

I have an 8yr old pointing lab, one thing that i've learned is that she doesn't always point. It helps to put a cord on her and get some birds with clipped wings, then rap a tether around her belly (if you can imagine) that way if he decides to try and flush or go after a bird you are holding on and just pull. The pulling more or less makes him position like he is pointing. If you have questions email me wofler1199@hotmail.com. 

[Wolfer1199]

email is actually wolfer1199@hotmail.com, sorry i goofed

[thunderpout]

Taz, sorry, didnt see this post sooner...PM me if ya need pigeons still, Im not sure where ya live, but I get my birds fro a great guy in Roseville, pretty reasonable, and can get chukar and other birds with a little notice.

[tazmn01]

Thanks again for all the info. I think he has spent to much time in the breeders. He loves to play fetch and things. He is not gun shy but he doesnt understand the hunting thing I do not if we are being impatient or what. We worked him on wings and pheasant scent. he seemed ok but get him out in the field and he hunts for ten yards and then he gives up. We have had him out 7 times  the last time with my brother inlaws lab. That dog is a good hunter. The dog went over the top of three birds. Once we shot a pheasant  and we would let it loose in the grass and he would walk right over it. I do not want to give up on him but at his age he is set in his ways.
Opinions Please

[lenny7]

I do not want to give up on him but at his age he is set in his ways.
Opinions Please

Having had only one dog who's all of 7 months old, I'm far from an expert.  that said, what I've heard is that if you get an older dog that hasn't been properly trained, you should start training as if it were a puppy.  There will be some parts of the program he'll already know and some parts he won't.  By starting at the beginning, you'll make sure there are no holes in his training.

Another thought would be to get him signed up for one of the 2 week intro to bird & gun training programs that many of the local pros offer.  They will see a lot of live birds in that amount of time and they will be conditioned to get excited when they hear a gun fire.

I sent my pup in to Cannon River Kennels for 2 weeks when he was 5.5 months old. After they demonstrated all the work they had done with him (Demo was shooting pigeons over him and letting him retrieve them), the brought him to me for the first time.  Kody went nuts jumping all over me and licking me in excitement about our reunion.  While he was doing this, the trainer took 10 steps away and fired his shotgun.  That dog that was so happy to see me one second ago turned and bolted from me like I was a cheap one night stand.  He was right at the trainer's side looking for a bird to retrieve.  THAT was cool! 

Now that dog is absolutely nuts about birds and keeps up with me all day long.  I'd think it'd be worth a call to see what a trainer would think.  They'll probably want to have you come down with the dog so they could see how they reacted to birds and then give you an honest appraisal of the prospects.  That much would be free.  The two weeks of bird & gun training cost me $400, including birds and food.  At the end of that time I had a dog that was nuts about birds, learned that gunfire was great, and had many birds shot over him.  The training is done with other dogs so they also learn by watching other dogs and that can bring out a competitive spirit in them.

What Tim said is also a good idea.  If you go to a preserve, have them flag the birds for you (at least a few) so YOU know where they are and get your dog downwind of the birds.  I don't know where you're at but Pheasant View Hunt Farm in Goodhue (SE of the cities) does not require a membership.  They have a 6 bird minimum on weekdays, 10 bird on weekends.  The key is, you have to control the "hunt" to ensure the maximum amount of success for the dog.    I went out three times with my dog doing this and I think it paid off in fostering his enthusiasm for the hunt.

[PJ Maguire]

I have a 16 month old black lab that was pro-trained that still didn't really start hunting good and pointing some pheasants til probably her tenth time in the field. From the get go she would retrieve like a champ, but I think it takes them awhile to grasp the fact they have to hunt birds up with their nose.