Gundog training

[trigger2 3,145]

I've just got myself my first dog for doing a bit of beating with and was wondering if there's any good YouTube videos or books I can look at to get some idea of how to train it.

Its a labrador ive got.

[3175darren 1,100]

Hi trigger, how old is it, dog or bitch, labs are great dogs I prefer to keep them picking up/ retrieving, and for beating a spaniel, however they will beat really well,  take your time get the dog steady do plenty of sit training, don’t start it too early, there’s a load of information out there, it’s sorting the crap out, as you will get a lot of that, good luck with it, 

[trigger2 3,145]

1 hour ago, 3175darren said:

Hi trigger, how old is it, dog or bitch, labs are great dogs I prefer to keep them picking up/ retrieving, and for beating a spaniel, however they will beat really well,  take your time get the dog steady do plenty of sit training, don’t start it too early, there’s a load of information out there, it’s sorting the crap out, as you will get a lot of that, good luck with it, 

Shes 10 weeks old so I've got time yet. I got a lab over the spaniel because they are a nicer family dog imo. 

Shes bright has a button learnt to sit before I used a whole slice of ham for a treat. Shes been learning the lye down command today and progressing well.

Dummy training and when/how to do it will be my biggest thing to learn as ive always been a lurcher man. Gundogs are a little different.

[3175darren 1,100]

58 minutes ago, trigger2 said:

Shes 10 weeks old so I've got time yet. I got a lab over the spaniel because they are a nicer family dog imo. 

Shes bright has a button learnt to sit before I used a whole slice of ham for a treat. Shes been learning the lye down command today and progressing well.

Dummy training and when/how to do it will be my biggest thing to learn as ive always been a lurcher man. Gundogs are a little different.

They are mate but very similar in a lot of ways, only do one lesson a time, she is very young at 10 wk, too young, she will show you when she’s ready ie she will start carrying things around, as her confidence grows you consider her next lesson, it’s important not to discourage her ie, don’t chase her, or grab things off her, if she brings you something take it off her and give her it back, don’t let people have conversations with her, keep everything simple, remember raise them quiet they will be quiet, but let her have her puppyhood, 

[Lloyd90 509]

I would teach a really solid recall, teach the dog you are great fun to be with and do little play games of hunting and obedience for the first 6 months. Get the dog out and about but coming back on recall in lots of different places. 

 

I wouldn't do loads and loads of retrieving, especially if you want the dog to go beating. A beating dog flushes game but hardly ever gets sent for a retrieve. I trained my springer like the books etc say, then after a flush he was always looking to go and retrieve that bird. 

 

Easier to train a dog to flush and ignore the bird and carry on for the next flush. 

 

Joe Irving - Gundogs, Their Learning Chain, is a good book and is a generic book you can use to train your dog to be a good beating dog. A labrador specific book might not be much use because traditionally a lab should walk at heel and only sent to retrieve fallen game.