First Dog

[Bowland blades]

Make sure you get the right one, not show or too FT bred.

I get the show thing but (too ft bred ?) You won't find many English labs that are not heavy in red letters and I have a pair both by retriever championship winners and there 5 generation covered in red lettering both by retriever champ winners . Both very different personalities , both easy to train by anyone who has any real experience.
The older dog has slipped into being a self trained assistance dog for my youngest daughter who has serious asthma, faster and more accurate at sensing low 02 that her fancy electronic monitor . Though is in the main part a wildfowling and deer dog , talk about easy to train on the deer .....! I actually didn't! He got fed a few bits n bats off kills to eat and came out and did it basically , first track about 3/4 mile . Only thing he won't do is pull on the tracking leash , soon as it gets any tension he stops and looks back for me to catch up lol . Funny that because he will pull like a train at times walking the first field onto the Saltmarsh from the vehicle
Ftch are just very good dogs, well bred and in the right hands. If anyone thinks they are locked onto birds , just take them out on deer a few times and shoot a couple

 

[User00025]

I get the show thing but (too ft bred ?) You won't find many English labs that are not heavy in red letters and I have a pair both by retriever championship winners and there 5 generation covered in red lettering both by retriever champ winners . Both very different personalities , both easy to train by anyone who has any real experience.
The older dog has slipped into being a self trained assistance dog for my youngest daughter who has serious asthma, faster and more accurate at sensing low 02 that her fancy electronic monitor . Though is in the main part a wildfowling and deer dog , talk about easy to train on the deer .....! I actually didn't! He got fed a few bits n bats off kills to eat and came out and did it basically , first track about 3/4 mile . Only thing he won't do is pull on the tracking leash , soon as it gets any tension he stops and looks back for me to catch up lol . Funny that because he will pull like a train at times walking the first field onto the Saltmarsh from the vehicle
Ftch are just very good dogs, well bred and in the right hands. If anyone thinks they are locked onto birds , just take them out on deer a few times and shoot a couple

All down to different experiences. Yes I had Labs for forty odd years, marvellously easy to train after Springers, and yes all mine would track deer. Funnily enough never had a lead on mine, only on the road and they never left my heel until told, working usually a couple of yards in front when on deer and looking back at me continually with much tail wagging. I have had dogs with a fair bit of red lettering, but my best dogs have been keeper bred and indeed a couple with no papers at all which were probably the best and strongest retrievers I ever had. In my kennels I generally had three labs, a couple of spaniels, a pointer and always two Borders in the house. This covered all my needs from grouse counting, picking up, through to dogging in and tracking deer knocked up by guests, Oh and foxing on the side.

 

[Bowland blades]

All down to different experiences. Yes I had Labs for forty odd years, marvellously easy to train after Springers, and yes all mine would track deer. Funnily enough never had a lead on mine, only on the road and they never left my heel until told, working usually a couple of yards in front when on deer and looking back at me continually with much tail wagging. I have had dogs with a fair bit of red lettering, but my best dogs have been keeper bred and indeed a couple with no papers at all which were probably the best and strongest retrievers I ever had. In my kennels I generally had three labs, a couple of spaniels, a pointer and always two Borders in the house. This covered all my needs from grouse counting, picking up, through to dogging in and tracking deer knocked up by guests, Oh and foxing on the side.

Very hard to find labs that are at work without a fair to high amount of red letters in thier pedigree today ìn the male line especially so . Not nessarilly better but when looking back on the pedigree it does help , because last time I was looking for work bred most of what I saw was classified as working because it could fetch bags of spit n sawdust wrapped in canvass . When you have a good well proven bitch what do you do ?
A good dog is none the less a good dog if it has been well proven in trials or in the field . There are no downsides to using a ftch as far as work goes , though the heavy use of such is changing the breed into a sleaker, faster more stylish dog rather than one with a great coat to keep it warm and dry and great in the water etc

 

[Tazz]

Get a Labrador, easy to train grow up quickly, will love you everyday and wont want to go to Uni or need a gap year

 

[User00025]

Very hard to find labs that are at work without a fair to high amount of red letters in thier pedigree today ìn the male line especially so . Not nessarilly better but when looking back on the pedigree it does help , because last time I was looking for work bred most of what I saw was classified as working because it could fetch bags of spit n sawdust wrapped in canvass . When you have a good well proven bitch what do you do ?
A good dog is none the less a good dog if it has been well proven in trials or in the field . There are no downsides to using a ftch as far as work goes , though the heavy use of such is changing the breed into a sleaker, faster more stylish dog rather than one with a great coat to keep it warm and dry and great in the water etc

As I said all down to your own experience. Robots never appealed to me, rather have a dog that used it's own intelligence. Seen a lot of trials, shot in a number, seen good dogs win and even better go out, luck of the draw and retrieve at the time. Had good pups whose father's were theoretically God but didn't work out. As I said, not too many FT in the line can still be a hard going well proportioned animal and as good a dog as you can get. As an aside one of my Borders beat an FTW Springer to a mallard drake on the River Tweed one day including a dive to pick it. Just shows you.

 

[Bowland blades]

As I said all down to your own experience. Robots never appealed to me, rather have a dog that used it's own intelligence. Seen a lot of trials, shot in a number, seen good dogs win and even better go out, luck of the draw and retrieve at the time. Had good pups whose father's were theoretically God but didn't work out. As I said, not too many FT in the line can still be a hard going well proportioned animal and as good a dog as you can get. As an aside one of my Borders beat an FTW Springer to a mallard drake on the River Tweed one day including a dive to pick it. Just shows you.

Nowt unusual about a border being better in the water than a springer , seen just a few springers that where good in water and border terriers where run with the otter hounds as the number 1 otter hunting terrier . Not to aggressive to get itself killed but very capable in and around water !
Winning a trial is one thing , being made up ftch is another . Podium finishing in the retriever championships is entirely another . Both my current labs have the latter parentage both very different dogs in character but put them onto work ........

 

[ShaneS]

I agree about the lab. They work it out for themselves really, so a good first working dog. They will teach you a lot as well.

However....

How exactly are you going to "work on any separation anxiety it will have" ?

In the spirit of friendly comment, this sounds like a crap life for the dog, it will just want to be with you once it has formed a bond. They are pack animals, and they get bored just like us. You either need to be with it so it has some sort of life or have more than one dog so it isn't on its own. It's not just something you can pick up when its convenient.

This is mainly what i want a second opinion on.

I imagine my day to be walking in the morning going off to work coming back and spending some time training and exercising in the evening. I hope this will keep the dog chill and happy during the day. we have a cat that acts more like a dog so it won't be fully alone during the day but getting two dogs isn't suitable.

from what i have read labs get separation anxiety but can be trained to feel safe on there own by leaving them on there own in increasing segments . i don't intend to neglect the dog just don't want it to be stressed at home.

 

[User00025]

Nowt unusual about a border being better in the water than a springer , seen just a few springers that where good in water and border terriers where run with the otter hounds as the number 1 otter hunting terrier . Not to aggressive to get itself killed but very capable in and around water !
Winning a trial is one thing , being made up ftch is another . Podium finishing in the retriever championships is entirely another . Both my current labs have the latter parentage both very different dogs in character but put them onto work ........

 

[User00025]

I bolted an otter or two with mine, but they were rather aggressive with both fox and otter. Their muzzles are short but their bite is exceptionally strong. Shot during the Spaniel championship in Eire and saw the best dog lose it to a lesser animal on a bad draw. Luck on the day makes a Ftch nothing else apart from the ability to get there with plenty of help, so must agree to differ. A dog is a dog, lab,spaniel or terrier. If they do the job qualifications don't matter, a bit like people really.

 

[Keith Edmunds]

This is mainly what i want a second opinion on.

I imagine my day to be walking in the morning going off to work coming back and spending some time training and exercising in the evening. I hope this will keep the dog chill and happy during the day. we have a cat that acts more like a dog so it won't be fully alone during the day but getting two dogs isn't suitable.

from what i have read labs get separation anxiety but can be trained to feel safe on there own by leaving them on there own in increasing segments . i don't intend to neglect the dog just don't want it to be stressed at home.

Shane, what you describe above is far from ideal but what you describe above is exactly what i did as an 18 year old with my Lab pup. She was outside in a kennel and run and had the type of character that made her none the worse for my treatment. She never whined, was never at all destructive and even when we had the great storm of 1987 her kennel door had blown off yet, in the morning she was happy within the confines of her run.

I was lucky in that she had the character that suited kennel life. I think I could have been just as unlucky and had more of a destructive/needy type. What I have learned since is that within a breed there are many different characters/personalities. Whatever the breed and type within the breed - the more you put in, the more you'll get out.

 

[Bowland blades]

I bolted an otter or two with mine, but they were rather aggressive with both fox and otter. Their muzzles are short but their bite is exceptionally strong. Shot during the Spaniel championship in Eire and saw the best dog lose it to a lesser animal on a bad draw. Luck on the day makes a Ftch nothing else apart from the ability to get there with plenty of help, so must agree to differ. A dog is a dog, lab,spaniel or terrier. If they do the job qualifications don't matter, a bit like people really.

Ftch isn't field trail winner , 3 wins I think to be made up ? Not sure if its in multiple seasons or one again not my thing .

 

[Dunwaters]

Ftch isn't field trail winner , 3 wins I think to be made up ? Not sure if its in multiple seasons or one again not my thing .

In Eire its 12 championship points and at least one first place with a grading of “excellent”, which counts for 4 points. In theory a dog can make Ftch with 3 wins but I’ve only seen that happen once.
A dog that makes Ftch under IKC rules will have performed to a high standard, consistently winning or placing in a number of trials.
I’m not 100 percent certain, but under KC rules I think a dog only has to win 2 trials, one of which must be an open stake to qualify.

 

[Bowland blades]

In Eire its 12 championship points and at least one first place with a grading of “excellent”, which counts for 4 points. In theory a dog can make Ftch with 3 wins but I’ve only seen that happen once.
A dog that makes Ftch under IKC rules will have performed to a high standard, consistently winning or placing in a number of trials.
I’m not 100 percent certain, but under KC rules I think a dog only has to win 2 trials, one of which must be an open stake to qualify.

No great interest myself in trials , looking back to the labradorite its no longer adequately tested for its main reason of creation ( water work , often extreame water working ) today I suspect many don't do much more than retrieve a dead bird thrown I to an inland flight pond .
Sure that's what I was told by the kennels I use but could be wrong and things change ,sure they where correct because it's the most significant kennels in the nation but memory and interest isn't at full tilt for reasons above

 

[dartmoordog]

The OP hasn’t said how old he is, I am 63 and had Spaniels all my life. I don’t consider myself old enough for a lab yet! I reckon when you get to about 75 is the time for a Lab.

A good ESS all day long, and could not give a rats arse about its pedigree/trials/KC etc, as long as I know, for sure, the parents are good honest working dogs, that’s good enough for me. My current lad, coming up to 4, no pedigree, not worth the paper it’s written on, but such a hard driving, honest and lovable dog. He is bloody huge for an ESS, so will retrieve anything that a Lab will, and more..........He ain’t afraid of the rough stuff. I pick up on a big shoot with him, and beat on a small syndicate shoot, he is equally at home on both.

I have lost count the amount of times I have heard “can you get your Spaniel in there mate” when the Labs are pussyfooting around in the grass, afraid of getting a little scratch.

So, if your under 75, get a Spaniel mate, Labs are for the oldies...............OK, bring it on.

Get a real dog mate......You know it makes sense.

 

[Dunwaters]

No great interest myself in trials , looking back to the labradorite its no longer adequately tested for its main reason of creation ( water work , often extreame water working ) today I suspect many don't do much more than retrieve a dead bird thrown I to an inland flight pond .
Sure that's what I was told by the kennels I use but could be wrong and things change ,sure they where correct because it's the most significant kennels in the nation but memory and interest isn't at full tilt for reasons above

The trials are based on what the dogs are expected to do over a typical days shooting here, which for labs translates into sitting quietly until someone asks you to fetch something.
A bit one dimensional maybe but that’s it until someone comes up with a better test.

 

[Bowland blades]

The trials are based on what the dogs are expected to do over a typical days shooting here, which for labs translates into sitting quietly until someone asks you to fetch something.
A bit one dimensional maybe but that’s it until someone comes up with a better test.

Retriever trials depend on location . The task however is two fold , walking to heel or sitting steady in one spot . Sort of what we require more than anything else when stalking I suggest
Behind hpr labs are certainly the top choice with stalkers . Maybe the hpr takes top spot ? Maybe it doesn't?
Only problem with axlab is they ain't keen on making a load of noise but that don't mean they cannot or won't with encouragement.
Most of tge time the stalkers dog does little to nothing of course but walking to heel or staying put , just saying to someone choosing out there hunting in hope type breeds might not be the best choice ( though any is better to none and a dog is a dog first and breed secondary) so its definitely how you bring them up .

 

[RescueMe0007]

I bolted an otter or two with mine, but they were rather aggressive with both fox and otter. Their muzzles are short but their bite is exceptionally strong. Shot during the Spaniel championship in Eire and saw the best dog lose it to a lesser animal on a bad draw. Luck on the day makes a Ftch nothing else apart from the ability to get there with plenty of help, so must agree to differ. A dog is a dog, lab,spaniel or terrier. If they do the job qualifications don't matter, a bit like people really.

If you choose to use Eire rather than Ireland; at least use the fadda Éire!

 

[RescueMe0007]

In Eire its 12 championship points and at least one first place with a grading of “excellent”, which counts for 4 points. In theory a dog can make Ftch with 3 wins but I’ve only seen that happen once.
A dog that makes Ftch under IKC rules will have performed to a high standard, consistently winning or placing in a number of trials.
I’m not 100 percent certain, but under KC rules I think a dog only has to win 2 trials, one of which must be an open stake to qualify.

You should know better, Éire.

 

[Dan Newcombe]

Get as many books as you can on training dogs and read them, all the way through.

My bible has always been Joe Irvine - Gundogs, their learning chain.

You need to understand where you want to get to in order to make the best job of getting there.

You will be fine.

 

[cootster]

Labs are brilliant, if you get one from working stock, check both parents for at the very least hips, elbows and eyes, puppy stage can be difficult with the biting etc and do not underestimate the work that is required to train the dog, don't be tempted to move on to retrieving etc without mastering the basics of walking to heal and basic commands and steadiness. that in my opinion will be well worth it.