4 year old Lab

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danielsonson

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12 months in to living with a monster Lab. He came to me via a sad story of neglect but was from a good line. His instincts are excellent, he loves working cover and boggy marshland but we are still working on some basics and he will never be a picking up dog (thankfully).

My thoughts are, is it worth trying to bring him over to deer. He is a strong lad who can be a little excitable but his is very biddable. Or is 4 too old? It will be like starting a pup but just a 36kg one lol
 
danielsonson said:
12 months in to living with a monster Lab. He came to me via a sad story of neglect but was from a good line. His instincts are excellent, he loves working cover and boggy marshland but we are still working on some basics and he will never be a picking up dog (thankfully).

My thoughts are, is it worth trying to bring him over to deer. He is a strong lad who can be a little excitable but his is very biddable. Or is 4 too old? It will be like starting a pup but just a 36kg one lol
Click to expand...
No train him, I trained my first lab when he was 6 years old
 
Many years ago, my first keepering position in fact, one of the guns asked me to shoot his Labrador dog if he left it behind on a day's shooting. I agreed to do so, fortunately left it till the next morning as busy that evening with usual after shootday palaver.
He was 3 years old and died when he was 16, having had a working life with me. It wasn't the dog,it was the bloody owner.
So if you have the patience, give him a chance, school him in what you want from him and quite often the dog will amaze you.
Never once regretted not shooting the old boy without giving him a chance, hope your efforts go well too.
 
Rhodesianjess said:
Many years ago, my first keepering position in fact, one of the guns asked me to shoot his Labrador dog if he left it behind on a day's shooting. I agreed to do so, fortunately left it till the next morning as busy that evening with usual after shootday palaver.
He was 3 years old and died when he was 16, having had a working life with me. It wasn't the dog,it was the bloody owner.
So if you have the patience, give him a chance, school him in what you want from him and quite often the dog will amaze you.
Never once regretted not shooting the old boy without giving him a chance, hope your efforts go well too.
Click to expand...
Never a truer word spoken
 
danielsonsonsaid Q "My thoughts are, is it worth trying to bring him over to deer. He is a strong lad who can be a little excitable but his is very biddable. Or is 4 too old?" UQ.

Mate...it certainly is worth having a crack at training him for deer.
As for being a little excitable. I'd suggest that is just him being keen to go do "something" . He has a fit body, he has a brain which wants to think and work and he is willing to do what you want him to....aka" biddable".

So the ball is in your court. You have a dog with terrific potential so go training. Understand that there will be times when his previous lifestyle may become evident in his behavior but just ignore it and keep on with your training. Cool, calm and consistent is your new motto.

Good Luck.
 
BenBhoy said:
Why?? Because he hadn't trained it??
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He was a regular guest and had sent it away for training if I remember right. Gave it a season and they didn't gel so get shot and start again. I actually forgot to take the rifle and just opened all the kennels the next morning and took the dogs for a walk. Whilst walking them I noticed old Ben wasn't as badly behaved for me as he'd been for his owner.
Decided to give him a chance and if no good then back to the rifle. Thankfully we clicked,had him until he was a very elderly chap. I did shoot him eventually but only because he became incontinent. Last favour for an old friend ☹️
 
Rhodesianjess said:
He was a regular guest and had sent it away for training if I remember right. Gave it a season and they didn't gel
Click to expand...
You're a more tolerant man than me - at best I'd have told him to feckin shoot it himself. Nob head. Good on ya for doing right by dog - did mr Nob head get to see dog you'd turned him into?
 
BenBhoy said:
You're a more tolerant man than me - at best I'd have told him to feckin shoot it himself. Nob head. Good on ya for doing right by dog - did mr Nob head get to see dog you'd turned him into?
Click to expand...
Yes, he was a regular guest so he'd have seen him in my team. To be honest, I'd doubt he'd recognize the dog,if you need someone else to train your dog, tells you volumes about him.
Subject never came up so really don't know.
 
BenBhoy said:
You're a more tolerant man than me - at best I'd have told him to feckin shoot it himself. Nob head. Good on ya for doing right by dog - did mr Nob head get to see dog you'd turned him into?
Click to expand...
But then the dog would be dead and not have what sounds like a decent life
 
Cracking thread, might give my 5 year old pampered mummy’s boy house lab from supremely good gun dog stock a go. 34 kilo athlete and far cleverer than he should be, but a bit of a wide-o. Time to bring him to heel and use him, only with deer.

Basic recall starts tomorrow :lol:

Ps. It is all the wife’s fault, honest guv!
 
I don’t have a dog but have read lots and lots. Most people who understand dogs on here would probably agree with the following generalisations.
9 times out of 10, the problem is the owner, not the dog. I see this when my missus goes out on a (according to the owner) difficult horse, who behaves perfectly for her.
Most people do not give their dog enough exercise, mentally or physically.
Most people do not learn how to treat a dog like a dog.

Now I have, sort of, been given permission to get a dog……. I am going to finally have to “Walk the walk” in every sense of the word. :lol:
 
I would definitely start working him , any dog with a bit of training can be shown new jobs. If they have a will to please they will do their best, it’s up to you to explain it properly 🤣
 
Like an earlier post
A friend asked me to shoot his 2 year old lab bitch.
Said she was gun shy and couldnt swim just f ing useless in his words!
Asked him if i could keep her, yes.
Took her home as she had been living in his factory it was straight in the shower.
He was right she couldnt swim so took her to work every day for two weeks.
Then down to my flight pond no interest in dummies in the water.
So down to my boxers and into the pond.
Ten minutes she was paddling around me like a pro tail wagging loving it!

Gun shy a bit more challenging
Pheasant shoot peg 1 first shot from the line dog gone!
Go back to pick up take her back to peg 1 next shot dog gone
Repeat
Repeat
Patience departs!
First time i ever tethered a dog of mine
Sits her down my turn to shoot 12 shots on drive looks down at dog sat there quivering! let her loose
She picked up all my birds and never looked back.
In her last year she picked up 60 mallard and teal from a frozen pond and was asleep on the pile of birds.
I dont have a clue how to train a dog but she seemed to know what i wanted and was so eager to please.
Give your lab a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised.
 
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