Labrador training....

deerstalker.308

Well-Known Member
I'm a spaniel man, the other half is a Labrador Lady. I've only known her very ageing lab so never trained a pup, and my experiences so far have included one mental springer dog (never again) and one remarkably biddable if a bit scatty cocker bitch who's now about 2 and a half.
To get to the point, we have got a lab pup joining our household in 8 weeks time, and the breeder made some comment about them being a very different beast to train than what I'm used to, and she didn't just mean they would be easy in comparison......
ive always perceived labs to be relatively straight forward to train to an acceptable level, but are there any pitfalls or anything I should be aware of, things to nip in the bud early etc or methods people would adopt?
Not looking for a tracking dog, picking up is the aim of the game although I might also be inclined to see how she turn out as I do quite fancy the idea of a stalking companion that can actually sit still!
Any tips welcomed.
 
Found the Labs I have trained to be a doddle to be honest compared to spaniels.
They can be chewers but are as a rule very biddable even from a young age.
One thing I have found is that vary in what age they pick things up at.I actually sold a lovely dog because at the age of 12 months he still wouldn't retrieve anything at all.Whilst the buyer had a kennel built a kept him on and bugger me if he didn't start retrieving to hand quite beautifully :doh:
My own stupid fault for not being patient enough as he was still very young but he had a good shooting home at least.
Some I have had even almost seemed to train themselves
 
I think you will find most labs are born half trained....most spaniels die half trained!!!!
joking aside if you trained a spaniel will be a easier job with the lab
 
Labradors are basically born half trained when you get a pup from good stock. All my Labradors have been far easier than my spaniels.
 
I think you will find most labs are born half trained....most spaniels die half trained!!!!
joking aside if you trained a spaniel will be a easier job with the lab

Might have to steal that quote Redlab for future use LOL
 
I've had both and agree with many of the comments. I think labs tend mature slowly, most don't grow up until they are about 3 years old and can be quite puppyish until then.
 
I would go with perdix . I got a lab form one of his contacts. its a true saying labs are born half trained the one I have was born three quarter trained and is only 25 weeks old;) . As bright as a button a clover dog as I have seen for his age.
So I must thank perdix for that .
 
Labs can be very easy to train, they can also be very difficult, at the moment I have 3 all very differant.

In the last 40 years I have had a new dog every 3 years and none of them have been the same to train.

But what I can say is that they all had something they were realy good at, about 20 years ago someone gave me a fully show bred Lab who was the dummest dog I have ever owned, it took me 2 years to teach him to retreive,he would not do directions he would not sit for any length of time if you were on a shoot and stood still for more than 10 mins he lay down and went to sleep BUT if you had a 50 acre wood and someone shot a pheasant and it dropped in the middle and no one elses dog could find it I would send him and then sit down and wait because as morning follows night he would find it.
 
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