and don’t take the wife or kids with you !
Labradors
- Thread starter Neoublie1
- Start date
and don’t take the wife or kids with you !
I would agree with countrryboy, I find there are 3 types, good old fashioned workers, show and skinny little things.
I'd consider our line to be of the former, both of mine come in at 28kg (although the pup, still call her that despite being 3, is due end of Feb so putting on the pounds now). Not KC registered but always sired (this will be 5th gen, we only have one litter per bitch to keep the line going) by a nice pedigree, lineage doesn't matter to us, temprement and physique more. What was funny was the breeder who had the dog that sired Tali (younger) was so smitten by Lyra (mother on left) he asked if I could try and get them registered. When he didn't recognise a single name in their lineage he wanted a pup even more (to the point of returning the stud fee and BUYING a pup) because there was no crossing of lines. KC were so far up their backsides it didn't succeed.
With regards to training, get a bond with the dog first. Mine are lucky enough to be with me 24/7 near enough and it shows. When I lived in the SE they'd reasonably regularly be walking around central London with me with no lead (actually easier since it didn't get tangled up), but that only came about because I put the effort in to building up a bond.
I also feel there is an aspect to overtraining. Quite a few of the shoots I've been on the dogs don't do any thing unless they're told. I was invited on an old boys grouse shoot in Mid Wales and one of them complimented me in the pub afterwards saying it was nice to see a dog working with someone not working for someone. I.e. Lyra was hunting alongside with no instruction and I could just focus on my side of things. She'd keep an eye on me to keep in check.
I was bloody impressed with her a month ago in the Highlands when a friend wounded a hind. Later on he stumbled across it and found some blood. I took Lyra up (Tali was in Wales due to her enlarged state) and she picked up the track, first time she'd had to do this. Tearing off through the woods we entered she would pause to let me catch up. Found another two drops of blood in an 500+ acre wood nowhere near where we thought it had gone and then found a set of tracks going back up onto the hill.
What was the point of those stories, not sure really. But they haven't had formal training, just me farting around on some rough shoots, the odd driven and walked up and a fair few stalks. But the key thing is building a bond and rewarding (but also telling off when necessary - something a lot of people don't do). All of ours are pets primarily but all of them have hunted regularly.
I'd consider our line to be of the former, both of mine come in at 28kg (although the pup, still call her that despite being 3, is due end of Feb so putting on the pounds now). Not KC registered but always sired (this will be 5th gen, we only have one litter per bitch to keep the line going) by a nice pedigree, lineage doesn't matter to us, temprement and physique more. What was funny was the breeder who had the dog that sired Tali (younger) was so smitten by Lyra (mother on left) he asked if I could try and get them registered. When he didn't recognise a single name in their lineage he wanted a pup even more (to the point of returning the stud fee and BUYING a pup) because there was no crossing of lines. KC were so far up their backsides it didn't succeed.
With regards to training, get a bond with the dog first. Mine are lucky enough to be with me 24/7 near enough and it shows. When I lived in the SE they'd reasonably regularly be walking around central London with me with no lead (actually easier since it didn't get tangled up), but that only came about because I put the effort in to building up a bond.
I also feel there is an aspect to overtraining. Quite a few of the shoots I've been on the dogs don't do any thing unless they're told. I was invited on an old boys grouse shoot in Mid Wales and one of them complimented me in the pub afterwards saying it was nice to see a dog working with someone not working for someone. I.e. Lyra was hunting alongside with no instruction and I could just focus on my side of things. She'd keep an eye on me to keep in check.
I was bloody impressed with her a month ago in the Highlands when a friend wounded a hind. Later on he stumbled across it and found some blood. I took Lyra up (Tali was in Wales due to her enlarged state) and she picked up the track, first time she'd had to do this. Tearing off through the woods we entered she would pause to let me catch up. Found another two drops of blood in an 500+ acre wood nowhere near where we thought it had gone and then found a set of tracks going back up onto the hill.
What was the point of those stories, not sure really. But they haven't had formal training, just me farting around on some rough shoots, the odd driven and walked up and a fair few stalks. But the key thing is building a bond and rewarding (but also telling off when necessary - something a lot of people don't do). All of ours are pets primarily but all of them have hunted regularly.
dartmoordog
Well-Known Member
You could always get a proper working gundog. 
dartmoordog
Well-Known Member
He doesn't mind mixing with the inferior, lesser gundog though.
Mick9abf
Well-Known Member
And some absolutely feral ones to boot, I’m actually laughing thinking about a couple that sprung to mind immediately when I read that!!
Labradors are generally fairly easy to train but I don’t sign up to the “they train themselves if from working lines” that some would have people believe. There are some total brain donors in any line when you look.
Neoublie1
Well-Known Member
Ha ha, lovely dogs, the both of them
Neoublie1
Well-Known Member
I’m in Hockley Essex
Having lost a dog when it went for hip testing, died under the anaesthetic, will not have any of ours done at all. we breed a litter once a year so are not in it for the money. Have only had one pup which we sold have any problems with a front displaced shoulder joint, found out afterwards that the guy who bought her had her hiking the coastal path all day at 6 months old day after day!
The pup we kept from last years litter is now, at 11 months, an inch taller than the sire and deeper in the chest, a cracking dog and coming on well with the retrieving, getting better at the recall as well.
Should have another litter in a few days, first time bitch but same sire as the last lot.
The pup we kept from last years litter is now, at 11 months, an inch taller than the sire and deeper in the chest, a cracking dog and coming on well with the retrieving, getting better at the recall as well.
Should have another litter in a few days, first time bitch but same sire as the last lot.
Being a lifelong Lab man ( proper dogs y,know) I’ll not bring up the old saying that goes “ Labs are born half trained....” you know how the rest goes.
But seriously that’s a nice looking Spaniel.
Willowbank
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Best of luck with the search, the problem you face is that labs have " evolved" into 3 different lines, show, working and field trial.
The show dogs tend to be biggest and may not have a great work ethic, the trialers smallest but may be a bit hot for a first dog so I'd agree with the advice to pick from sound working lines but personally I'd want the papers.
Makes life much easier if you want to breed in the future.
The show dogs tend to be biggest and may not have a great work ethic, the trialers smallest but may be a bit hot for a first dog so I'd agree with the advice to pick from sound working lines but personally I'd want the papers.
Makes life much easier if you want to breed in the future.
Neoublie1
Well-Known Member
Thank you,
I got the puppy from Tawnyhill gun dogs in Kent
Met the mum and dad, both working dogs.
I’m already impressed as to quickly she’s picking things up (learning) already, though I do have a long road ahead in teaching her.
Regard
Barry
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