WaterfowlForum.Net

So I have a 1 1/2 year old lab, and we took he hunting for for the first time last year. She would lay in the boat, and not pay any attention to what we were doing, even when shooting. She wouldn't even get excited after we shot and would lay in one spot with her head down until we had her heal to line her up for the retreive. Every retreive while hunting is a blind because of this. I know it is good for her to be steady but is this too steady? Is it weird for a dog to naturally act like this? Is she calmer and steadier than my dads lab becuase we waited until she was a year old to take her on her forst hunt, therefore she is more mature?

ducks~n~bucks wrote:So I have a 1 1/2 year old lab, and we took he hunting for for the first time last year. She would lay in the boat, and not pay any attention to what we were doing, even when shooting. She wouldn't even get excited after we shot and would lay in one spot with her head down until we had her heal to line her up for the retreive. Every retreive while hunting is a blind because of this. I know it is good for her to be steady but is this too steady? Is it weird for a dog to naturally act like this? Is she calmer and steadier than my dads lab becuase we waited until she was a year old to take her on her forst hunt, therefore she is more mature?

Sounds like it may be time to teach her what her job is.. What training has she had and how did you introduce her to gunfire? And probably not a maturity thing. Sounds like she has little prey drive and is confused. It's amazing what a shackled duck and live flyers will do sometimes to get them excited about their work.

Obviously NOT an English lab

jehler wrote:Obviously NOT an English lab

Sounds like a young dog that isn't sure what's going on yet. Do what Matt said

She has a lot of drive, until we are actually hunting. She just doesn't get excited about gunfire. Should I use the blank gun more often whilst training her, to help her make the connection?

What all have you done with her up to this point? Hard to tell you where to go without knowing where you've been..

She's had Basic Obedience, she knows hold FF, she's been introduced to E-collar, She can do doubles, she fetches to a pile fairly well, but needs more work, and I started handling with her the other day.