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Chocolate Lab trouble/training suggestions

Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:10 pm
Posted by arczr2
Iota
Member since Oct 2020
257 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:10 pm
Good afternoon fellas

Got a question in regards to my female chocolate lab and her end game retrieving. Took her on the kids youth hunt saturday and she would not bring the birds to me in the boat blind. She would go to the bank and play with them etc really ticked me off..She also has a tendency to play keep away with the tennis ball as I have young kids that have taught her this bad habit. Anyways I ordered an ecollar and will have it in today, what would you baws do in regards to training or fixing the issue? She has an awesome drive and loves to retrieve and this was only her 3rd hunt as she is only about 7 months old and takes hand signals great! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by KemoSabe65
70605
Member since Mar 2018
5145 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:14 pm to
Here goes but remember you asked; what training does your PUP have, Do You understand E-collars, What is your end goal, Are You open minded to new ideas??
Answer those and some here can help, if not, you’ll be the guy heard screaming all morning at a dog that hasn’t a clue why you’re screaming.
Posted by shell01
Marianna, FL
Member since Jul 2014
793 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:28 pm to
quote:

you'll be the guy heard screaming all morning at a dog that hasn’t a clue why you’re screaming.


THIS

You don't teach a dog anything (good) with an ecollar, it should be used to reinforce a known behavior only. I'm not against them, my dog wears one anytime she's out offlead, but I rarely have to use it because I trained the behavior first, built in value for performing the behaviors, and THEN introduced consequences for NOT performing the behavior.

Sounds like you need to back up and work on the basics with your pup. And remember, she's still just a pup!
Posted by RichJ
The Land of the CoonAss
Member since Nov 2016
3121 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:31 pm to
quote:

I ordered an ecollar


I can attest, after having Labrador Retrievers for over 40 yrs, with enough voltage, you can teach it to play the piano...
Posted by KemoSabe65
70605
Member since Mar 2018
5145 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:44 pm to
Wanna bet? Tell us how many piano players your hands have been on?
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32021 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 12:51 pm to
First problem, is the kids playing with the dog.. and it not being taught to bring the bird/ball back every time. Now those habbits are being done in the fild. You will have to take a step back, get bumpers, and get the dog back to delivering to the hand. E collars are great, but if your dog has never been on one, be careful.. you could ruin him. My dog was e collar conditioned as a pup, so he knows why he is getting the volt. If he runs behind me eith the bird i will tell him the command one time, if he ignores he will get a tick until he brings it to my hand.. the tick stops. But again, he knows what he is being corrected for.
Posted by finchmeister08
Member since Mar 2011
35640 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 1:00 pm to
What do people use the clickers for?
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32021 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 1:02 pm to
quote:

What do people use the clickers for?


Different style of training. Its like a marker for something positive. When dog does what you want, click.. then a treat.
Posted by DuckSausage
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2014
422 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 1:20 pm to
Just went through this with my 10 month old lab I'm training as my first dog. I'm no professional but here's how I worked through it.

I would have her hold the bumper and sit, I'd walk away 10' and tell her here, heel and have her hold it until I told her to drop it. Eventually moving further back. Sometimes I would have her walk at heel holding the bumper after she brought it to me. Got to where she would do that great and when I threw a short bumper she would revert back to running around playing with it. Start over with the first steps.

It eventually got better but took a lot of reps and patience over a couple of weeks. Treats or food helped at times when she was being stubborn even though a lot don't agree with that.

Stick with it. I figured it was just a phase because she did fine up until about 7 months and then had 2-3 week setback. I do have her on an ecollar now and she will try and walk away at times. Usually all it takes is a low nick and she'll come right to heel.
This post was edited on 11/9/20 at 1:21 pm
Posted by GardenDistrictTiger
Fort Worth
Member since Sep 2020
2480 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 1:23 pm to
There's a chapter on this topic in the book Water Dog. It works.
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32021 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 3:16 pm to
quote:

Just went through this with my 10 month old lab I'm training as my first dog. I'm no professional but here's how I worked through it.



My dog is 12months... if you are working them daily... the difference in a 10month old, and 12month old dog is lightyears. Just stick with thrm, there will be frustrsting times, but stay with them, keep them interested, keep good energy (they feed off it) and always end on a good note. If they are doing something wrong over and over. Take a step back, do something they get right.. praise them and end the session and build on it the next day.
Posted by VernonPLSUfan
Leesville, La.
Member since Sep 2007
15846 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 3:22 pm to
Put the ecollar on the kids, not the dog.
Posted by White Bear
Yonnygo
Member since Jul 2014
13891 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 3:26 pm to
7 months is young dude. I wouldn't light her up. work her on short retrieves from the boat in the middle of the lake where she has no choice but to come to you. Reward her. It's tough on a dog imo grabbing them by the collar and loading them in the boat so i'd recommend a platform for the dog, etc.
Posted by choupiquesushi
yaton rouge
Member since Jun 2006
30549 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 4:45 pm to
Force fetch / conditioned retrieve
Posted by MWP
Kingwood, TX via Monroe, LA
Member since Jul 2013
10439 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 4:56 pm to
quote:

Force fetch


This and cut out the kids with tennis balls.

I wouldn't get overly hyped about a 7 month old dog doing silly things either.
Posted by Philzilla2k
Member since Oct 2017
11070 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 7:52 pm to
quote:

I wouldn't get overly hyped about a 7 month old dog doing silly things
Posted by Choirboy
On your property
Member since Aug 2010
10777 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 7:52 pm to
Please don’t just start shocking the dog.

Get a long check cord to ensure the dog comes back to you. Once you know the dog knows what “here” means you can reinforce with the check cord. After several corrections blend collar into correction while also using check cord. Lowest setting then move up slowly.
The E-collar can be great but can also be detrimental. It sounds like you’re frustrated. This is not where you want to be when training. Back up to success even if you must retrain sit to be successful.

Oh yeah, get those kids a dog to play with. Your retriever will continue to learn bad habits playing with kids.

Do t get discouraged. People on this board will help you but you have to listen to good advice and ignore the bad.
Posted by MWP
Kingwood, TX via Monroe, LA
Member since Jul 2013
10439 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 8:01 pm to
quote:

It sounds like you’re frustrated. This is not where you want to be when training. Back up to success even if you must retrain sit to be successful.


For the love of God OP, listen to this. Training dogs is like raising a kid stuck in the movie Groundhog Day. You constantly have to re-enforce behavior and when you hit a roadblock, just back up and start over all while keeping a level head. The last thing you want to do is ruin your hound, especially with a collar.
Posted by Ppro
natchez
Member since Dec 2013
416 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 8:38 pm to
Your dog I mean your pup is 7 months old. Slow down. If you want a great lifetime retriever teach before you put your dog in real life situations. No way that dog has seen enough training for an e collar. I firmly believe in the e collar but it is not needed yet. Earlier it was said that it is used to reinforce known commands. That is absolutely the only use of an e collar in a young dog. So many bad things can happen when a dog receives a collar correction by an angry owner. Sounds like you may have a good retriever. Don’t ruin it by trying to rush it. A dog is a dog at 3-5 years old. You are about to ruin a good dog and give e collars a bad name. Slow down and wait for more training time before we shock the dog into submission.
Posted by KemoSabe65
70605
Member since Mar 2018
5145 posts
Posted on 11/9/20 at 8:42 pm to
OP done gone to pet smart for a Shock colla.
Always interesting when the demands are greater than the desire to actually end up with a tractable dog. Time, Money, Knowledge, need to have some of all to get it done right.
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