# Got a Lab.



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I took this chocolate lab from a friend who had found him. I couldn't turn down this dog. My question is he appears to be 3 or 4 years old can he still be trained to hunt? I have tried taking him out a few times but he won't go near water and hates to get away from me. He will retrieve a ball all day long. I feel that he is beyond trainable. Was just wondering if anybody has any advise that might work. 
I believe the previous owner took him out somewhere and left him, cuz he has terrible seperation issues. He is still my 5 year old best bud and we can't get rid of him.


----------



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I'm not a pro or anything, but judging by what I have seen from my lab pup, I would say you could still work with him. I would recommend giving him some time to get acquainted with you and the family. Once he knows he can trust you, he'll be much more at ease with what you are trying to do. Will he fetch anything besides a ball? Try throwing a training bumper for him in-between throws of the ball. Get some pigeons or other game birds to let him play with. If he has any prey drive at all, he should get somewhat excited by them. You probably won't be able to train him as well as you would a pup, but retrieving and prey drive are generally innate to a lab. Just introduce things slowly and in a fun and non-threatening way to him. I bet he'd pick up on some of it.

As for the water deal, do like they do with puppies...work them in slowly. Right now is the perfect time to intro a dog to water, because it is warm. Wade out into the water a bit, and encourage him to follow you. If he likes being by your side, he should want to come with. Go ankle deep at first, and praise him for following you. Gradually work your way deeper in the water, praising and encouraging and petting him until you are waist-deep, and he is swimming. Throw his ball out a few feet, and see if he'll fetch it. Then do a bumper. Make a game of it so he has fun. It may take several sessions, but it should work as long as it is stress-free for the dog. Hopefully, eventually he will be charging right in like a seasoned pro to fetch.


----------



## summit72 (Oct 4, 2008)

My lab is almost 10 and I dont have a problem with her learing new stuff.


----------



## Donttreadonme (Sep 11, 2007)

Three words:

Clipped wing pigeons


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I have another question. I have been trying to get him to lose weight but nothing seems to be working. I have him on a diet that the vet recommended and exercise him at least 4 times a week but hes still a chunk. Happened after we got him neutered. We feed him 2 cups of food in the morning and 2 in the evenings. 
Also he is starting to get the hunting spirit. I have a tennis ball that he loves and have been putting pheasant scent on it when we play fetch. Now he puts his nose to the ground everytime we go out.


----------



## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

I had/have the same problem with my lab Mike. Chaser explained it pretty good. I battled with mine when she was a pup and basically did what chaser explained except I put mine on a lead so she essentially had no choice and slowly brought her in as I walked backwards into the lake. The trainer I talked to said it was a confidence issue. Unlike most labs she is not real fond of the water but if there is something to retrieve she will eagerly jump in with all four feet.


----------



## yfzduner450 (Dec 28, 2009)

As for the water, do like ya would a horse. Put on a lead and keep constant pressure on the lead. Don't play tug of war. As soon as the dog comes towards you, let off some pressure. It will learn quickly that even if it throws a cow-eyed fit, it will still get wet. They learn very quickly. As for the extra weight, hop on a fourwheeler and road it every other day and built up the distance. You'll pull pounds off the dog fast and it will be more healthly. Just a few things I've learned. They may or may not work for you.


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Well took him out this past week looking for some chuckars, didn't go according to plan but he did have a great time climbing the hills and for some reason liked chasing lizards. I think he is realizing that he is a hunting dog. He had his nose to the ground all day. 
The next day I decided to take him to look for some ducks. Just some pond jumping. I went to one pond and he started to walk into the water and just stopped about chest deep. He acted like he wanted to go deeper but didn't dare. I found a stick and tossed it about five feet further out and he started to wimper abit then all of a sudden he jumped up outta the water then swam got the stick and brought it back. I was shocked. We played for about an hour and he retrieved it everytime. 
My wife didn't believe me. She thinks he is a ruined dog. So I loaded her and the dog up and took off to the pond.
Found a stick and threw it in and Bo swam out and got it. 
Now I need to get him on some real animals and see how he does. I honestly think he was trained before I got him and just needs help remembering how to do things.


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> We feed him 2 cups of food in the morning and 2 in the evenings.


I feed my Lab 2 cups per day. He's a little overweight at that and he gets plenty of exercise. The problem is you're feeding your dog too much.


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

BirdDogger said:


> > We feed him 2 cups of food in the morning and 2 in the evenings.
> 
> 
> I feed my Lab 2 cups per day. He's a little overweight at that and he gets plenty of exercise. The problem is you're feeding your dog too much.


I was just going with what the vet told me, I guess i will cut him back some more.


----------



## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Glad to hear he overcame the water hurdle, Mike! That's huge!

As for the feeding- what the hell does the vet know about how much YOUR dog should eat, without running some intensive tests? It all comes down to the dog. Just like people, they have different metabolic rates. And the activity level of your dog may differ from others. Don't forget- the feeding guides on bags of food are just guides, not gospel. If you haven't the foggiest idea where to start, use the guide, but after that, it is up to you to keep an eye on the dog's form and even their scat to determine whether or not to feed more, less, or the same. 

I noticed this with my pup. We tried to feed him according to the guide on the bag. He started chunking up, and his poops were really runny, like he wasn't digesting correctly. So we cut back, even to levels I was concerned he was still hungry. We were feeding him a very high mix of fat and protein, so while he was getting less by way of volume of food, he was getting more fat than he needed. We switched to a lower fat, lower protein feed (although not too much lower) and were able to feed him a bit more in volume of food, helping him to seem more satisfied after meals, and still getting him the necessary nutrition, but without overdoing it. Even today, at almost 9 months old, and around 55 lbs, he only eats around 3 cups of food a day. 

Just keep a close eye on the dog. If you are running him a lot, he'll need to eat more. Otherwise, cut back a bit if he's getting chunky, or switch to another high-quality brand, with a different nutrient mix.


----------



## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

In the winter time I feed mine 2 32oz cups per day one in the morning and one in the evening. In the summertime I feed her 1 32oz cup in the morning. She picks at it through out the day. When I hunt with her when we get home I fry up a pound of burger,add 1 cup of cooked rice,and then make a thick brown pan gravy from the drippings and put that over her food. I read an article that recomended this and I have done it since she was a pup. I also carry a baggie of dog bone treats( walmart brand) while hunting and give her one or two whenever she flushes or retrieves. I think it helps to keep her motivated and excited especially now that she is getting older.


----------

