I currently have a 11 year old lab named Loki. He is my first dog and I trained him. He is a wonderful dog as he is well mannered, calm and everybody compliments me on how nice a dog he is (I always say I got lucky and believe it). Get him in the field and he is all business but he has always run out of gun range. Consequently, I don't hunt with others that much because I cannot get him to work close enough. I am getting a new lab pup this spring and am wondering how I can prevent this or lessen this? Is looking for a junior hunter or master hunter line the way to go? Loki was from field trial stock, I believe, and from what I have read on this site and others that might have been problem number one. Do I simply ask if the parents are big runners or what?
What about training? What can I do to get the pup to range closer?
Thanks for any help.
Close hunting lab
Re: Close hunting lab
When my lab was a pup I used to just take her for walks out in the fields and in cover and as she would get out as far as I wanted her to get I would just call her back to me and once she came back I would start walking again and let her range out and call her back in as she got to far out. Being repetitive is important. once the dog is solid on obedience and has been cc'd then it is just a matter of "here" nick "here" as the dog gets out of range they learn it just takes time.
jim
jim