Dogs

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Bill Gass

Active member
Is it possible to train a German Shepard to retrieve? As they are bred for herding. Just wondering, I know that they're not bred for it however I once saw a TV show where a guy had a poodle trained to point, flush and retrieve pheasants. Not a little lap dog poodle but a bigger one and he did a pretty good job of it.

Bill G.
 
absolutely! You can train pretty much any dog to retrieve. Heck, my buddy trained his cat to retrieve :) However, the retrieving breeds (labs, goldens, etc) have been bred with retrieving as one of the genetic characterisitics the breeders attempt to improve through breeding whereas those instincts aren't as consistently prevelant in other breeds. Poodles, oddly enough, were historically a retrieving breed, so there is still quite a bit of instinctual retrieving in their genes.
 
Yes! In a former life I helped a pro trainer with several sheps to retrieve. Well , uh , kinda . They brought back drugs , guns , and people !! =)
Had 1 Rott. that would bring you a Budweiser when the day was over!
 
I can't remember for sure bit it seems to me that there was a GSD that got some NAHRA (North American Hunting Retriever Association) titles. I don't think it would be a problem once the dog figured out what you wanted it to do.

Tom
 
OK well thanks boys, I wasn't sure if I'd get laughed off the BB or not. My nephew just got a new GSD yesterday from a litter of four. He says that it is a pure bred but doesn't have any papers. I'm thinking we'll get it out in the boat this summer and get it used to the whole idea. How old are dogs when you start training them? Any suggestions as to good sites that would provide training info.

Bill G.
 
Try retrievertraining.net. I start training my dogs the day after I pick them up as seven week old pups. Richard Wolters book Water Dog or Game Dog lays out a step by step process starting at seven weeks that works for a lot of dogs. Don't get hung up thinking your dog has to follow it literally. The old school was to wait until the pup had teethed or until they were six months old, but now we do a lot of obedience and fun retrieving way early.

Jackie Mertens Puppy basics video is helpful, also Gun Dog magazine and Dennis Voight's Online Retriever Training are very good. Try to find a local retriever club in your area, people will gladly take you under their wing if you throw birds for their dogs.
 
Greg Stender, sometimes posts on this forum, has one of the best snipe hunting dog on the west coast that is a shepherd or heeler of some sort. I believe that since he had the dog he figured he might as well try it and it worked for him.
It will probably be evident quickly if it is going to have a chance or not. If that is what your dog is no harm in trying but be willing to accept it might not work.
I know of a couple shepherd crosses that made fine pheasant dogs.

Tim
 
Remember that all dogs are descended in some way from hunters. They all have better noses than us humans,sept maybe shitsuzs or that type gator food.
I once knew a guy who used his chihuahua to find his doves he shot and also to hunt deer. That little thing would get up in the thickets and start barking away at a deer. If it stayed there or charged the dog it'd be easy to stalk since it was preoccupied with the dog. If the deer walked off he could hear the little dog barking and circle around in front and blamo, meat.
Give it a try but like said, be willing to accept it not working out.
 
I am hunting and have been hunting for 5 years now dove,crow and duck with a black dog I found under my riding lawn mower. I am retired and hunt dove and duck a least 5 times a week. She has a lab head and her body has the chessy cruly hair. And she has the chessy personality. But who knows . My wife and I treat her if she was a pure breed and she demands it too.
 
I'm not sure if you can train a Shepard to retrieve but Poodles ARE retrievers. If you ever watch a dog show you will see that the poodles are classed with the working dogs.
 
i had a cat maine coon cat that had a dawg complex and it loved to retrieve anything i thru ,i started with rabbit paws,and then one home it came with a wabbit,very smart cat i trained it to do many things ,it just takes time and patience is all and im finding out that it takes alot when training a dawg i havea 6 month old lab blonde of course so patience is in order.

good luck
shermie
 
i had a cat maine coon cat that had a dawg complex and it loved to retrieve anything i thru ,i started with rabbit paws,and then one home it came with a wabbit,very smart cat i trained it to do many things ,it just takes time and patience is all and im finding out that it takes alot when training a dawg i havea 6 month old lab blonde of course so patience is in order.

good luck
shermie
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You think blondes are bad? Hah! Try a redhead!
 
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