Hunting dog

Thanks Tim... Kind of what I was thinking about the cross breed.. They really dont have the beautiful face of a Lab either more a fluffy scruffy looking puff ball...


Thanks for the pix comment, I had dad and blakes pictures taken about a year ago. Along with that one I have 92 other pictures of them from that day all on a cd! boy am I glad I did that now, no matter how much they both bitched about doing it~~
 
Oh and I also wondered do you guys have your dogs micro chipped? I see that is a little common now days too....


Thanks again

Bridget
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I just had my female black lab micro chipped, I think it cost around $25. I would HIGHLY recommend. My wife had a dog that was chipped, he got out of the backyard and disappeared.......10 months later we got a call from the micro chip company, someone found him over 100 miles away!!!

I was told that most vets and animal shelters have the scanners to check for chips because the companies providing the service give the scanners to them for free......I don't know if that is completely accurate info though.

Hope this helps, good luck with the search!!!

Donvan
 
By all means have the dog micro chipped.The vet can do it and you send the registration in to the company with the fee.One line on their collar tag," Has Avid micro chip" on it.
 
In my opinion I would look for a breeder that that cross breeds show labs with field labs that way you will still have with hunting genes but will be a little calmer, hopefully. A lab that is all field can be a hand full for someone who is a novice trainer .
 
In my opinion I would look for a breeder that that cross breeds show labs with field labs that way you will still have with hunting genes but will be a little calmer, hopefully. A lab that is all field can be a hand full for someone who is a novice trainer .
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I disagree (except for the last sentence). I would pick a litter out of field lines and ask the breeder to select a pup that will suit your lifestyle. You don't want a pup that is to hot, but training a slug would be more frustrating. It is not an exact science but most experienced breeders should be able to match you and your pup.

By the way, I would look at the reference Tom gave you at the beginning of the thread. Both litters they have now seem to have pretty good pedigrees. It might be worth checking them out.
 
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In the interest of adding some variety... Look up the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. They are a wonderful breed. They are exceptionally intelligent. Their size makes them great for travel companions.

Ours is great with family and a good retriever. Unfortunately I screwed up with the gun training and he's terribly gun shy. We tied him on grouse last fall and he was great in the field but once the shots start...
 
Bridget,

You have gotten good advice, I'll add my two cents.

Decide if you want a puppy or an older dog. Puppies are cute and full of potential and lots of work. An older dog may already have some training and you will have a better idea of how big it will get and what kind of temperment it has.

Find a dog with a hunting background. If it has hunt test titles, JH, SH, MH, SR, WR, MHR, GMHR, HR, HRCH, GRHRCH, or field champions, FC, AFC, NFC, NAFC, in the pedigree that shows trainability and other desirable traits. The lack of these titles does not make for a bad dog. A dog with only CH, show champion, in pedigree does not mean the dog won't be a good hunter, you just don't know.

Color is your preference. There are no differences between the colors in ability or temperment. Male or female (dog or bitch) is personal preference too. The females will tend to be smaller. Both have their pro's and con's. I reccomend you spay/neuter either one.

Don't be in a big hurry. Find the right dog and breeder for you. It is hard to walk away from a litter of puppies and not buy one. So, don't go just to window shop. Buying a puppy/dog close to home gives you a resource when you have questions. They can also be a good resource for training questions. You may also want to try and locate a near by retriever club. They can be a good resource for puppies/dogs too.

Training is very important. And, easier than many people realize. Consistency is the key. Dogs are creatures of habit. If you/Blake can teach the dog to obey sit, here and heal, all the time, it will be better trained than 90% of the rest of the dogs you will ever encounter.

A tired dog is a good dog. I guess the same can be said for boys too! Realize a puppy/young dog will have lots of energy. They will need daily exercise, including days with rain, sleet and snow. this can include walks, swimming or just someone throwing a bumper in the backyard for 20 minutes. Tennis balls should be avoided. Dogs love them but, they can get lodged in the throat.

That was longer than I thought it would be.

Good luck finding the right dog for you and Blake,

Tom
 
Thanks for the advice Tom, Ive been trying to google and find Lab resources here in MI and not having a whole lot of luck... Any of you MI boys know of a good breeder for the type Im leaning towards???
I think I will try to see if I can find a club here in MI that I can contact, I kind of thought finding breeders would be easier than it is.... Or one that is showing all of the info you are telling me...

Do you guys have any advice when looking at a little older dog, say 7 -8 months or even over a year opposed to a puppy? I always thought when you came across an older pup still available it meant maybe something was "wrong" with it?


I spoke with mom today and she said dad had spoken about looking at a silver lab? Is that something special? Ive never heard of or seen one?



Boy I have lots of questions.....

Thanks everyone!
 
Silver labs are just chocolates with a fancy name. There is also some thought that they have weimaraner blood in them, actually there is more then just some thought. Neat looking, not probably the best choice for a possible hunting dog but I haven't seen one in person.

Tim
 
Bridget, I agree with a lot of what you've read. If it helps I had a friend who got a pup from an upstate NY breeder. We have traded dogs over the years so I knew he would know what I was looking for. He saw an older pup 8 months and I never thought I would go the route of the "Started Dog" but my friend checked her out, called me and said "You want this dog." I picked her up and could not be happier. This concept might help if you've never trained a pup from the start. My young son has also been an incredible help as I have deemed this pup as his. He might trade emails with you're son if you want. I wish you all the best for you and Blake, Kevin Harrington
 
I don't know how many of these internet forums you want to join, but Lee was also well known on the MI Refuge page. There are some avid Lab guys from the LP on that site that will be more than happy to help you out. http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/forumdisplay.php?f=31

I'm not real well informed on Lab breeders in the LP, but a friend of mine got one from Luterville Labs and they seem to have a decent program going.

While the sky is the limit in terms of how involved you want to get, I would suggest looking at pups that come from Hunt Test parents or if you find someone through your own network of connections that is having a litter. Always make sure the parents have at least some hunting experience.

First things first, though . . . Get a training book and read it before getting the puppy! Waterdog by Wolters or 10 Minute Retriever by John and Amy Dahl are two top choices.

I'm not big on the rush to spay/nueter. Newer research is suggesting that allowing the dog to mature might be a good idea before you remove the organs that manufacture important horomones.

As always, Any one of these topics could be explored ad nauseum, but I'll let you decide what you want to look into.

NR
 
Great points here - of course!! Cover as many as youre able and willing too!

My experieces. Note that I've had only 1 dog that was part lab but a few others from spaniels to pointers and house pets of various breeds. Really discuss your lifestyle and the life that that dog will live with the source that you'll get it from. Whether it's a part time breeder or someone that makes there sole living with dogs, they should understand how their breeding will fit in with YOUR and Blake's life. Take time to understand the underlying meaning and be 100% comfortable. There is a separation of dog's temerment from hunting trial, to house pet, to somthing that'll make both pleasurable.

Look for the tools & trainer that will get the foundation "and you" working on discipline for being safe in the field and at home.

Spend whatever it takes to be comfortable with the breeding, biddabilty, and temperment that you need.

Ask for and get health guarantee's -full 18month to 24 month minimum - the breeder that can give it won't have to refund and the one that really balks at it is to be avoided!! I'll refrain from telling the stories behind this but I would never go without it when a young one is involved!!

I wouldn't take the first breeding of any pair.

Ask your local veterinarians for breeders.

Ask the breeder to speak with their Veterinarian for references.

Also, it's an off chance, but make sure that you are ALL comfortable with the size and termperament of the lab. Unfortunatley, my oldest daughter had to witness a dog fight between her small house pet and the neighbors underfed pack. Ever since, she has a fear of large dogs.... My five year old on the other hand will discipline my wild man German Wirehair without a second thought.

Have fun...!!!!!

After the purchase: No particular order.
Socialize your pup with other people and other dogs.
Do a thorough obedience training.
House train and crate trane it.
Get quality food.
Make all shots and vet appts.
Get and follow videos and books for retriever training.

I like to have a kennel that the dog can be comfortable in for the day or even a couple days or so if I need to be gone. That means an indoor/outdoor kennel with a heated water source and insulated doghouse for the winter. This makes less stress than having an overactive pup tear up something in the house because of anxiety, stress, seperation and keeps me from getting on their ass for a situation that I put them in.

Get out and hunt.
 
Bridget,

Here are some places to start looking. The retriever training forum has classified adds with puppies and started dogs for sale. There is also a discussion forum with some people from MI who post some.

http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/index.php

There are a number of retriever clubs in MI. Here are some I have found. I don't know these clubs or the people involved with them for the most part.

Central Michigan HRC http://www.centralmichiganhrc.com
Great Lakes HRC http://www.glhrc.com
Michigan HRC http://www.mihrc.com
Southern Michigan HRC http://www.smi-hrc.com
St. Clair Flats HRC http://www.scfhrc.net

Wolverine Retriever Club, HT Sec Dianne Herpolshimer cpoint@centurytel.net

These are some places to start looking. Word of mouth often works out the best. Take your time to find the right dog for you.

Tom
 
Do you guys have any advice when looking at a little older dog, say 7 -8 months or even over a year opposed to a puppy? I always thought when you came across an older pup still available it meant maybe something was "wrong" with it?
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That's a good question. There can be some good reasons that a breeder would offer an older pup and some reasons that you would prefer to have one. There are some experiences of mine that tell me NOT to do that.

The reasons that are breeder/trainer could have a pup are that they are looking for early signs of a Champion and breed stock that they will invest time and money to develop. They may be weeding down there choice. Or, there may be a good recruit that they would rather develop further and offer more to their clientel.

My reasoning not to get an older dog are selfish. One, I love the puppy time. Two and very important to me as a hunter, I have a dog that is VERY latched on (bonded) to me and his personality showed me that this happened the first days/week I had him. But he is of the type that if I were gone I think he would starve....
 
i would pass. i only looked for a sec., but i saw no pedigrees listed. nothing about health clearances (hips, eyes, CNM, EIC), and nonsense about dew claw removal. They do say that 95% of their dogs will never hunt.
 
Calm not high strung good solid parents and a breeder that cares are my requirements.
We sure found it with Gordy well behaved not hyper and a lovey 95# black baby. This
was one of his sisters from his litter..... still my fave photo. Im partial to black dogs
but just my .02

6weeksgarypj.jpg


walk007klarge4x6small.jpg


Gordy at 15 weeks old, sure miss thoes days sometimes...... Our breeder is not super
close to you but not far either just north of Moline Illinois. I and Gordy have found homes
for quite a few of his pups. Gordys mom was a choc and dad yellow. Let me know if you
want more info. hatcreek has no website but i have his contact info. You can see more
and all of Gordys pics - http://www.cattailproducts.com/gordy.htm

Best of luck in your search, They are fun for sure.
 
Dave what a great web site that is! That was fun to look and see Gordys progression from tiny little pup to full grown hunting dog. He looks like a true gem! I would be interested in contacting your breeder, I used mapquest and it looks like they are about 4 1/2 hrs from me.

Mom was joking me last night and said I should look for a breeder who would want to trade a good pup for a whole bunch of decoys.... Or maybe a layout boat... HAHA

I would like to contact hatcreek, if Gordy is their typical dog I think we would be overjoyed to have one from their litter! I could either send you my info or shot me there phone number and I will give them a call..


OH also guys, after looking at ALOT of breeder sites over the last few days I am coming across many of them who do not remove the dew claws now?
 
Are the breeders who do not remove dew claws advertising their pups as hunters?

There is discussion that removing the dewclaws may increase joint wear and tear and/or increase odds of tearing ligaments when the dog is running and making sharp turns. Last I knew, the hunting crowd was still removing, but I haven't looked for info on the topic lately.

NR
 
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