Black Betty
- Thread starter jagermeister
- Start date
ImpalaSSpeed96
Junior Member
Holy cow, 20lbs! I don't think my dog was 20lbs until at least 4-5 months! Mine was 9lbs when I took him into the vet at 9 weeks!
Great looking pup Jim. Probably like a kid and consumes all your time. Look forward to seeing that pup turn into a best friend for ya.
Flatlander
Junior Member
I used to train and field trial brittany spaniels. If you want your dog to point it's a good idea to introduce a wing on the end of a fishing pole to help bring out that pointing instinct. I am not all that familiar with pointing labs but I'd say the basic training methods should be the same if they point. Move it around and don't let her catch it. You want to flip it out and let it lay there, maybe twitching it slightly to keep her attention, but if she tries to catch it, jerk it away. When she freezes or points use the command "woe" and reward her when she holds her point. I would start with that before introducing her to live birds.
Enjoy your new pup, she is a looker!
Enjoy your new pup, she is a looker!
Had a mini training day with Betty and her sister last weekend. First real introduction to water... and it went really well. It wasn't deep enough that she had to swim yet but it was deep enough.
[video=youtube;9yD_JNYYv6k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yD_JNYYv6k[/video]
[video=youtube;9yD_JNYYv6k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yD_JNYYv6k[/video]
We also squeezed in some bird work that day. A pigeon on a pole is a good way to get 'em birdy! lol
[video=youtube;u6URl4sepM0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6URl4sepM0[/video]
[video=youtube;u6URl4sepM0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6URl4sepM0[/video]
Huckleberry Finn
Senior Member
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Rutin
Senior Member
Very cool!! Always enjoy watching the pups on here as they grow together. That puddle was PERFECT for her at her size. Loved the swamp brush retrieve.... you handled it perfect with an immediate bumper throw once she came back to ensure a successful retrieve though! Awesome videos. Its def ALOT of fun with these little buggers.
How old is she in the video and whats her weight?
Sarge is 4.5 months and 52lbs already lol!
How old is she in the video and whats her weight?
Sarge is 4.5 months and 52lbs already lol!
Thanks, man. In the video you can see that she likes to run around with the bumper before returning it to me. We've been working on that this week with a little treat training. She's getting a lot better and bringing them directly back to me now. I'm really with our progress so far.
Sarge is gonna be a big boy! Betty was 13 weeks and a day old in the two videos. (She's 14 weeks right now) At her last visit to the vet at 12 weeks she weighed 21 pounds. I think she'll probably max out at 55-60 pounds, which is right where I wanted her. She was the runt of the litter. But even so, her mom weighs only about 65-70 and her dad weighs right around 60-65 pounds.
Rutin
Senior Member
Perfect size for speed and agility! Sarge is def going to be a work horse but wont have that high end energy, he still gets pumped about training though so I'm sure hunting will be the same. I've been teaching him to watch flying ducks so that he can pick them up before me in the boat. I bought an Avery 30' check cord and Sarge learned quick not to run with a bumper bc it wasn't an option. He will soon be getting collar conditioned and more formal OB.
There's nothing better than a long rope for dog training! lol That's pretty much what I resorted to also. I just started letting Betty wear her e-collar during training sessions... turned off, of course. I figure the earlier I start her wearing it, the less likely she'll be to get collar wise. Won't be long before we start into the formal OB training too!
Lol. Yea, sorry about the shitty sound quality. Apparently camera phones are highly sensitive to wind. lmao I really wish some warm weather would get here. The cold, wind, rain, and snow is really starting to get old. Not only is the temperature cutting my training sessions short, but I have to give Betty a bath about once or twice a week to keep the house from becoming a muddy mess!
I had one hell of a proud papa moment today with Betty girl. After work I took her back in the marsh for a run and some retrieving. Water levels were down so it was a good spot to start out. She hasn't learned how to swim yet, but has been in water a few times. This spot had water that was 10-15" deep in most spots. I threw a few bumpers for her to get her warmed up, then I chucked one out there a ways off to the left. She rocketed after it but in route she got into some deep mud and turned around. She tried a second time, then turned around again. Not wanting her to get frustrated, I tossed another bumper off to the right for her. She ran out and got it and delivered it to me. Then, to my surprise, to took off after the first one again! Again, back into the mud, back to shore, back into the mud. Then she took off on a big half-circle to get around the deep mud. The bumper was maybe 35 or 40 yds from shore, but she must have ran at least twice that or more. She made that detour and went straight out to the middle and picked up that first bumper! Then charged back and brought it to me! Without me really even trying to set it up, Betty had successfully pulled off her first double retrieve! It's days like this that really make me happy to be a dog owner. 
Went back out to the marsh today since the weather was nice. Betty did really well, once again. Her retrieving skills are coming along nicely. However, at the four-month mark she's starting to get a little "independent." We're going to have to take care of that pretty quick.
Some pics from today...
Betty on the left, her brother Silus on the right:
Some pics from today...
Betty on the left, her brother Silus on the right:
Boy she's growing up quick Jim! Sounds like she is well on her way to becoming a great retriever!