In order to further my training of the new dog, I have joined Del Bay Retriever Club. Several of the guys I hunt with are members and encouraged me to join and sign up for training sessions. My new yellow lab,Genna, and I had our first session last night at Rebel Ridge Farms. The lead trainer is very knowledgeable and runs a nice class. We will have 5 sessions working on all aspects of waterfowl retrieving and general obedience. My buddy Ned signed up with his dog, Drum, so I had company for the ride and a wing man for the class. I sense both dog and master will learn a lot from this experience.
I have trained dogs for Upland game but not waterfowl, so I need the help and experience offered by Del Bay to get Genna ready for the season. Being signed up for a class and paying for same adds another level of commitment to training. It is easy to blow off a back-yard session....but an organized class is different.
I will state that the time spent training a hunting dog is very rewarding and informative...the end result is a well mannered and well behaved dog and a faithful hunting companion. We have work to do and homework tonite on "hold" and force fetch....stay tuned.
Are you following a particular program or expert with your training? I'm sure your club has an expansive library. I pretty much winged-it with my first two dogs, aside from the Training Your Retriever book. For the new dog, I decided expand my knowledge base with some of Mike Lardy's materials... time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThe woman leading the training is Lynn Yelton of rebel Ridge retrievers. She is well known and regarded in the Hunt Test/Field trial world. I do not know if she subscribes to a particular school of thought....so far it seems standard stuff...Hold, Force fetch, etc.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Dad and I trained our lab. A lot of work at the time, but it's one of my fondest memories.
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