Lab Question ???

[hedge hunter 107]

Right you lovely lot. I have a question which i would like your advice and input on if possible, i have always been a spaniel man myself and love the breed to bits. But this last season i have taken up wildfowling, and as much as my little cocker loves accompanying me on the marsh i cannot honestly see her making the grade, and after witnessing the harsh winter tides first hand, i can say im not to keen on sending her for certain retrives. It's obvious a good strong lab is whats needed here.

 

Now to my question, is there a strain out there or has anyone seen a good hard hunting lab before, i dont mean the type that you can send for a 200yrd retrive is some harsh ferns. But a lab that is willing to get into thick harsh cover and pyhsically work to flush game as would a spaniel. I know diffrent horses for courses, but if a lab puppy was entered correctly could you get a good all round hunting companion, willing to sit in a muddy ditch or pigeon hide, but just as comfortable and willing yo go beating and work hedgerows whilst rought shooting. I know its a big ask but surley theres got to be some out there, i look forward to your replys. Cheers hh

[fabiomilitello 37]

Hi there, do you wildfowl on salt water? Labrador Retrievers will do anything you want them to given the correct training. I am training a lab pup now, he's 12 weeks old so at the moment it's nothing formal, just some easy retrieves, recalls and sit and stays. But, I want him to work on the beating line. What I do, is I hide the bright pink tennis ball I play retrieve with him in very dense cover. Then, I walk over to the start of the cover and direct him with my hands where roughly I want him to hunt. He goes in the cover, sniffs it out and brings the ball back to me. This is a method used when people want labs to work on a beating line. Start out very easy, as in hide the ball in brush that isn't very dense, so he can visually see it, then gradually get harder and hide the ball so he needs to use his nose to hunt it down.

 

The reason I asked my initial question of wildfowling on salt water, is because I heard the best retrievers for that sort of wildfowling are the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay retriever. It breaks my heart to see these old types of gundogs getting worked less and less because everyone just wants a labrador. Like you said yourself, horses for courses and all that jazz. Look into different types of retrieving breeds and see what one is best suited for your needs.

 

Other than that, you are 100% right. Cockers and Springers are great but not ideal for wildfowl. They don't have webbed feet, double coats and thick otter tails like other Retrievers do. All traits that you will find extremely helpful in the water!

 

All the best

[mally 832]

What about a springer x Labrador? I think that would suit you better mate. cheaper to buy too

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Hi there, do you wildfowl on salt water? Labrador Retrievers will do anything you want them to given the correct training. I am training a lab pup now, he's 12 weeks old so at the moment it's nothing formal, just some easy retrieves, recalls and sit and stays. But, I want him to work on the beating line. What I do, is I hide the bright pink tennis ball I play retrieve with him in very dense cover. Then, I walk over to the start of the cover and direct him with my hands where roughly I want him to hunt. He goes in the cover, sniffs it out and brings the ball back to me. This is a method used when people want labs to work on a beating line. Start out very easy, as in hide the ball in brush that isn't very dense, so he can visually see it, then gradually get harder and hide the ball so he needs to use his nose to hunt it down.

 

The reason I asked my initial question of wildfowling on salt water, is because I heard the best retrievers for that sort of wildfowling are the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay retriever. It breaks my heart to see these old types of gundogs getting worked less and less because everyone just wants a labrador. Like you said yourself, horses for courses and all that jazz. Look into different types of retrieving breeds and see what one is best suited for your needs. 

 

Other than that, you are 100% right. Cockers and Springers are great but not ideal for wildfowl. They don't have webbed feet, double coats and thick otter tails like other Retrievers do. All traits that you will find extremely helpful in the water!

 

All the best

If it breaks your heart so much why don't you have one?

[fabiomilitello 37]

 

Hi there, do you wildfowl on salt water? Labrador Retrievers will do anything you want them to given the correct training. I am training a lab pup now, he's 12 weeks old so at the moment it's nothing formal, just some easy retrieves, recalls and sit and stays. But, I want him to work on the beating line. What I do, is I hide the bright pink tennis ball I play retrieve with him in very dense cover. Then, I walk over to the start of the cover and direct him with my hands where roughly I want him to hunt. He goes in the cover, sniffs it out and brings the ball back to me. This is a method used when people want labs to work on a beating line. Start out very easy, as in hide the ball in brush that isn't very dense, so he can visually see it, then gradually get harder and hide the ball so he needs to use his nose to hunt it down.

 

The reason I asked my initial question of wildfowling on salt water, is because I heard the best retrievers for that sort of wildfowling are the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay retriever. It breaks my heart to see these old types of gundogs getting worked less and less because everyone just wants a labrador. Like you said yourself, horses for courses and all that jazz. Look into different types of retrieving breeds and see what one is best suited for your needs. 

 

Other than that, you are 100% right. Cockers and Springers are great but not ideal for wildfowl. They don't have webbed feet, double coats and thick otter tails like other Retrievers do. All traits that you will find extremely helpful in the water!

 

All the best

If it breaks your heart so much why don't you have one?

What kind of stupid question is that? I have no use for a nsdtr or a chessie, because I don't do wildfowl over salt water. Labrador retriever is best suited for my needs.

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

 

 

Hi there, do you wildfowl on salt water? Labrador Retrievers will do anything you want them to given the correct training. I am training a lab pup now, he's 12 weeks old so at the moment it's nothing formal, just some easy retrieves, recalls and sit and stays. But, I want him to work on the beating line. What I do, is I hide the bright pink tennis ball I play retrieve with him in very dense cover. Then, I walk over to the start of the cover and direct him with my hands where roughly I want him to hunt. He goes in the cover, sniffs it out and brings the ball back to me. This is a method used when people want labs to work on a beating line. Start out very easy, as in hide the ball in brush that isn't very dense, so he can visually see it, then gradually get harder and hide the ball so he needs to use his nose to hunt it down.

 

The reason I asked my initial question of wildfowling on salt water, is because I heard the best retrievers for that sort of wildfowling are the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay retriever. It breaks my heart to see these old types of gundogs getting worked less and less because everyone just wants a labrador. Like you said yourself, horses for courses and all that jazz. Look into different types of retrieving breeds and see what one is best suited for your needs. 

 

Other than that, you are 100% right. Cockers and Springers are great but not ideal for wildfowl. They don't have webbed feet, double coats and thick otter tails like other Retrievers do. All traits that you will find extremely helpful in the water!

 

All the best

If it breaks your heart so much why don't you have one?

What kind of stupid question is that? I have no use for a nsdtr or a chessie, because I don't do wildfowl over salt water. Labrador retriever is best suited for my needs.

Haha. Easy mate.

 

Where did you hear chessies and rollers are the best for wildfowling then? Its bullshit, if that were the case the breed would be more popular over here.

 

Those breeds have never had a big following in the UK, or even a particularly great following in the states where they originated from certainly I would say that before the move to labs more flat coated retrievers were used. But they aren't the all rounder that the Labrador is. In fact they don't do what they were bred to do as well as the Labrador.

 

In response to the OP, most Labradors will do what you are asking of them, personally I would steer away from the field trial lines, find a keeper with a good working line, big broad head, well muscled, long legged and big in the chest. Not these snipey nosed things that seem popular now, then train it to retrieve and hunt in cover.

 

But remember a lab isn't a spaniel and a spaniel isn't a lab. You already have your cocker for rough shooting, work it alongside your lab and you have both bases covered.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Hydropotesinermis

[hedge hunter 107]

Cheers for your replys guys.

[jok 3,035]

A lab isn't a springer and a springer isn't a lab . What a comment. Join the two and what do you get. Trust me. One of the best retrieving dogs I've ever had the joy to work with. Jok.