# New pup on the way, want a duck dog!!



## Briggsy (Aug 12, 2007)

Hi all, any duck hunters out there? I am looking for any and all help in the start of my training. I am getting ready to recieve my first golden R, next week, I know it is early, but when and where do get started? what is the best source of information that you all have used? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! thanks!!


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

Go ahead and purchase yourself the book Water Dogs. One of the best books written.

Hooch


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Hello, and welcome fellow duck hunter--only I no longer really hunt. I grew up huting duck, dove and quail, occasional squirrel. Got my fist shotgun, a .410 double barrel at age 10 I actually stopped shooting several years ago due to bad shoulders (rear ended 4 times, arthtisit bad), but still love to get up at day light thirty and go to the blind with son, help set out decoys and watch for duck. He keeps saying "Mom, get another gun and start huntning again", but my shoulders can't take it.

We have only had one duck dog, golden retriever, Scooter. He was bringing in ducks at 6 months. He was born in June and my son got him in Aug. He worked on retriving balls, etc from the beginning. Then when season opened in Nov. he would threw the duck wings and tell Scooter to go get the duck, and then he took to sliding a whole duck acorss the garage floor and telling Scooter to go get the duck.

First time we took Scooter out, when Ron shot down ducks Scooter would go out with him and Ron would pick the duck up and let Scooter sniff on it, etc. The 2ed time Scooter was pretty excited. Then came the 3rd time and he brought in his first duck. 

A drove of green wing teal came in and Ron knocked down 2. One went swimming to the left along the shore line, the other to the right heading to deeper water in a channel. We hunt in a lagoon sort of place and the water in there is usually only knee to mid thigh deep at the deepest. But there is a island at the opposite side from our blind and there a couple of breaks in it and then it does end on down a ways. On the other side is the chanel barges, tugs, some shrimp boats use and not really a good place to let your dog try to retrieve ducks. Ron ne er allowed Scooter into that chanel. On the other side is another island and then the open bay.

Anyway, Ron and Scooter got out of the ling and started for the duck going right before it got across the lagoon and into the deep water. Ronnie just told scooter "Go get the duck". I was in the blind and i saw Scooter turn and go after the one going down the shoreline. Ron didn't know he had turned to get the other duck. Ron finally shot the one in front of him and got it and when he turned around, Scooter was almost back to the blind with the other one. I can still picture Ron jumping up and down in the water yelling praises at Scooter. The next duck Ron killed was a pintail and it was almost as big as Scooter--or so it seemed, but he brought it back.

Sadly our precious Scooter died of heart attack in Aug. l999, just after he had turned 5 and my son never got another duck dog. Still have goldens, but never trained any as duck dogs. On Scooters next to last season, the next to last day he cut his foot on oyster shell and it was a nasty cut. Ron had 99 ducks and he wanted that 100th +, but he would not go that last day because he couldn't take Scooter and he thought it would break Scooter's heart to be left behind. 

It broke Ron's heart when Scooter dropped dead with a heart attack while we were at my brothers for evacuation for Hurricane Brett in Aug. '99. He and our other golden, full brother, later litter, Buck, was fine when we arrived and an hour later he was dead.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

*Scooter*

Didn't add the pictures of Scooter. One is with my son, I am thinking Scooter was about 7 months old, and the other was taken in the blind one on of the last days of season his last year.

Also a picture of some of the duck hunters in my family. This was taken the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year. It is my 40 year old son and his 7 year old son, my 44 year old brother and his 14 year old son, my 54 year old brother, and the 32 year old son of my 3rd brother. My son lives here, but the others were down from Austin. My grandson LOVES to go hunting with his day. He carries a decoy bag with about half a dozen teal in it and he has his waders and he sets out the teal decoys while son sets out pinetail, bluebill and the ever stupid redhead decoys (we have had reheads try to light in the decoys while we were picking them up!) We bought him a bb gun when he made honor roll the first 6 weeks last year so he can start learning how to shoot and learn gun safety. He doesn't care how wet or cold it is, he is ready to go hunting with his dad.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

TheHooch said:


> Go ahead and purchase yourself the book Water Dogs. One of the best books written.
> 
> Hooch


I second that. Then just start enjoying that pup and playing. Slowly build up to retrieving play.

Have fun!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Ah, I know of a few people who train and take part in hunting. They don't post here though. GoldnDust might be able to steer you, too...


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

TheHooch said:


> Go ahead and purchase yourself the book Water Dogs. One of the best books written.
> 
> Hooch


Another great book:
_Bill Tarrant: Retrievers-The Formative First Year_


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

if GregBell is ever on, he can help you out too. He lives for hunting the ducks LOL


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## JimS (Jan 2, 2007)

Richard Wolter's books, Waterdog, Game Dog, Top Dog, Family Dog etc are really fun reads, but the information in them is about thirty years out of date with the current state of the art in retriever training. Alternatively, I would recommend Evan Graham's Smartwork series books and dvds, John and Amy Dahl's Ten Minute Retriever and the sequel on problem solving, If you're interested in competition as well as hunting, Mike Lardy's Total Retriever books and videos can't be beat (although Grahams give them a run for their money).

Bringing a new puppy home, Jackie Mertens (of Topbrass Goldens fame) Sound Beginnings DVD is incredible. If you're just going to make one DVD purchase, this is the one. 

Whether you like Mike Stewart and the things he does with Wildrose Kennels or not, his dvd, The Wildrose Way is very good and has a lot to offer the beginning trainer. It's also the most professional looking dog training DVD I've ever seen.

Most all of those can be obtained at Dogs Afield - Field Dog Supplies for the Retriever Trainer / Gundog Owner - We Also Sell Gift & Home Goods!, Dog Training Collars, Tracking Systems, No Bark Collars Retriever & Bird Dog Gear. Save on Tri-tronics, Innotek, Petsafe, DT Systems, Dogtra, & Tritronics Dog Collar or Gun Dog & Hunting Dog Training Supplies, Tritronics Innotek collars, Electronic Collars. The Wildrose DVD has to come straight from Wildrose Kennels at uklabs.com .

There's also a fantastic Internet resource for training hunting retrievers at RetrieverTraining.net - The COMPLETE Online Retriever Training source.. You'll find more years of retriever training experience there than any other site on the Net.


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## Briggsy (Aug 12, 2007)

*Thanks!! what a great group!!*

I want to thank you all for your help! Since I am stationed up in the panhandle of FL, the duckless/gator filled capital of the world, I will most likely have to travel to train my dogs. I will retire back up north in 3 1/2 years...(retire from the military that is)...then I will hunt almost all winter for ducks. Again, thank you sooo much for the information, I am getting nervous about having a new puppy....my 8 yr old Min-schnauzer is going to have a ball being her mentor!!


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Welcome to the forum! How does the Schnauzer do with ducks? (just kidding) I had Schnauzers as a kid. They are great little dogs.


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

My sister has a SCH that has absolutely noooo personality what so ever. It is just like leave me alone. He is a good looking dog though.

Hooch


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## hawtee (Nov 1, 2006)

Briggsy said:


> I want to thank you all for your help! Since I am stationed up in the panhandle of FL, the duckless/gator filled capital of the world, I will most likely have to travel to train my dogs. QUOTE]
> Hi Briggsy,
> If you are interested in a field trainer in the P'handle pm me. I see you are at Eglin and there are a few around


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## Briggsy (Aug 12, 2007)

*sch is a people!!*

My schnauzer Anni is the best dog ever!!! She is our little person. I hope that her temperment rubs off on the new pup...but I also want the new pup to give Anni some entertainment..she has been an only child now for a few years!! Also, she is great with hunting moles/mice in the mountains of CO, but she does not like the water...at all!!!LOL


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

I haven't had the opportunity or pleasure to hunt with Daisy yet and there's limited availability where I live now but I grew up in Michigan hunting. We had labs but I would think goldens would be the same, other than when field hunting I imagine they can become much more of a mess with burrs and what not in their coats. For me it always just boiled down to practice. The dogs naturally wanted to hunt and for the most part retrieve but things like getting them to hunt in gun range for upland game or sitting still in a duck blind where the main things I had to work on.


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