Anyone with a working dog....

[flippyfloppy]

Would love to exchange stories! We had a working springer who passed last year, she was 14... I had little to do with training due to two young children. We got a lab in February who is now 5 months, he's amazing! I'm fascinated how clever they are , would love to exchange tips with any people who are experts on working labs .

hi i have 3 labs 2 working line and 1 show line, working ones have so much more energy

Yes his energy is off the scale, DH is very strict with him but he responds really well to me and high pitched voice and lots of over the top encouragement!

Our working springer was in a kennel until she retired, this one is in the house. I sometimes wonder is he confused or can you have best of both worlds? X

What do you mean by a working dog? Do you mean having a working dog as a pet? Also what do you mean you’re DH is strict with him?

haha i dont find the working as food motivated as the show line either dont get me wrong they will do anything for a treat but the choc boy sits first and always first on the scene when food is ready. Mine are 2 now and getting calmer eventually, also they are so loving

Yes, last working dog was outside in a kennel (lovely warm heated one!) but this one is inside: DH worried he might be confused , DH brought up on farm with working dogs x

In my experience they respond much better to a chirpy positive tone and positive reinforcement techniques than strictness. They tend to thrive on having a job to do, so generally enjoy fun training sessions little and often.

Strict as in stern but very loving!
Interesting about chirpy voice... I am very chirpy and playful and he responds very well to that . He does follow DH beautifully though! And he's a lot more even mannered xx

I was brought up on a farm with working dogs. You don’t need to be ‘strict’ that’s a very outdated concept, it’s all in the training, no strictness required. Our dogs don’t live outside and they’re all working dogs. We have two who are mountain rescue search dogs, two retired search dogs and one 8 month old who is in training. We also have 2 working sheep collies.

@dogsdogsdogs1234 that's interesting he was very good motivated we were got him but not so much now

@HettieBettyBoo thank you for your post . I'll share with DH, we are very gentle with our darlings . I maybe shouldn't have said strict 🙈 . I guess I meant more strict than me xx

Can we share positive working dog pets Stories? Our darling that we lost, Fleur, loved the field she was a springer, god she was a puppy until the week we lost her at 15 year old. Lab this time and they seem so intelligent, we are fascinated by him. x

@HettieBettyBoo on the moors ... picking up etc....

Personally I would never be with someone who kept a dog outside. While I appreciate many people think it’s fine and many gamekeepers do it’s not something we would do. Our collies sleep in the kitchen and the MR search dogs sleep in the utility with warm beds. We don’t agree with training methods of many game keepers or being “strict” and I think you’re trying to back pedal tbh.

You own a working breed. You don’t have a working dog. At 20 weeks old there is absolutely no strictness required, your dog is still learning. Let it be a puppy for goodness sake. Your dog will go through adolescence and may forget everything he’s been taught, does your DH intend to be “strict” for the entirety of this dogs life? Poor dog if that’s his training method.

We used to have labs then moved onto spaniels which are hard to train but so smart. Anyway DH came home with a Labrador puppy 14 months ago. Easy to train but so destructive. Has had rugs, cushions, many pairs of shoes. Skirtings, staircase, door architraves, towels, etc. she improved for a bit but recently has chewed up three pairs of Skechers, his not mine. Two were brand new 🙈

ohhh yes the chewing at 2 mine are getting better now finally.
So many differences between the 2 lines though, its fun to watch tbh.

I've tried to take a photo of Fergus tonight

@HettieBettyBoo he's just fine!

that sleeping position they like it but its so strange to me
also how big is he, mine to us seem small but used to bigger dogs, vets say they are fine and on track.

@justasking111 you did the other way! We did spaniels then labs xx

@dogsdogsdogs1234 destructive bit god so clever!!!

@dogsdogsdogs1234 how old are your darlings

2 last month

@HettieBettyBoo I'm blessed that we have a dog that is both a working breed and a working dog, . If only you could see them out on the moors picking up ... !

ladiesworkingdoggroup.com

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