ok my pup is 14 weeks today and he got is first retrieve yesterday...I shot a bird and like a champ he went and got it..kinda chewed up on the way but he brought it to me...after I took it from him he wanted it back and went to grab it and bit its head off..I wasnt thinkin and I through the bird in the canal that was on the other side of us and splash in he went after it...he almost did it twice except he couldnt find the bird cause it was stuck in some reeds..he is starting to come along...he doenst heel though when we are hunting he likes to go ahead...is this ok or should he heel till I shoot ?

What is your reasoning to take such a young pup out hunting????????
IMHO this is a BAD THING! We would not take a dog to the field until around 1 year of age. If this is a retriever, we want OB solid, is steady, is Forced Fetch and doing pattern and some cold blinds. Has had many marks with flyers and gunners and has been collar conditioned. I am sure not everyone will have a dog to that level but not need to rush the pup! Make training the #1 goal, be proactive and do not let bad habits form. Nothing can be gained and everything lost in rushing a pup to hunt!!!

I will agree and disagree with TexasHeat. First what type of dog and kind of hunting are you doing? Second I will agree that 14 weeks is too soon to shoot birds over a dog but definately not too soon to introduce them to bird or just spending time with you. Our Brit pumps have usually pointed their first quail by 14 weeks and usually have retrieved them but we have no expectations for them. We just plant a clipped wing bird and its all natural. When the bird flops for them they eventually get excited and pick it up and then try to take it away. The first year is all about training and I also believe instilling the desire for whatever the dogs it to do.

I'd have to agree with the others. Slow down. There's plenty of time to take him hunting. Believe me, I was just like you. I wanted my pup doing it all right away.

Get with a training club. I know there's one down in Beaumont. I just can't think of the name of it. They can help you get organized and put a structured training plan together. I took the easy route and paid a pro, but I trained mine up until about 6 months old, until she was old enough to be force fetched.

Post up some pics. Puppy pics are always cool.


Here's my dawg... http://www.code2go.com/hunter

well I was told by a friend of mine to take the dog with me when I go..not necesarily for training purposes but its good for him to go out with me. as far as forced fetching goes it has come to be my understanding you do not need it with labs very often. the only practice he has had with fetching is a puppy sized dummy and a tennis ball now and then. but he went and got the bird out of instinct I suppose.

To each there own. Get the pup trained right! Do all you can to socialize him at this stage! Take him everywhere with you, (cept hunting). Other dogs, people, kids, large crowds, you name it! This will pay off in spades later! Do not rush him, let him be a puppy!!! Teach OB, get plenty of pigeons, clipped wing and dead and get him all worked up over the birds!!! Bring out his desire!!! Keep retrieves to a minimum at this stage, always leave em wanting more!!! Do OB drills, 10 to 15 min a day, do not expect to much! At 6 months of age is when we no longer let him get away with much, 100% compliance with commands!!! It all boils down to OB in working dogs! They is a ton of stuff to this, best to get a few books and read up! Now as for Lab's not needing Force Fetch............
NO WAY would I ever have a working Lab that was not FF! Some will say....." my dog is a natural, does not need FF" . I call BS!
FF does many things but it is the foundation for ALL advance training! No way would I skip it!

TexasHeat is right on with this last post. Socialize your pup, take him everywhere with you. Expose him to bird and get his desire up. Work on your obedience training but don't do training with live birds. Expose him to live birds but do not train on them yet. I wouldn't shoot birds around your pup till around 1yr old. Most important things to do in the first year with your pup are to socialize, instill desire and complete obedience.

so pup should not go to field with me even though he isnt being trained or disciplined?

To the field is fine, just take no gun or hunt him! There is Yard work and field work! Dog start out doing yard work and graduates to the field! Most trainers that have books will provide a flow chart to explain the break down on there training routine! If there is a hunting retriever club in your area, look them up, best advice I can give you!
Give these folks a call..........
http://www.portarthurrc.org/

Not saying that at all. Let him run and play in the field but not while you are hunting. It's what we like to call happy time. I think the more exposure he gets to the field the better but don't put him somewhere where the grass is taller than him. Make sure he can run around w/o getting slapped in the face by brush or grass.

Another thing to consider is each individual dog matures at a different rate. We have 2 britts right now, brother and sister, just under 1 1/2 years old. My male is doing great, I could guide with him, he points backs retrieves and covers ground well. His sister on the other hand just doesn't have it figured out yet. Now 14 weeks is too young to hunt over but by no means is 1 yr old too young provided their obedience is where it should be and they truly know what is going on out there. My male was solid on birds by right at 1 and we even killed a few over him by 6 months but he was very quick to figure things out.