Sorry for all the questions. I have a chance to buy a finished 7 year old female with all health clearances. I have my 8 week old puppy I just got but won't be ready this season.

Was wondering how old will labs generally hunt to? And would it be a good choice to get the older female to kind of show my puppy the ropes?

No, the younger dog isn't going to learn the level of training you need from the older dog. It just comes from working with a dog and getting them where you want/need them. Matter of fact, you add a dog to the mix with mine and she gets borderline stupid...her intensity level goes from about a 6-7 to 9-10 and it turns into a huge competition.

No shortcuts in this deal. But if you want a dog to hunt this year a finished dog is a great idea...seems most dogs seem to really decline between the 9-10 year range, from a hunting perspective. You might get more but those are bonus years if you get them.

This ^^

Robby

If the old dog was free I would take it. To me 7 is too old to put any money into. Spend time with your pup and get him ready for next year.

Seven is definitely not too old to put money into depending on the cost. Make sure you have the option to take the dog to your vet for a health check and get all your money back if the dog isn't healthy. As Judd stated, do not expect the older dog to train your pup.

Thank y'all. The dog has all health clearances and good hunting line along with AKC registered. They are asking 400 and I put a deposit down already. If interested I have a pic of her papers and her if someone would like to see them for better opinions.

Really looking to get her to use this year and maybe breed my puppy to next year.

I would say if $400 to hunt with a dog this year and the responsibility of having a dog that is aging is worth it to you then go for it. Note that just because the dog has health clearances does not mean it is 100% healthy right now. Taking it to the vet right off the bat would be a good idea. Health certs could've been done awhile ago and only test certain parts.

Also, do not expect to breed your puppy that soon. You will need to wait until the dog is 2 years old to get health certs done then you could breed. If you want the pups to be registered and all.