Yellow Lab Pup

[CKM]

I have to share a pretty awesome story. I'm on my fourth lab in six years. The first lab I got was given to me by a buddy. It was a british lab that came from an amazing family of hunting dogs. I had this dog for two years but he was gun shy and I never got him cured of it. Then somebody helped themselves to him and I lost him. So my buddy had another litter and I got a full sister to this lab. Sent her to the breeder/trainer that had the pups dad and grandma for training. He had her two months and I got her back just before pheasant season.

I took her out the first day of pheasant opener and she did ok. Hunted her a half dozen days and she got better and better. She was a pretty darn good dog by the end of the year. And she was my best friend, just an awesome all around dog. She was a black lab. A year ago last June I had to be in MN for a couple weeks for a medical issue. We took both our dogs to my sister in-laws to stay. They had a nice ranch in the country. My dogs have always been in a wireless fence. It works great with them. But a couple days after I had surgery in MN we got a call and my lab had been run over in their yard and died. I was devastated.

Well by august I had another lab pup but she was yellow. She was already fetching like crazy when I got her. By october she was about old enough to hunt so I started taking her out late in the season. Hunted three or four days. Was doing pretty decent but was still pretty young. Well late winter someone stopped in the yard while we were at work and stole her also. (labs are too darn friendly) So about May first I got another yellow lab pup. She was born on March 15th. I have been extremely busy and really haven't had much time to mess with her. She fetches but looses interest after a half dozen tosses with the ball. Which is kind of strange for a lab. But we have a shepherd/border collie mix and she runs after the ball too. But then it turns into a game. So I didn't work with her a whole lot.

Well pheasant season opened a week ago sat. I decided to take her out just to let her have some time on birds and away from the other dog. She stayed really close and just kind of nosed around. I noticed she was always smelling and working around with her nose in the grass. We shot quite a few birds and the pup ran out and brought one back. She seemed to show more interest as the day went on. The next day my son went out with a buddy and took her. They shot their limit of birds and he said the difference from day one to two was amazing. So thur. I took her out by myself. Walked this nice grass area I knew would hold birds. I decided I was just going to work really slow and just let her determine the pace. She was beyond amazing. She would get on bird smell and just work a twenty foot radius and work it until she got a bird up. They were sitting really tight. First couple times I thought it was just a coincidence. This went the whole time. She would work really close to me and when she got on a scent I would stop and she would work around and kick it up. When I shot it she ran and got it and brought it back. It was amazing watching this dog that knew nothing work like a well seasoned dog. Of course she would give me the stink eye when a hen got up and I didn't shoot. But we took our three birds quite easily. At the end of a tree row she got on a hen that was set on staying on the ground. She pounced on it and had it in her mouth but then the bird got away and flew. It was crazy.

So we took her out to day to an area that didn't have near the bird traffic in it. She would work right along at a steady pace because she wasn't getting any scent. But man when she got on scent she just started zeroing in on it. I would just stop and pretty soon out it came and I would shoot it and she would run as fast as she could to get it. A buddy knocked one down way out on the edge of a slough and it was in cat tails. Dog was quite a ways away. So I took her over there and she found it pretty fast. I was blown away. At the end of the walk we had seven of our nine birds. We were walking through some grass leading up to a small cattle dam. She zeroed in on one bird and worked it up and we shot that and of course she brought it back. All week I have been thinking about getting out over water and do some duck hunting. But I hadn't ever had her around any water and didn't expect she would understand she would have to swim to retrieve. Well a hundred yards further a rooster got up at the face of this dam. My son shot it and it went down in the water. The dog was hot on it's trail and dove right in and swam out and got it. Guess I can put that rest lol. I am just at a loss at how good this dog is in only four trips out with zero training. How does one get so lucky.

[fish007]

if your stolen dogs are microchipped you may end up with a houseful of labs one of these days .There isn't anything that's much lower than kidnapping someones pet . A friend of mine had his golden stolen and for the next ten years or so he checked out every one that even resembled his dog .

[CKM]

Originally Posted by fish007

if your stolen dogs are microchipped you may end up with a houseful of labs one of these days .There isn't anything that's much lower than kidnapping someones pet . A friend of mine had his golden stolen and for the next ten years or so he checked out every one that even resembled his dog .

none were chipped. things have changed here drastically the past few years so now all my dogs are chipped. But I don't know anybody that has gotten a chipped dog back.

[8210t]

where do you live, I would like to "borrow" your new dog just kidding of course. congrats on your pooch you'll have lots of good hunting years with a dam good dog, my last dog took about 5 or 6 years to get kinda good. nothing like walking behind a good dog on birds

[CKM]

Originally Posted by 8210t

where do you live, I would like to "borrow" your new dog just kidding of course. congrats on your pooch you'll have lots of good hunting years with a dam good dog, my last dog took about 5 or 6 years to get kinda good. nothing like walking behind a good dog on birds

western ND. come over and hunt sometime. yea it's more enjoyable to watch the dog work that to shoot

[Suzuki]

Sounds like you lucked out on your current dog. Everybody wants a dog that will work like that. Keep track of it!!!

[CKM]

so yesterday I took the grandson out to shoot roosters. we had just gotten to the edge of a cattail slough. He didn't have his gloves on and it was pretty cold. I asked him if he had gloves. He said he did in his pocket. So I took his gun so he could put them on. While he was doing that the dog was ruttin around in the cattails. So I was watching here, she was only ten feet away. Much to my amazement out comes her head from the cattails with a rooster in her mouth. Insane. We shot five more for her. She absolutely loves hunting.

[golden eye]

I have to say. Thats amazing.

[CKM]

she blows my mind every time I take her out. I have had labs since 1978. Have had a couple pretty good ones. But this one is a freak. And still just a puppy. She was a gift from god because quite honestly I don't have time to spend training a dog right now. usually I spay my labs right away. don't think that'll happen this time around lol.