i just got a black lab today 8 weeks old. and i was wondering what is the best way and time to train my dog for pheasant duck and goose. any info would be great thanks!

I would suggest reading "Water Dog" by Richard A Wolters. It's and older book but pretty much everything since is based on his techniques.

Being a pointer guy I can't help with the specifics of retrievers (hand signals and all that crap) but here's the basics.

Start today. For the next couple of months or so use only positive reinforcements. A simple pat on the head works best. If he starts fighting back or attempts that dominant stuff place him in the kennel and ignore him. Don't yell or get mad. The first few months are about establishing trust and introducing the basic commands.

Keep the training session's short but do them often. Decide on what commands you will use and the associated hand signal. Teach both from the biginning.

I'd lose the whistle. Everybody's thinks they're on ESPN now and blowing them damn things. Poor dogs running back and forth wondering which damn whistle is theirs.

I'd start with sit/stay as this gives control to the trainer. As he learns one command introduce another. This way you can end each session posativly with a command he has already mastered.

By July/Aug your pup should know all of his commands. Now start enforcing them.

Take lots of walks and field trips. This is the fun training for both of you. You can even carry a fishing pole!

Come Oct. put down the fishing pole and hunt your ass off .

Good Luck and Have Fun!!!

Here ya go........ http://www.retrievertraining.net/ This forum is geared more towards field trial stuff but good info nonetheless.

http://refugeforums.com/refuge/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=9 This one is geared more towards hunting retrievers.

If you have any specific questions after you poke around a bit, let me know.

The above information/links far surpass my knowledge on the subject, but I can pass on a couple of tips that have helped me.

1. Don't underestimate the "field trips" as mentioned above. You need to give your pup unlimited amounts of what Bill Tarrant called "puppy timing". Let him explore different covers/scents/etc. in a totally carefree situation. It will do wonders for development of natural hunting instincts later.

2. Don't expect too much too soon. Dogs will do great things with lots of field experience combined with proper and gentle training.

3. For a retriever, obedience (esp. "stay") is paramount.

4. If you want a dog for retrieving waterfowl and chasing pheasant, work on solidifying the retrieving skills first. Basically the dog will use polar opposite skills for ducks/upland. If he has the upland skills first, it may be very difficult to break those habits and get him to hold steady for waterfowl.

Good luck . It will be fun regardless!

You must not have a "true" chocolate, STAM .......must have a little black in it

My pup just turned 11 months, he sure is a handful, but in a good way. A buddy of mine and I are trying to get down to one of them pheasant farms and turn both of our pups loose and run for cover! And Bucket was gracious enough to line me up to go with him on a trip back to South Dakota this fall, so that dog of mine won't have the "I didn't hunt enough when I was young" excuse

Sullie:

I have read that book "Water Dog" and learned alot. I think BroodBuster's reccomendation is a good one.

After I read it I decided I wasn't serious enough about hunting my dog to go to all that effort. I did get alot out of the section about choosing a dog, and training it the basic commands. I would say that it paid off for the most part. I say "for the most part" because my dog is getting old and a little crotchety in his old age. Oh well so am I

Hmmm, that may be a bit of a stretch! That's why I bought a db. Now I can hunt and fish at the same time

Pups are cool!

Puppies are fun. 20 minutes a day will help keep you in shape and will train your dog to do anything you want. When the puppy is small, carry a bag of cut up hotdogs in your pocket. When the dog obeys a command, give him a treat. Try not to let him see you going for the pocket though, just have it in your hand. The dog will start looking to the hand for approval (treats). After the dogs gets a little older, slowly back off on the number of treats, but keep up the hand to the muzzle or head with "good dog".

Try to keep one word commands if possible. Come, sit, stay, hie (go), heel, kennel, NO, and leave it are a few I use regularly. I also snap my fingers as I say sit. After a while, if talking with someone, you don't have to interupt. You just snap your fingers and your dog sits beside you. When you say no, use a gruff and agressive voice. That is your "bad dog" command. Never strike the dog with your hand, but spanking with hat or newspaper is a must, at times. Laying the dog on their back while gently shaking a little pinch of neck works wonders. When the dog turns it's head in submission, your mission is accomplished, let them up.

I got a lot of my experience by raising and training labs in southern OR. I started years ago with the book "training your retriever" by james lamb free. Then I worked out with some fellow hunters and their dogs.

Good luck with the puppies.

Steve