Freighter is a too young for a formal retriever training program. Usually those don’t start until the dog is a bit older. We wanted a program that we could follow which would help us start Freighter on some basics before it is time to start more formal training. We purchased a dvd titled Training A Retriever Puppy-with Bill Hillmann. Bill Hillmann is a field trial trainer and has trained Field and Amateur Field Champions. According to his website, he has trained more High Point Derby Dogs than anyone in the history of Field Trial. That is quite an achievement. If you are not familiar with Derby, it is open to dogs under the age of two and consists of long marked retrieves. Obviously he knows how to train the younger retrievers.
The dvd follows the training of an 11 week puppy (a black lab of course ;)) until he is about 22 weeks old. We have heard very good reviews of this program. In fact, our trainer used it with his new puppy and felt that it really helped to speed his puppy’s progress when more formal training started.
This program stresses the fun of the retrieve above all else. The program is appropriate for gun dogs and competition dogs.
See more video samples here.
We plan to start Freighter on this program at week 11 (although he is already chasing and wild to retrieve). We have skipped ahead a bit and he is currently getting some leash work (using Bill’s technique). We need to be able to have him walk with us on a lead so that we can take him places. We hoped to take him with us when we went to train this weekend, a good opportunity to socialize. However, the weather looks like it will make driving too dangerous to go. Bummer.
I will let you know how our training progresses. Have a nice weekend!
I think Freighter will be a fast learner. He seems to be pretty intelligent already and seems raring to go! Too bad the weather has got to be so crappy. 🙁 I do love that picture. He looks like he’s growing so fast! Thanks for the puppy fix! Have a great weekend.
We are interested to hear how things go. It sounds like Freighter will pick it up fast.
Good luck, Freighter! I am sure he will do GREAT!
Your pal, Pip
Hope the weather is good enough for you to get out. We are up to our *** in mud here. I don’t mind it, but Mommy hates it.
Doggy Kisses,
Tanner
Sounds like a good plan. We did much of the same thing with Wyatt, we wanted him to be a wild man for retrieving (minus jumping and snatching for the bumper when we were holding it) and there were no rules with retrieving until we FF him. Then we started some general obedience with the bumper in the picture (we did not FF him till just after christmas so he was nearly a year and a half old). We didn’t do any major leash obedience until he was 6 months, up until then it was just general manners involving not yanking my arm off while on leash and sit, down, stay in the house… but never in relation to bumpers. It has worked out beautifully with him. He LOVES to retrieve. After saying all that I kinda wish I had shared the journey with Wyatt, even if it is Luna’s blog. Maybe I will revisit it some.
Good luck and have fun. I really do enjoy teaching wyatt retriever stuff… much like I like watching Luna point etc.
Anna
http://www.akginspiration.com
Hey Freighter sure looks bummed the weather’s not gonna be good enough to go out this weekend, paws crossed it improves!! 🙂
That pup in the video sure looks to be having fun 🙂
Big wags,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
He is so gorgeous I can’t stand it. I wish I’d started Sampson leash walking (and known what I was doing) when he was younger. It is much easier working a smaller dog than a bull dozer like Sampson.
I can’t wait to follow along, I bet he catches on fast.
Such a cute puppy. I like the idea of starting foundation work at a young age. Looking forward to reading how his training progresses.
We did basic obedience with Sophie but since I didn’t plan to compete in anything there was no ground work done for agility or flyball. I have plans for my next pup, obviously no contact or box work until they are older but lots of recall and exposure to agility/flyball 🙂
Oh Freighter!! You are growing so fast!! We’re glad that you’re WILD to RETRIEVE!! What a great concept!
-Bart and Ruby (who retrieve when we feel like it…)
And a nice weekend to you! I can’t wait to see how the training progresses!
Can’t wait to see Freighter develop into a great retriever and see all the goofy puppy moments along the way!
He is just so adorable, I can’t get over it!
Good on you for getting started so early. He is going to be a champion in no time with such dedicated handlers! I hope your weekend goes well and the weather isn’t too disgusting.
Looks like a good training approach to work with natural puppy enthusiasm. I’m sure Freighter will love starting to work.
He is so cute!
I’m looking forward to see his progress! I’m sure he will do great! 🙂
Hi Y’all,
It rained here all day today. Spoiled the planned fun. Hope our weekend is nicer. Sorry y’alls isn’t going to be better…maybe the weatherman made a mistake.
Y’all come back now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Our mom is 100% GOLDEN for life – but this puppy just makes her go all nutty acting like a fool everytime she sees him. We’re going to have to ban her from your page until he’s grown if she keeps it up!! BOL
AROOOOOF!
Boondocks & The Love Shack Pack
How exciting!!! It sounds like Freighter is already learning very well and seems he’ll pick it up pretty fast 🙂 Good luck with the training– we can’t wait to hear all about it!
Have fun sweet Freighter. You look adorable in that picture. We love the way you are sitting. Hugs and nose kisses
Good luck Freighter. We can’t wait to see what you’d look like once you’ve got all those moves you’ve trained for.
I’ll check to have a preview of that DVD you were talking about.
Huggies and Cheese,
Haopee
Vof Freighter! You really look ready for anything! You are going to have so many interesting and exiting things to learn and see in your life! Enjoy and have fun! Hugs from Nero
Wow Freighter! You are already starting training? Excellent! Can’t wait to read all about it!:)
I’ll have to check into Bill’s methods, it sounds good. If Freighter grows into his feet, he’s going to be a big boy!
We love seeing working dogs doing their jobs and getting such wonderful and loving training. Dogs love praise and using praise and other incentives works so well…. We can’t wait to see further updates!
God Bless You!
The Collies and Chuck 🙂
Am FINALLY catching up again!!
That was a really interesting clip – thanks for sharing it! It’s always fascinating to watch how these “proper” working dogs are trained…although we not of course working dogs by any stretch of the imagination, I did also focus on playing retrieve with Honey first, rather than a formal Obedience exercise. I find so many people try to teach it in the formal way but what they don’t realise is that if you get the enthusiasm & energy first, it’s really easy to add the more formal stuff like Sit later…but without that drive to go out and get the object, it’s no use how perfect your dog’s Sit is…everyone told me I should be teaching Honey to “Hold” first, and always retrieve into a Sit, etc and that I shouldn’t play Tug with her and the object when she returned with it…but I didn’t find that it caused any problems when I needed to transition into a formal Obedience retrieve. Now Honey knows the difference when she is retrieving just for fun and I run around like a mad thing, squealing and playing tug with her…or when she has to actually wait by my side until sent out to retrieve and then actually come back and sit facing me, holding the object in her mouth until I release her….I think it’s like those show people who say you should never teach your dog to Sit otherwise they won’t stand properly in the ring – which is total rubbish. You just teach them a Stand command (or even a Stack command) and they can tell the difference! 🙂
Oh my goodness – that last picture of Freighter!! Just want to SQUISH him!!!!! 😀
Hsin-Yi
ps. you’ve changed the look of your blog again! I really like the new design!!