Newby with questions

**rckstr** · 11-19-2011, 03:56 PM

I have a 14 month old black lab and he has got me into training because of his natural talent to learn. I have been reading alot online and I bought a book to read. He is comfortable with the sit, here, heel, and stay commands (as in comfortable, I mean I only have to say it one time and he obeys) He will heel and stay when I throw a mark, he waits and looks at the mark till I say fetch. He then fetches and returns to the heel position. So here is my question....whats next?

Also another problem I am having is he loves tennis balls, and will fetch a tennis ball all day long if I could throw it that long. He has never really had any experience with a bumper, so when I introduced him to the bumper, he will not fetch it. Please let me know if you all have any advice. Thanks in advance.

**ORION_07** · 11-20-2011, 01:33 PM

What do you want to be next? Teach him to "army crawl" ; walk off leash next to you; stop when you stop ect.....or to find his tennis balls, make the bed...you get the idea of were I am going with this. Just whatever your imagination wants him to learn....try it. If he catches on as fast as you say he does....the sky is the limit.
I would leave the bumper out and let him sniff and get use to the sent and feel. Any reward any attempt to pick it up or when he sniffs it. And he may not like the bumps in the bumper on his mouth, so start with the rope end.
Just my ideas....thinking out loud.
Tessa

**deidra** · 11-20-2011, 01:45 PM

I have a dog like that also. he is very smart so i am always thinking of what to teach him next. he knows "put me up" so he will sit and then put his two front feet in the air. Right now he is learning to close the door. I have a lot of things I want to teach him like "crawl" bang your dead",bring the remote,bring my shoes ect...

**rckstr** · 11-20-2011, 10:07 PM

I am looking to keep him on track to waterfowl hunting. Do I introduce to live birds? force fetch?

**Sophiesmama** · 11-20-2011, 11:41 PM

Try talking to Cappy from Texas, he is a duck hunter and knows a lot about it. Cappy_TX

**georgie** · 11-21-2011, 09:47 PM

You might want to try Evan Graham's Smartworks. Also, if you can find a retriever club in your area, that will also help. You said your dog will sit & then you throw a mark & he fetches it. What are you throwing? I just wondered because you said he does not like bumpers. We run hunt tests and also our girls duck hunt & do upland hunting. Good luck, it is alot of fun working with these labs.