In The Market...

[Ghost]

I am getting ready to buy a new Lab. I have been training all my dogs myself since I was 18. But, I was wondering what your techniques were for picking out a good pup. I know what I like to see but I figured that it would be a learning experience for me to hear what it is you all look for and require out of a pup (for hunting) before you but it. Thanks for the input.

[4Pointer]

ME,, I'M DIFF. THEM MOST FOLKS WHEN YOU HAVE TOO PICK A PUP,,
I LOOK FOR THE RUNT AND HOPE HE'S LAID BACK..
A OLE TIMER THAT TRAINED LAD'S AND MANY OTHER BREEDS TOLD
ME THATS WHAT HE LOOKS FOR,,, A GOD BLESS THAT OLE TIMER..

[Olddog]

I look for a pup the is very observant about his suroundings. I also look for one that is attracted to ME most times that will go a LONG way when they want to be with you from the start.

[Kt29]

Feb 20, 2010 18:32:13 GMT -5 Ghost said:

I am getting ready to buy a new Lab. I have been training all my dogs myself since I was 18. But, I was wondering what your techniques were for picking out a good pup. I know what I like to see but I figured that it would be a learning experience for me to hear what it is you all look for and require out of a pup (for hunting) before you but it. Thanks for the input.

Hey Brian, its great that you will be looking for a lab pup to train and to hunt.
I'll just throw out a few thoughts here on what I would consider. One of my first considerations is, what am I going to hunt with this dog. Will I need a big strong dog for long water retrieves, will I need a smaller dog if only hunting small ponds. Will it be hunting in severely cold weather, or maybe it will be mainly hunting upland game. If mostly hunting uplands like I do, you might consider looking into a Trials lab, taller and sleeker and fast. Labs come in alot of different sizes from small to huge. What size will fit your needs. Show bred labs are bred for there muscle and size. Of course there is always the color. What is your fancy there. I have hunted with all the color phases and to me color is not a hunting factor. Then there is a male or a female. After mostly having males I now have a female. Having said that, I do much perferr the females. They seem to be a little tidier. My hunting buddies all prefer females also. Then there is the stigma of having a pure breed dog with papers. This has the possibility of being a very volatile subject for sure. In my opinion, if the dog comes from parents that hunt or spend alot of time outdoors, it could be a good hunting dog. Dogs don't need to be trained to hunt, they come by that naturally. Dog obedience is the big gamer breaker for most dogs. Poor obedience, poor performance in the field. But thats more of a people problem. Cost of the pup can always be a big influence. Searching breeders can show an amazing differential cost of pups. How much do you want to pay, and is it really worth it?
After I somehow make all these decisions, than there's the actual picking one out. When I get a pup I want to get it at around 12 weeks old, just my preference, and immediately introduce it to the outdoors as much as possible at that age. So which one do I select. Its the one that smiles at me. I'm a sucker for a pretty smile. I don't know if there is anything helpful here or not, but have fun making your selection. You will be having a great hunting buddy, hopefully, for many years.