• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Russian Dog

Russian Dog Breeds - Best Guard Dogs

  • DOGS
    • About RUSSIAN BREEDS
    • BORZOI (Celebrities' Dog)
    • BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER (KGB dog)
    • CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD (Russian Bear Dog)
    • SULIMOV Dog (Best Sniffer)
    • Russian German SHEPHERD (Ovcharka)
  • PUPS
    • CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD for sale
    • KANGAL for sale
    • BORZOI Breeders
    • BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER Breeders
    • Puppies PRICES
    • Russian Dog NAMES
    • Russian COMMANDS
  • POPULAR
  • VIDEOS
  • NEW
Browse: Home / Dog Training

How old a lab puppy has to be to start training for duck hunting?

Q: How old a lab puppy has to be to start training for duck hunting?
My husband and I just bought a chocolate lab puppy he is five weeks old now and we are into duck hunting and want to teach him to retrieve but we haven't tried to train a duck dog yet any information you might have would be very helpful thanks :)

duck hunting with labrador retriever
Photo Credit: bgautrea/Flickr CC

Answers and Views:

Answer by samiah lowe
I started at 7 to 9 months old but between now and when your puppy is that old you can work on obediance and call back get a book Water Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method
it will help

Answer by Smuag
I have several bits of information for you. First of all, return your lab to wherever you got it from. It is illegal to sell a dog when it is under the age of eight weeks old- and for a good reason. The dog learns valuable social skills and behaviors while it is with its litter mates and mother.


Second, there is no set age for official training for duck hunting because it is done in stages. At eight weeks old, you need to start conditioning the dog to see the water as a GOOD thing. Get a kiddie pool and let the puppy play, giving lots of praise and treats when he does. If you will be using a boat, he also needs to start going on boat rides with you to get used to the motion. Basic training comes first, so start by teaching him sit, stay, down, and his name.

After that, I've never seen the training done for getting them to retrieve the ducks themselves- in my area, they usually go to a specialized trainer to learn the commands they need.

Answer by Blue Bel
5 Weeks old is very young for a puppy to leave his mother. Owning a puppy that is too young can be illegal in some places.

There is no answer to this question. A Lab can start duck hunting at any age, however, get your pup's shots first. Some Lab breeders start bird hunting training when puppies are about 7 weeks old. The breeder usually lets the puppies get used to the feathers.

To start the training, get your dog used to water. I would recommend buying him a small kiddie pool and let him interact with it. Make sure the water is not too cold or too hot! Then get a duck and let your dog smell it and let him fetch it. I believe there is a pre-scented fake ducks that have a duck scent to put on your rug to start training. Good luck!

Answer by NLM
I would think you could introduce him to a dummy early but I would wait until he is several months old and past the fear stage before considering taking him to water or introducing him to the gun. In the meantime,work on the basics of obedience.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!

TO COMMENT ON AMP mobile pages, please switch to Non-AMP mobile version (link in the footer).

Tagged With: dog training, hunting, labrador, puppy

Reader Interactions

Comments ( 2 )

  1. jkc92618 says

    I hope you mean you bought a 5 week old pup from a breeder and you will be picking it up to take home in 3 more weeks when it is 8 weeks. If you have a 5 week old puppy at your house now, you bought a dog from a VERY VERY bad breeder. I can't even tell you how wrong it is to bring a 5 week old pup home.

    You can train the pup with basics now…sit, down, stay. I wouldn't start any other training until 16 weeks as you can't correct until then.

    Buy this book, it's a good beginners basic to retrieving work: The 10-Minute Retriever: How to Make a Gun Dog

    Reply
  2. Jenny Manyteeth says

    Five weeks is too young to be separated from his mother. Take him back for at least 3 weeks, preferably 7-8 more weeks.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Popular Videos

Caucasian Shepherd ring at the dog show

Caucasian Shepherd at Russia Dog Show

caucasian mountain dog attacks

Caucasian Shepherd Dog Attack (Video)

Caucasian Shepherd rescues girl in the sea

Caucasian Shepherd Rescues Child Video

Siberian Husky Lobo at Westminster agility competition

Husky Loses Competition Wins Hearts (Video)

east european dog training video

Russian German Shepherd Training Video

SEARCH FOR MORE!

Bully Max High Performance Super Premium Dog Food (15 lbs. bag)

Copyright RussianDog.net © 2025 · About · Contacts · Sitemap · Privacy Policy · Publisher Policies · Disclaimer: RussianDog.net is an informational website whose content does not constitute professional advice. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.