Labrador Retriever Training

Training is starting up again. Getting ready for fall. Will have beautiful Labrador photos to post.

www.totalretriever.net
www.shadowhillretrievers.com

South Carolina Hunt Tests

Now that I’m in Hartsville, I have hunted up a few hunt tests to photograph.  I think I’ll head out to Cooper Black this weekend and take some shots at an AKC test.

Kimber Earns Her HR Title

“Kimber” The Hunter’s Gunpowder And Lead earned her HR title at Southern IL HRC Hunt Test last weekend at Rend Lake.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

I realize Kimber is my Chocolate Labrador Retriever but she truly is a special girl.  Kimber is the daughter of FC AFC Cuda’s Blue Ryder MH.  Ryder was an exceptional Chocolate Labrador Retriever as well as his father,  FC AFC CFC CAFC Barracuda Blue MH.

Kimber’s siblings are all doing rather well.  Her brother is with Chris Akin working to earn his CH and already has his MH.

She loves to retrieve and has a lot of drive and desire but let me go back a little bit in time.  I first saw Kimber when she was 11 months old.  I was told she was almost two.  Once I received her AKC papers after purchasing her, I found out she was 11 months old.  Her home?  A garage.  She had a kennel inside of the dark garage.  I knew her pedigree but didn’t care how good it was or wasn’t once she bolted out of that dark home of hers and ran to me.  She loved on me as if I had owned her since she was a puppy.  We bonded immediately.  I knew then that I wasn’t leaving her there a day longer.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

The “trainer” who had her in MI where I found her said the Cuda pups were rather stubborn and hard to train.  I soon found out that his statement was truly off base.  Once I bought her, 2 other trainers that watched her work said that she had not had much if any proper training at all and that the collar had been used on her and not in the proper manner. Kimber is very easy to train.  She learns quickly and loves to work.  She was just in the wrong hands.

When I got her home, I took her out to retrieve bumpers.  She was just insane about it.  Loved it.  Alert and marked well.  I sent her to a trainer for a month or so to work on her force training.  When she came home, she and I worked on her “back” for blind work.  She was catching on very fast.  This past spring Kimber and I earned her SHR title with HRC and then she went to a trainer to work towards her HR title.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

When Kimber and I worked and I handled her for her SHR title, we worked like a team.  We had a very strong bond and still do to this day.  People commented on our bond running at hunt tests and they still do.  People see us together and comment on how much she loves me and how close we are.

I’m trying to make a very long story short but it’s not very easy to do!

When Kimber went to the trainer to get ready for her HR title, she did well with training.  Please keep in mind how she lived the first year of her life, not much outside time, in a garage with a garage door closed so neighbors wouldn’t hear dogs barking. It was a man who was over using the collar on her.

Kimber started running hunt tests with the new trainer since he had been spending more time with her than I had.  She was doing the work but wasn’t working to her full potential.  Something was missing.  She and I earned her SHR title and went 4 for 4 passes.  She was happy and had and still has excellent line manners.  She’s a dream to run with.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

She began to fail at her hunt tests.  It was not the trainer.  The trainer loves Kimber and she loves him to pieces.  What was missing?  To this day, I believe it was that she and I were not running together.  She had 1 pass towards her HR title and 2 failures.  After another failure, I told the trainer I wanted to try.  I knew she missed her partner.  I felt it in my heart.  We ran together at Gateway and she and I got our 2nd pass towards her HR title.  We then ran Saturday at Southern IL HRC hunt test and earned her title.  Kimber was happy running, her tail was wagging, she was alert and very happy.  She was a different Retriever altogether.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

I truly believe that the reason she works well with me is because she knows I saved her from her prior living conditions.  I know she is thankful.  Some may think I’m nuts.  Let them.  I don’t care.  I know my dog.  I love her as if I had owner her since she was a pup.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

What Kimber and I need to work on now is her confidence.  Her lack of confidence was man-made in her first 11 months of life.  She was born with drive and desire.  She had and still has plenty of that.  Judges and handlers enjoy watching her run and think she’s a great Retriever.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

From now on, this special girl goes nowhere else to train.  No one else will handle her.  We are a team.  She stays with mom to train.  I will ask a million training questions, train with my friends, and she and I will learn all about earning her finished title together.  I am looking forward to working with her.  There is nothing more rewarding than training and handling your own Retriever.  She’s an amazing gal and she has a great future.  Together, Kimber and I are 6 for 6 passes.  Let’s see if we can go ten for ten and get that finished title next year!  Once she does that, it’s on to AKC!

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

Once Kimber comes into season, I am breeding her with Ten Bears Road Trip QAA “Tick.”  I am keeping a puppy from that litter.  I love Kimber with everything in me.  Her temperament is out of this world, her drive and desire are fantastic and Tick, well everything about that boy is amazing.  This will be a special litter of Chocolate Labrador Retrievers.  It will be one of the best bred litters of Chocolate Labradors.  I want this breeding to take place because I want a Tick/Kimber pup so bad I can taste it.  The best thing is that I will be training this pup myself from start to finish.  I’m looking very forward to this special event.

Please enjoy Kimber’s title hunt test photos from Southern IL HRC Fall 2010 Hunt Test.  Wayne Greenwell took them for me with my camera.  He did a fantastic job!!  Thank you, Wayne.  Josh Ward took some of us at our first HR Test together at Gateway HRC Hunt Test.  Hopefully he will edit and send them soon so I can post them here as well.

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title, Going for the Diversion!!

"Kimber" The Hunter's Gunpowder And Lead working for her HR Title

Please feel free to read about Kimber and Tick at my Kennel Website:  Shadowhill Retrievers please click on upcoming litters.

Hunt Test Training

I was at Busch Wildlife in St. Louis, MO Sunday.  We practiced for HRC and AKC fall hunt test season.  Kimber, my chocolate Labrador Retriever and I worked on our seasoned test for HRC.  She did really well.  Below are some photos that Matt Settlemoir took of us.  Thanks Matt!!! 

Wendy and Kimber, Chocolate Labrador Retriever

 

Wendy and Kimber, Shadowhill's The Hunter's Gunpowder & Lead at Busch Wildlife in St. Louis, MO

 

Wendy and Kimber, Shadowhill's The Hunter's Gunpowder & Lead at Busch Wildlife in St. Louis, MO

 

Kimber on her Walkup

 

Wendy and Kimber, Shadowhill's The Hunter's Gunpowder & Lead at Busch Wildlife in St. Louis, MO

 

Kimber’s sire is Cuda’s Blue Ryder. 

Shadowhill Retrievers
Total Retriever Photography and Supply Store

Tolerance For Pressure or Not

Some retrievers do not handle pressure well during training.  Some retrievers can handle a lot of pressure.

If a retriever can’t handle pressure, does this mean that the retriever can’t be trained to hunt or to compete at hunt tests?  Some say yes, some say no.

Mitch Hainsfurther, Webfoot Kennel, training Jake - Yellow Labrador Retriever

My opinion?  I believe a retriever can be trained regardless of its tolerance to pressure.  It may take longer to train to hunt or to earn ribbons and titles.  More time means you may end up spending more  money for your retriever’s training.  Take it from me, if you can find a trainer who will work with and respect your retriever’s boundaries as well as get the job done, it will be well worth every dime you will spend on training.

On the other hand, your retriever may love to learn, train and work.  Maybe the retriever won’t need as much training as one that has a higher threshold for pressure.  What I believe is that there are a lot of variables to consider with each individual retriever.

I’ll see you at the line this fall!

Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers

Training Ducks

Is anyone else around the United States having a hard time finding good live ducks for retriever training?

A man from the state of Washington drove all the way to MO to find good flyers.  Many trainers and hunt clubs  in the Mid-West are having trouble find flyers.

If you know of any places you know of, will you please post on this blog?

Thanks so much,

Wendy

Video of Bu’s Litter Mate Training

Blu trained with his litter mate, Honey Sunday at Busch Wildlife. If I can get it to load, I am going to add it to this blog! I think it’s only going to let me add photos.

HR Shadowhill’s The Hunter’s Blu Shadow JH – Blu

HR Shadowhill's The Hunter's Blu Shadow JH - Blu

Blu went to Michigan this weekend to run in a hunt test for his AKC Jr. Title.  He passed on Saturday!  Today he passed his first AKC Sr. Test.  He had a 100 yard blind and honored.  He did a wonderful job.  One of the judges from Saturday’s test thanked my Trainer and Handler Mike Carosello for demonstrating such speed!

Blu has passed all of his hunt tests thus far without failure which includes UKC/HRC and AKC hunt tests.  He is 12 for 12.  Nothing drives this dog more than retrieving.  He eats, sleeps and breathes retrieving.

We are off in a couple of weeks to try for the next two legs of his Sr. Title.  Hopefully he will have it soon and then we will work on his HRCH Title this fall as well as his Master Title.

Blu’s father is HRCH  Maple Creeks Captain Morgan MH owned by Bill and Marcia Butikas.  You can view Morgan’s pedigree by clicking on the following link. Morgan Pedigree

HRCH Maple Creek's Captain Morgan MH

Once Blu has all of his HRC/UKC and all of his AKC Titles, we will be offering him at stud.  People have already been inquiring about Blu but we have not yet had his hips, elbows and eyes tested.  He is only a year and a half old.  So, in time folks he will be ready!  He still has a lot of work yet to do and he is having a lot of fun doing it!

Blu and I hope to see you at the line.

Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers

HR Shadowhill's The Hunter's Blu Shadow JH - Blu