Too late to train my lab?

I have a 3 year old chocolate lab. I got her when she was almost two. Is it too late to train her to be a good trapline dog? She is an outside dog, except in the winter with very little obedience training.

She can still learn her place.

It's never too late to train a dog.

As strange as this may sound I'd check into the " Monks of New Skeet " dog training videos this is a great start for any age dog.
Allan

Train away

Labs are smart. Go for it.

I ran around 14-20 dogs in my guiding days. Never to late with a dog that has the will to hunt. You can slow a bird crazy dog down, but you can’t put bird crazy in a dog that’s not.

How do you train a trap line dog? What are you training for?

As far as Labs go, many years ago, the dog that won it all was a Lab a guy found in a newspaper ad. I believe the dog was 2 years old and the guy even had trouble getting papers for him. The dog just had the drive and will to please, and he did...all the way to the top. I’ve seen a few bad Labs but 95% of them are born to hunt, we just have to provide the training and opportunity.

A dog is only as smart as his owner

I disagree. I've seen a lot of dogs that were smarter than their owners.

x2

Not too late, but it will take patience. I have always picked up pups at 49 days and trained them with the Wolters method. Have had some pretty incredible Labs for duck hunting.

In trying to keep a long story short, Trapper, my current Lab was 10 months old when I got him. I just saw something in him that I liked. While the place I got him from was supposed to be very reputable, they were brought up on animal abuse charges 3 weeks after I got him. They said he was socialized and had been in the water but I truly doubt both. On top of everything my hips went bad , beginning the same month I got him and I have not been able to hunt in 4 years, going from hunting just about every day of the season to nothing. I worked him on obedience, retrieving, etc. but the older dog was a whole different ball game than bringing up a pup.

This year I was able to do some pretty intensive water work with him and he's come along nicely. Been hunting him and while I haven't even gotten a duck for him to retrieve...yet. He's a very solid, fun hunting companion and great in the boat.

In essence, you really can teach an old dog new tricks but it takes time and patience. It seems the older dogs need a sense of purpose, and when you give it to them it's like they understand and truly enjoy it. Be patient and keep whatever you are training your dog to do is fun. Don't over-extend the training sessions or they will lose interest. Short fun sessions will result in a dog, and you, enjoying their time and wanting more of it.



Moosetrot

go for it ,

X 2

I have all of his books. Some are thirty-plus years old and about worn out. I have newer training books and follow Evan Graham's Smart Fetch series but Wolters' methods will always be the basis for all my dog training.

Absolutely! Almost daily at our Duck club. LOL

That said, sit, stay and come are the basic commands to start any dog for any purpose. Until they are rock solid on those three, no point in moving on. IMO

Got that right Trapset
basic commands
If it follows birds flying in the air,,,there is hope....now you just need a good Prayer.( just hope you don't have Moosetrots shooting skills)

Thanks guys I appreciate it. She'll be my trapline companion. Gonna train her rock solid basic obedience. Then teach her to stay out of sets. Hopefully she will show me good micro location, trails, etc and help me find some of those harder to find critters on drags.

Shooting skills!!!!! I've taken one shot so far! If I had birds to shoot at it would be a different story!

Moosetrot

Just had to rattle your chain Moosetrot. it freezing here now so something is coming your way.

One of the most import step is the WHOA and to be rock solid especially if footholding. That was the last thing my dog heard then snap, was hard unfortunately training but it worked from there on

You will see the K9 pee post with the dog sniffing.

I know Northof50! Kind of surprised more aren't here yet. When they get here Trapper and I will be waiting for them!

Moosetrot

At 3 you only have a couple more years to get the puppy out of a lab. lol

My favorite dogs, and you'll have no trouble training it if you do your part.

I wonder if one could say that a dog is only as disciplined as its owner.
I got a standard poodle because they are supposed to be intelligent, non-aggressive and hypoallergenic.
She shows a strong prey drive and goes "birdy" on any prey animal that she sees.
I kind of feel guilty that I don't have the time and knowledge to make her the best that she can be.