Murphy (sort of) retrieving

[PinkDragon14]

He's getting there. We just need to work on not stopping halfway LOL

Murphy - 11/1/15 - YouTube

[POPTOP]

Go Murphy!

[cooperking1]

Haha aww yay Murphy!

[barry581]

Put a long line on him so you can enforce a recall when you need to. Don't worry about dropping the item, the idea is to teach him he goes out, he comes back. He definitely has good drive to the retrieve!!!

[Snowshoe]

Maybe my North/South discovery would help with that.

Snowshoe's Album: North/South Fetch

[Jollymolly]

Hell get there.

Snowshoe I am going to try the above. Ill let you knw if it works.

[PinkDragon14]

Put a long line on him so you can enforce a recall when you need to. Don't worry about dropping the item, the idea is to teach him he goes out, he comes back. He definitely has good drive to the retrieve!!!

Thanks for the suggestion If this nice weather keeps up, I'm definitely getting the long line! Otherwise, it'll have to wait until the spring. The breeder got his father from Amish country, so Murphy's "grandpa" was probably used as a hunting dog of some sort. Too bad we don't hunt - I'm sure he'd be awesome!

I'd love to enter him in that barn race thing when he's a bit older (I read about it on here - the dogs run through the barn and sniff out the item. Can't remember the name of it though)

Maybe my North/South discovery would help with that.

Snowshoe's Album: North/South Fetch

Thanks!

[Maxx&Emma]

He looks great!

I am not sure about the Amish where you live but the ones around me don't use dogs for hunting much. They are used for breeding, similar to puppy mills. (Many do run puppy mills.)

I think the activity you are thinking of trying is barn hunt. You should check out nose work and tracking also, they are both a blast for dogs and humans!

[PinkDragon14]

He looks great!

I am not sure about the Amish where you live but the ones around me don't use dogs for hunting much. They are used for breeding, similar to puppy mills. (Many do run puppy mills.)

I think the activity you are thinking of trying is barn hunt. You should check out nose work and tracking also, they are both a blast for dogs and humans!

Ugh, I really hope it wasn't a puppy mill. Southern Ohio is full of farms, so I'm assuming they used him to hunt (hopefully. Obviously I had no say in that decision LOL).

Barn hunt, thank you! It was driving me nuts. He has an amazing nose. I know dogs (and labs) love to smell different things, but once he gets a whiff of a good scent, he wants more. I see it on walks especially - he tries to break free to go and chase down a scent. He definitely has some kind of "hunter" or sniffer in him.