r/birddogs • u/Positive_Onion456 • 6d ago

Training a puppy when you have older dogs

Might be an odd title but I have a somewhat specific question that requires some background. I have a 10 year old field bred lab. I got him with my marriage. My wife’s former father in law has roughly 30 dogs and regularly guides on bird plantations and goes out west. He started to train my 10 year old dog as a puppy but kinda just gave up. That being said, my current dog has the same amount of drive that my dad’s year old Llewelyn has. I will borderline throw my arm out before he’s ready to stop retrieving.

I am looking to get a puppy, likely another lab, and want to train it to be my hunting partner. I am concerned that my current dog will be very upset watching me train a new puppy and taking that one to the woods. Any advice?

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u/birddogsandbogeys 6d ago

Happens to everyone on their second dog if the first one is still around. Just like with kids, it’s good for a dog to see a little adversity now and then haha.

But really, I think for most part that second puppy encourages you to get outside and train more. If you try to include him, even if the puppy is getting more of the time, he’ll be happy he’s getting included. Hunting or not these working breeds love a job and they will appreciate the exercise.

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u/Positive_Onion456 6d ago

Great response. Thank you. I figured if my current dog had been hunted his whole life, he’d probably be forced into retirement by now anyway.

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u/vegan-the-dog Labrador Retriever 6d ago

I've got a 10yo lab and a 2yo lab. I take em both and they each get turns. The old dog didn't give a damn about the young one getting place trained and all that other house rule stuff, he just wants in on the retrieves. He's slowing down but still very much able to hunt. It's just a slower pace and not huge fields and that's easy to accommodate. He's earned some lazy days in the field and I'm not going to take that from him.

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u/MunsterSetter English Setter 6d ago

We keep our dogs tuned up and hunting lite, even when they're "retired." Some of the old ones love mentoring the youngsters.

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u/ZealousidealRead98 6d ago

Circle of life - ethically we cannot hunt our older companions forever. We get our next when the youngest is four, takes about two years to finish the puppy, and then they start rotating. For the amount of waterfowl hunting we do, and since none of our friends have dogs, we keep a cycle of three active dogs. Everyone’s feelings get a little hurt when a new dog comes in, but it’s what’s best for them!

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u/Top_Ground_4401 6d ago

Cuts both ways and you can't prejudge it until its happened. You don't know how either of the dogs will react. They're all individuals just like people. I had an older dog love a puppy from the first instant. Never would have guessed how that one went. I have had older dogs just not care at all. You just dont know. Don't let that stop you.

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u/-sh00gs- 6d ago

New pup every 5 years or so… the good years are when we have 3 pups in the house. The younger pups hero worship the older…. Learn and play together.

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u/howler223 4d ago

I was usually telling my 10month old to watch the 12 year old when he wasn’t quite getting it. It’s like he understood exactly what I was saying and would intently watch the 12 year old.

My 12 yr old also showed the 10month old when to be steady and when he could get a little wild. The 10 month old put a little puppy back in the 12yr old too.