by Keith Schopp
My Labrador retriever Flora is still a youngster and she often sticks to me like glue in the field and the forests. She’s a bit hesitant to charge in and flush. And she might be a little too obedient – often waiting for me to release her with an “OK” or “Free” before she hunts and quarters.
I can see the lightbulb starting to turn on. However, I often say to my wife, “Flora’s no Emma.”
At least not yet.
Comparing Flora to Emma is probably my biggest mistake. Emma is that one dog you’re blessed with. The one that never quits. The one that almost always comes back with the bird. The one that seemed to be a natural at six months, still has it, and is now closing in on 10 years.
Meanwhile, my friends call Flora needle nose – like the pliers. She has a long pointy nose for a Labrador, but she’s still a cutie. Young Needle Nose has her good points. She stays close, comes when called and retrieves nicely to hand. And she’s made great progress in her first hunting season.
But she’s no Emma. At least not yet.
What to do about Flora?
Moreso, what to do about dogs that may be slow starters? Dogs that are destined to be fair or good, but not great. And what can we do to move a dog from fair to good to, even, great?
I posed that question to Karl Gunzer, director of Purina’s Sporting Dogs Group and a former professional retriever trainer. Karl’s also a close friend and my grouse hunting partner. He’s seen Emma in action many times and has never hunted behind Flora.
Karl has also seen his share of well-bred hunt test and field trial dogs that take some time to develop – like Otis, the 2024 National Derby Champion Labrador Retriever. Otis was the last pick of a litter of 10 and, according to his breeder/owner/handler Rick Wilke, was fat and lazy as a puppy and had little to no desire to retrieve. Rick Wilke nearly gave up on Otis and almost sold him to a friend before deciding to take more time. Otis was exposed to hunting and birds and caught fire at the end of his Derby career. He qualified for the National Derby Championship Stake and won, beating the best Derby dogs in the country.
“The power of the bird is pretty amazing,” said Karl. “Throwing wing-clipped pigeons or seeding a field with them can do wonders to awaken their natural prey drive.”
Hunting and exposure to birds is giving Flora some confidence.
While I want Flora to extend her search and stop being a boot polisher, Karl says many owners battle the other extreme – dogs that lack obedience and range too far. Dogs that take out the bird field with a crazed 200-yard-dash or bust a trail in the grouse woods with reckless abandon.
“Distance erodes control,” said Karl. “You want and need that balance.”
He emphasizes yard work and basic obedience.
“It’s important for dogs to gain experience in the field, but you should maintain your basic standards,” he added. “Dogs must come when called. Pointing dogs need to ‘whoa’ when you say ‘whoa’ and so on. If you change direction, they need to go with you.”
Karl says enforcing basic obedience and working a young dog with a leash or check cord can make a big difference before transitioning to field work.
“Put your dog in a situation where you can control the outcome and make it happen right now,” suggested Karl. “Reinforce the behaviors you want and correct the ones you don’t so the dog understands.”
At the same time, Karl says great can be the enemy of good.
“It’s hard for a dog to be good at everything,” said Karl. “As a trainer, you tend to focus and work on things the dog is not good at. If it has trouble with a certain type of retrieve, you naturally work on that – maybe too much. If you always or only focus on the weaknesses, you might wind up losing the strengths.”
For example, a bird dog might excel at finding and pointing birds, but might not hunt for downed birds or retrieve. Or a flusher might not be in a rush to flush – but is great at trailing and retrieving.
“It’s hard for me to say lower your standards and accept shortcomings, but at some point, you should really enjoy what the dog does well. Don’t take that away from them.”
All dogs are different, and some may take longer to mature, gain confidence and become proficient.
My Flora is a good example.
Karl says a common mistake is going too fast – perhaps expecting too much, too soon.
“Slow down and simplify is always a good strategy when you hit a bump,” he said. “You want the dog to have success and build on that.”
Another option is to seek professional help from a trusted trainer.
“A good trainer has seen just about everything and has more tricks in the tool bag for problem solving,” said Karl. “They also have the equipment, the grounds and the birds that the average person may not have access to.”
And what if the dog just doesn’t cut it?
“If the dog enjoys being outdoors with you and hunting, you can mutually find some pleasure in the activity,” he said. “If they don’t enjoy it, if they’re gun shy, it might be appropriate for the dog to live a different life. Maybe a therapy dog, maybe a house dog, maybe a bedwarmer.”
Flora is already a part-time bedwarmer. She’s also flushed and retrieved some wily North Dakota roosters. Next up is ruffed grouse in Minnesota this fall.
We can’t wait. She’s no Emma, but Old Needle Nose is going to be okay.
Keith Schopp is a freelance journalist and retired communications executive with a passion for sporting dogs and conservation. Based in Southern Illinois and North Dakota, Schopp enjoys following his Labrador retrievers and German shorthaired pointers wherever gamebirds can be found.
