Welcome to Urbanduckman.com Gun Dog Forum

The Moose
posted: August 12, 2010
author: elbruche

It occurred to me after re-reading my last entry that some of you might want to look at the moose that SWFOHA and Cooper were looking at when I snapped the picture of them.

Cow and two calves. The cow is still thin after having squirted out her two calves but should put on plenty of weight before the snow flies.

See attached.

Started on very dead ducks . . .
posted: July 26, 2010
author: elbruche

A good friend and also hunt test officiator dropped off some very used dead ducks yesterday after I asked him if he had any left from this past weekends test. Used up they were, but, they are better than nothing!

Cooper didn't really know what to make of 'em at first but that's not HIS fault - that falls squarely on El Bruche. We just don't have access to a lot of the easy training devices (pigeons) like you do down south.

Anyway, he finally couldn't stand it any more and picked up a drake Mallard and commenced to parade around the yard with it. Good boy Cooper!!! We had fun running around the yard with him chasing me with the thing dangling from his mouth.

I tossed it around a few times and he sorta started to see the light, Oh, so this is sorta related to that other thing we do with the dummies? I get it . . .

Had another quick training session today and got similar results. I'm just taking it slow and easy and keeping it fun.

The season starts in about a month and we'll work slowly through this season and see how he takes to it. As long as we're havin' fun I can't see how we'll go wrong!

Attached is an image that has nothing to do with duck hunting or training but is a good picture of him and SheWhoFallsOnHerAss on the Coastal Trail in Anchorage looking at a moose that is standing over my shoulder.

Yukon
posted: July 17, 2010
author: elbruche

On a recent trip from Anchorage over to Dawson City, Yukon Territory we hauled Cooper down to the water to get some exercise and have a swim.

Attached image is of him at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers.

Cooper at 10 Months
posted: April 5, 2010
author: elbruche

Caught some images of Cooper while we were shoveling snow this afternoon.

The one here is typical of all of them. He is sitting on top of a snow bank by the side of the house.

If I were a female dog I'd want Cooper for MY boyfriend!!

We also did some quick retrieving training with a dummy laden with duck wings. He loves it!

Part Beaver!
posted: April 5, 2010
author: elbruche
see video

Just another quick video of Cooper doing what he really likes best: disassembling logs and sticks!

He's even attacked parts of the house!

Afternoon Play Time
posted: April 5, 2010
author: elbruche
see video

Here's a video of Cooper relaxing on the snow drift next to our garage. He really gets a kick out of launching into snow banks and tearing around with a big smile on his face. The WX is getting much more agreeable for training (although this is NOT a training video). Wish I had access to some pigeons!

I do have a few duck wings in the freezer from last season and will strap those to some of the training dummies I have.

He is a powerful, enthusiastic retriever and very compliant. He is so far the steadiest dog I've ever owned.

Thanks Urban! He's a champ!

DAMN! Need MORE Of Dat Stuff!
posted: December 7, 2009
author: UrbanDuckMan

It may not be Train'n Stuff...but...it is something not many of us down here in The Lower 48 ever witness!

Glad that Coop is fit'n right in...the careful structured life you are give'n him will pay huge dividends.

THANKS...we all want our pups to go to families that will give them such a home...care...and ...well...LOVE!

Urb

Snow Dog
posted: November 30, 2009
author: elbruche
see video

No training clips here, just a short video of SWFOHA skiing up the powerline trail in Anchorage with Cooper clearing the trail in front of her.

Cooper likes the snow (what dog doesn't?) and has fun pouncing into drifts, attacking sticks and tufts of grass.

He hasn't flushed any ptarmigan yet but it's only a matter of time. Winter is NOT over.

El Bruche...Trade Ya....
posted: November 19, 2009
author: UrbanDuckMan

some of your COLD and WET STUFF for our SPRING LIKE November.

Been Hunt'n most every day and we never know what we're gonna get or NOT GET!

Never seen a season like this one so far. NO WAY to get a handle on what dem ducks is gonna do. I been thru more than one La Nina...and even this one is nowhere near like the previous ones I can recall!

Thanks for the short video...he's make'n a Great Look'n Pup...the whole litter is make'n good sized , filled out and athletic dogs. I see four of them on a regular basis and the one's that get lots of Marks and the like would make decent ...MEAT DOGS ...RIGHT NOW.

Gut's little bitch made a REAL DEAL RETRIEVE about a week ago on a duck float'n TaTa's UP at about 40 yards. Course his head is 'bout the size of an NBA Basketball and for sure he's been hard to LIVE WITH since then. Seriously...he has worked hard with her and it shows. She's gonna MAKE A VERY NICE Duck Dog AND Companion.

Tell SWFOHA Hello from all ther Red Necked Okie Duck Hunt'n buddies.

Later

Blizzard Boy
posted: November 11, 2009
author: elbruche
see video

Took Cooper for a short walk (45 minuites is short around here) during our present storm. Temps have been in the low teens for the past several days and today a system moved in raising the temps dramatically but also bringing desperately needed snow.

He was getting antsy in the house so I bundled up and we went for a stroll around the hillside.

Naturally I forgot the whistle, which would have come in pretty handy in this howling wind.

He had fun jumping in and out of snow drifts and grabbing snowballs.

At the end of our walk I wanted to check his here response (I try not to nag but lay it on him in various situations where I can test his obedience).

Attached is a video of the result.

Cooper is almost 5 1/2 months old.

SheWhoFallsOnHerAss & Cooper
posted: November 8, 2009
author: elbruche

Here's the other image captured today of Cooper with SWFOHA.

Light snow, 27 degrees and NO BEARS!!

Just Another Stroll In The Woods
posted: November 8, 2009
author: elbruche

Walking out of the parking lot onto the Prospect Trail Head this evening we were confronted with this sign (see attached image).

There were plenty of people using the trail today so we didn't fret. The more traffic the better, the bruins don't like it.

When I say plenty of people I mean about a dozen over the expanse of a few hundred square miles.

Anyway, we didn't see any big bears, and that was fine, but Cooper had a riot running to and fro and greeting all the other hounds we encountered along the trail system.

I'll also attach another picture with SWFOHA.

Snow Boy
posted: October 29, 2009
author: elbruche

In the last few days we've started to get our first few periods of snowfall. As usual, Cooper didn't quite know what to make of it but after a few hikes (consisting of numerous other dogs and several miles) he deteremined that this white stuff was ALRIGHT!

Along with the various doggy snowcones he's created for himself by scooping up prodigious amounts of snow in his muzzle he's figured that racing around in the fluffy white crystals is sorta like a puppy Disneyland!

He's coming along very well in his puppy obedience class and SWFOHA enjoys the class as well. I'm not sure who's benefitting the most, the pup or SWFOHA!

Attached is an image of Cooper in the back yard while fixated on some ravens that are passing over the house.

He knows a bird when he sees one, even if it's a black duck.

Big, Bold Pup!
posted: October 8, 2009
author: elbruche

Got up this morning to howling winds and blowing rain. Pretty typical this time of year on the hillside above Anchorage.

Since I had to drop SWFOHA off at a meeting she was attending I also loaded Cooper in the back of the car thinking I might be able to get a little training in.

After dropping my loving and tolerant(?) spouse off we headed to Connor's Bog just off the departure end of ANC rwy 7L.

During our walk in we practiced heel, and sit. As we arrived at the open area that constitutes the bog (changes from birch and spruce trees to swamp grass, tules, cattails, etc) the sky suddenly filled with arriving ducks, lots of them, and big Canada Geese. What was peculiar was that about 50 Mallards dropped into a pot hole out in the grass and ALL of them were drakes. Not a hen in the bunch. And, they were all fully colored which indicates that these are migrators from up north. Cooper got a real eyefull and was sorta perplexed when he saw how excited I got.

Anyway, we wandered away from where the Mallards were splashing around and just sniffed around the shore line. I haven't taken him down to this bog/lake since he was about 9 weeeks old and he's 4 and a half months old now. Back then he was fresh off the plane from DFW and was still gettin' used to the cooler AK temps and the chilly water. NOT ANY MORE.

He's an ALASKA dog now!

I tossed the dummy out in the water a good ways (20 yds), said Cooper and off he went! It's a great place to intro pups to water because the bottom is sandy, smooth and even and deepens gradually.

Each successive toss was further and further out and he never hesitated.

I made the observation that he is a powerful, direct swimmer and it appears he LIKES it.

As long as the weather holds we'll be making more trips down there to practice our water work. Soon enough we'll be ice skating on it . . .

No imagery with this report.

SheWhoFallsOnHerAss
posted: October 7, 2009
author: elbruche

Here's an image of my loving and tolerant spouse with Cooper at their puppy obedience class offered by Alyeska Canine Trainers of Anchorage.

There are a dozen or so other dogs enrolled in the class (or is it the people that are enrolled?) and they represent all kinds of dogs. Karolian Bear Dogs, Rottwiellers, Bernese Mountain dogs, Dachshounds, Portuguese

Water Dogs, etc and so forth and so on.

Garage Retrieve
posted: September 26, 2009
author: elbruche
see video

Cooper with his first gadwall.

Cooper's Gadwall
posted: September 25, 2009
author: elbruche

I bagged a gadwall this morning and decided to plop it on the garage floor for Cooper to investigate.

He's grown considerably in the past two weeks and I figured, well, he might actually get his mouth around it and drag it around.

Drag it around?

The little guy at first wasn't sure what to make of it, that is for the first 5 seconds. Then he was ON!

It was very satisfying for me so see him so excited and even more so when he kept bringing it to me.

I kept trying to get on the opposite side of the garage, away from him, to get some videos of him carrying the bird around but every time I'd back away he'd pick it up and charge toward me. I love this stuff. Daddy, look what I have!!!

Not sure this enthusiasm will last but he's showing me everything I want to see at this stage.

I think we got us a winner!!

Namesake!
posted: September 18, 2009
author: elbruche

Here's a picture of Urbanduckman's Cooper Landing with me and SheWhoFallsOnHerAss standing in front of a sign indicating our location.

We spent several days down on the Kenai River fishing and just generally relaxing. Cooper got introduced to lots of new things, like rotting salmon. He attempted to eat it, roll in it and mate with it. What more could you ask for? The perfect distraction for a dog.

We've been working on more puppy marks and he continues to improve. He's growing like a weed.

Today we're off to the vet for more shots.

Cooper's First Dead Duck
posted: September 5, 2009
author: elbruche

Been out of town for a few weeks but made it back for the waterfowl opener here in AK.

L'il Cooper is too young to hunt with us this season (darn it!) but we managed to pick up all the birds we knocked down without the aid of a good retriever.

I bagged one little green-winged teal and brought it home to Cooper to see what he'd do. Well, he did what any respectable Lab pup would do and grabbed it and commenced to haul ass! Suspecting this might be his reaction I positioned myself along his escape route and he ended up bringing the thing right to me thereby completing his first retrieve of a dead duck! Yippeee!! We're on our way!

All that aside the hunt was pretty thin with not many birds in the area. We bagged three birds for 3 hours work but at least we got the odor of skunk off us to start the season.

And, I've got some duck wings in the freezer to keep as training devices over the winter.

Riley & Cooper
posted: August 5, 2009
author: elbruche

Riley belongs to the fella next door who happens to own and operate the premier outfitter/gear store here in Anchorage.

Riley is just a year old and is one solid hunk of retriever. He is out of a breeder in California. He is so far providing a great example to Cooper in that he loves to carry things in his mouth, runs and jumps into anything wet or boggy and displays a tolerant and friendly attitude.

On our short walks Riley will frequently join us and will take over as lead trainer and mentor, hah!

It was during one such outing that Cooper ended up about 100 yds away, sitting squarely on his butt looking back at me, with no apparent future plans.

I dropped down on a knee, put the whistle in my mouth and waited for him to make the slightest twitch. When he did I delivered a HERE whistle and he came rippin' like a greyhound. He was really moving when he launched himself into my lap at the end of his run.

He got a lot of praise for that one!

On our walk around the pond and some water work the other day he picked up some Canada goose flight feathers and I trimmed those to fit (lengthwise) on a standard paint roller (cut in half) and zip tied them to the roller. Last night we did some fun (and effective!) hallway retrieves. Hallways work good because they channel the pup in a narrow area that does not allow them to scamper off with their prize, they have to come by you in order to ESCAPE and when they do you just grab the pup, praise him/her, remove the roller gently (it doesn't hurt to say LEAVE IT, or DROP IT) and toss it again.

They invariably love this game and begin to learn that retrieving is fun. I only do this about 5 times, with lots of praise. Conventional advice is to always quit while the pup is having fun - and that's a must. Never do it too much, always end on a positive note and leave them wanting more. These sessions last about 45-60 seconds, perfect at this age! I do that 3-4 times a day with longer and longer distances down the hallway and then transition to the outdoors (again in a confined area to start with).

More opportunities for wet paws today as it's been raining for about 24 hours now.

We will also reintroduce Cooper to wing on a wire (fishing rod). It's been about a week probably since he's played that game with Urban.

Cooper, Water Dog
posted: August 3, 2009
author: elbruche

Minor correction to Urban's intro concerning Cooper's age. He's the same age as Molly & Reno just so you know that he's not too far down the road and want to wonder why he's not further along in his training program.

Sorry Urban, couldn't resist!

Urban and I have known each other for about 11 years now. I first met him at the Diner on Main St in Norman, OK following a poor duck hunt and was lamenting this fact to my loving and tolerant spouse. He and Garbage Gut apparently overheard me and when they got up from their booth wandered over and started probing.

His son and I were Co-Chairs of the Cleveland County/Norman Ducks Unlimited banquet committee for a couple of years and we struck up a close relationship.

I was raising and training my third retriever (second Golden) at the time and Mark provided some observations, insight and tips for improving his performance. Some of you may remember references to Rug Dog, or, Enormous Swamp Collie in previous postings. That was my Duke.

Duke went on the long send back in May and Mark offered me one of his male pups.

He sent me Cooper on 29 July 09.

We have already started the fun part of his training program and have introduced him to paint roller retrieves, water intro (Urban actually did that in OK), and obedience commands.

All fun stuff at this stage and making sure that he'll have a 100% chance of succeeding in executing the desired behavior.

We've just about mastered here. That will require official reinforcement in due course but for now he's nailin' it and again, I only ask him to perform that behavior when I'm certain he can perform it flawlessly.

For those guys just startin' out or thinkin' about training a retriever I'd recommend some tried and true references: Richard Wolters Water Dog and Game Dog, James Lamb-Frees seminal work titled Training your Retriever (Very old reference but if you can get your hands on one it's a great addition to your library), and the Jim Dobbs website. There are innumerable other references that are valuable as well but I consider these a good place to start.

Attached is an image of Cooper taking his first plunge in an Alaska pond.