Customer Reviews

Speed Train Your Own Retriever: The Quick, Efficient, Proven System for Training a Finished Dog

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This Book Works!!!

I'm using this book to train my second lab. I used this book to train my first lab (Ebony) in 1995 and am now using it now to train my new pup (Jack) in 2007. The book is geared for the hunter of both upland game birds and waterfowl, it is easy to read, easy to follow, and even easier to apply. Initially it utilizes the time that you are spending with your pup everyday anyway to turn it into a training session with more formal training sessions coming later.

I've read the other well known retriever training book (Game Dog) and to me it was half story/half training...with a long boring introduction. I don't know about you but when you bring that new pup home you don't want to spend time reading a boring story about some other hunter's dog that was the greatest bird dog that ever lived etc. etc. etc. You want to start training your new pup!!!

What I love about this book is that it has short introductions and then it gets into the meat of training your pup. The photos precede the text allowing you to have a visual image of what the training session is going to be like and then you'll read the text for more detailed information.

You will see within a short period of time that if you'll simply follow Mr. Mueller suggestions you'll have a pup that is not only learning to hunt but is also learning to think while hunting; which is an outstanding quality for a lab to have.

Don't wait until your pup is six months or a year old to start throwing some dummies around the yard to begin his "training"; do it now while the pup is still young (7/8 weeks) and learning is still fun. Oh, and don't let the title of this book fool you the book is 222 pages long...now does that sound like speed training!? This book teaches you to maximize the limited time we all have to train our pups in effect "speed training".

Be patient with those pups they learn quick...and I'll see ya'll in the field.

P.s. This book was written in 1987 before some of the modern dummies that are now used to train bird dogs. So, the only thing that I'm going to do different is initially use Dokken's Dead Fowl Trainers instead of those canvas covered boat bumpers before live bird introduction.

I really like this book. It's very straightforward, and to the point. I started out using Game Dog, which is still a good book, but the speed training book doesn't use all the artful story telling, and gets right down to the point. I also like how Mueller gives tips for problem dogs, whereas some of the other books I've read don't really address behavioral issues.

Our lab is 12 weeks old now. We are only to chapter 3 at this point. She is coming, heeling, and sitting. We are working on stay and laying down. As recommended by Mr. Mueller, the use of her food has been a great tool for learning these commands. We also do the commands with treats and without treats. Looking forward to continuing to use the book for training.

Every dog trainer I've ever met says it takes three years to train a finished gun dog. Just the title of this book flies in the face of many years' experience. Of course, Mueller also advocates training with little treats for little gun dogs, which is reminiscent of those fluffy little poodles in the Westminster dog show. "Hey, Pup, Fetch It Up" by Bill Tarrant is a much better way to start a gun dog, and for advanced theory on how Labs think and work, "The Labrador Shooting Dog" by Mike Gould is awesome.