Meet Our Newest Family Member!

[MooseontheLoose]

Looks like a bunch of trouble and mischief

Wouldn't trade mine for anything. Great choice

[DUKFVR]

Great looking Boykin. We had one and they are great dogs.

[wloftis]

I read Water Dog many years ago and have trained my past two dogs by the book. My first lab was by far the best hunter/house dog; I have ever seen. I have a 3 year old lab and have trained her some using the lessons in water dog and she is a good hunter and incredible family dog.

[KRB]

That will be my next dog someday.

Good Looking pup.

I trained my lab from a dvd set called Fowl Dawgs , really easy to do if you dedicate the time.

Congrats!!!

[jlp04c]

When I trained my last dog, a Chessie.. I feel I missed some things because I followed Water Dog too closely. It's pretty strict, and in the end I felt like it developed a superb hunting dog, that wasn't what I wanted her to be in ALL other situations (I.e. hunting is like .01% of their life ha).. We managed fairly well in the end though.

As I mentioned on the last thread, its pretty well thought that the 7 week-6 months is very important for bonding and socialization, so you may fight a bit of an uphill battle with that, and the name change might complicate that? In the end, its just something you'll have to overcome, and i'm sure you will!
For training my Boykin that I've been waiting 2 years for (geesh ha), I will be following Bill Hillman's program, it's an incredible difference between that and Water Dog, a much heavier focus on just having a great dog, and letting the retrieving develop as it will (he has the highest derby points of any retriever trainer, so the retrieving does develop, significantly hah)

Website below, , and he has links to his youtube videos, hes got a bunch free out there!

https://billhillmann.net/

I pick up my Boykin in 3 weeks, i'm pumped!

[jlp04c]

send me a pm if you'd like some more tips, I'm very very far from a pro, but I've done it once, and know what I wouldnt do again, haha

[Justin Spies]

When I trained my last dog, a Chessie.. I feel I missed some things because I followed Water Dog too closely. It's pretty strict, and in the end I felt like it developed a superb hunting dog, that wasn't what I wanted her to be in ALL other situations (I.e. hunting is like .01% of their life ha).. We managed fairly well in the end though.

As I mentioned on the last thread, its pretty well thought that the 7 week-6 months is very important for bonding and socialization, so you may fight a bit of an uphill battle with that, and the name change might complicate that? In the end, its just something you'll have to overcome, and i'm sure you will!
For training my Boykin that I've been waiting 2 years for (geesh ha), I will be following Bill Hillman's program, it's an incredible difference between that and Water Dog, a much heavier focus on just having a great dog, and letting the retrieving develop as it will (he has the highest derby points of any retriever trainer, so the retrieving does develop, significantly hah)

Website below, , and he has links to his youtube videos, hes got a bunch free out there!

https://billhillmann.net/

I pick up my Boykin in 3 weeks, i'm pumped!

Thanks for the info. Seems like this route would get really pricey?!?

[jlp04c]

haha... the pricey point was the purchase of the dog and the commitment to provide it care for 10-15 years. Whats a couple hundred more haha

[SamSowell]

Congrats on the new pup.

As for the book, if you buy it, you are better off using it as a fire starter than a training guide. Lots of very outdated training information In there, which encourages very heavy handed training.

Start looking at some of the Tom dokken training videos or other well respected modern retriever trainers videos they have for sale.

Agreeing with Texas Shag here. Secondhand from a friend concerning Boykins, 'heavy handed' is not the way to train/work with one. Allowed that the pup can just shut down and be unwilling to train if that approach is used.

[Justin Spies]

Agreeing with Texas Shag here. Secondhand from a friend concerning Boykins, 'heavy handed' is not the way to train/work with one. Allowed that the pup can just shut down and be unwilling to train if that approach is used.

Do you have any other books/dvds you would recommend with Boykins?

[SamSowell]

Do you have any other books/dvds you would recommend with Boykins?

Asked my friend and he sent me this link.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971710309/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0