Willy,
I started my lab with basic obedience and general retrieving up until about she was about 11 months old. ######At that time, I took a job here in CA, and had to temporarily leave her in NC when I moved. ######
Long story short, after a year, I finally was able to get her sent out. ######At that point, she had been, literally, a lap dog...sleeping in the house, doing whatever, no discipline, and definitely no hunting. ######I thought she was ruined as a hunter.
I went to work with her in the field, no time or place to practice in the city, and she went right to it as if we'd never left off the training. ######By the end of that first season she was working ducks at least as well as most other labs I saw out there. ######By the next season she was taking hand signals and doing blind retrieves.
She's no field trial dog, because I'm no field trial trainer, but she is a great hunting companion and she does a great job. ######
So definitely, if your dog has instinct and some basics, she's not too old to start.
|