Looking for a well started black male lab might think about chocolate male. in the ks. ok. tx. mo. ark. la. areas. any one know of one or know of a trainer that might. thanks.

Here is a good place to start. I've a couple of friends that have found really nice dogs in these classifieds.

http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums ... arted-Dogs

Buck

Don't make the mistake of buying a started dog over the phone and having it shipped too you first off . Everyone has a different outlook on what a started level dogwork is , including pro's . Don't take their word on what they can do , go and watch the dog work . IMO a started dog is one with great OB that has been CC . Is gun trained and can marked off the barrel of the gun . Can do single retrieve's out too a 100 yds on land or water . Oh , and can do this with live birds . Maybe intro too simple doubles . Look for your local retriever clubs in your area , they will be able too point you in the right direction . Good luck !

I agree, you never want to buy a started or finished dog without it being evaluated by someone knowledgeable. I consider a true started dog one that is finished in the yard (CC, FF, T work and swim-by) and ready for transition. A friend just found what sounds like a nice started dog, that is a FT washout, and is having it evaulated by our pro for use as a gun dog. There are a lot of different ideas about what constitutes a started dog.

I just recieved a started dog. He is one of the trainer Bill hillmann's dog. The lady i got him from is Mary Tatum from watermarkretrievers.com She is a vet located in houston, and owns a kennel company and does feild trials with her dogs. I saw on her site she has started a male chocolate named clipper now. So back on subject i went and saw him in person the day i got him. He heals to both sides retreived bumpers, and frozen ducks over 100 yards out of a cannon launch, sits on the whistle, and collar conditioned, never breaks until i send him at 7 months old i feel like he is an awesome dog. He has completed Bill Hilmanns traffic cop before i got him and now finished force fetching. We are working on sitting on the whistle in a retrieve and hand signals. Mary is an amazing trainner and i recomend anyone looking for a started lab to contact her. 2 weeks after i got him i took him on 2 hunts and he retrieved 11 for 11 birds. A few were on land across the pond and i never whistled at him, just let him smell it out and i couldnt ask for more. The best part is he is not a barker.

I'm in Ocala and active in the Jacksonville Retriever Club located in Williston. I ran hunt tests until a few years ago when I lost my mind and started running field trials. When I ran hunt tests I was very active in CFHRC and NEFHRC. I also trained my own dogs when I ran hunt tests and had the first 500 point HRCH in the CFHRC. If you have a full time job it's almost impossible to be competative in field trials without having a pro involved. Way more training needed than hunt tests.

Buck

I am also looking for a started black lab... I am pretty nervous about getting a started dog for all of the reasons you guys are talking about. I just don't have the knowledge and time to put into a puppy and I would hate to spend all that money to have one trained and him not turn out to be what I want. But a the same time, there are all these draw-backs on buying a started dog... I am really in a pickle about what I want to do

Hey Buck , my name is Ron . I know Jimmy and a few others over CFHRC . I think Jimmy runs a swamp collie in FT's too . Yep , hunt test can be pretty expensive so I know Field trials are double . My grandfather was a pro over in Texas when I was a kid . Pretty much if you want too send your dog too the Grand or National Master hunt test , you send him with one of the pros you know . It's cheaper that way . Maybe we could hook up , my little Black girl has done field trial marks in training . You might know Bob Joiner , he likes too push the dogs like a FT dogs and I train with him . Makes hunt test a breeze for our dogs