Quotes from Matt
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| Excerpts from the South Carolina Wildlife Magazine September-October 2007 Quotes by Matt Rush |
Trainer Matt Rush explains that the Labrador was imported into
England from Newfoundland in the early 1800's. The founder of the
breed became interested in the original dogs because of their unique
ability to assist fisherman in the retrieval of their nets by grabbing the
buoys. The breed was further developed in England into its pure strain
and then brought back to America, where we now have the American
version of the Labrador.
Distinct physical differences exist in the two lines -- English Labs are
short, stout and more compact overall, while the American version is
larger and longer. "The difference occurs because of a difference in
hunting needs between the two places," says Rush. "Much of our
hunting here is for ducks, and we need dogs that can go on long
retrieves, traveling through thick cover and fighting the strong
currents on big waters. In England, the dogs are used for pheasant
drives and upland work, where a short and compact body yields the
advantage," he explains. While the American dogs predominant in the
States, a large number of breeders here prefer the English Labradors,
and both can be found readily.
Labradors come in three colors, black, yellow and chocolate. Some
would day that these differences are more than skin deep. Rush
explains that "black is the dominant gene, and for good reason. In my
experience, black Labs tend to have more trainability and intelligence
overall when compared to the others." He says that, collectively,
chocolates tend to be higher strung, and yellows, especially the
females, can even be manipulative. "They tend to play on your
sympathetic side, especially when you're trying to make them do
something against their will," he says, laughingly, Rush admits that this
is only an opinion, and that there are certainly examples of individual
dogs that refute this conjecture.
Selecting the proper breed and pedigree is only the beginning. Matt
Rush reminds us that training any dog is a lifelong experience.
"Retrievers are athletes," he says. "We don't expect a football player
to excell without having practiced during the preseason. Athletes train
throughout their careers, as should retrievers. He says trainers should
always build on success, and if a dog stumbles for several days when
trying a new step, go back to the one before or work on something
in-between so the dog remains confident. Although training a retriever
is not easy, it is a process to which humans are strangely well adapted,
and the process provides fulfillment for both the dog and the trainer.
England from Newfoundland in the early 1800's. The founder of the
breed became interested in the original dogs because of their unique
ability to assist fisherman in the retrieval of their nets by grabbing the
buoys. The breed was further developed in England into its pure strain
and then brought back to America, where we now have the American
version of the Labrador.
Distinct physical differences exist in the two lines -- English Labs are
short, stout and more compact overall, while the American version is
larger and longer. "The difference occurs because of a difference in
hunting needs between the two places," says Rush. "Much of our
hunting here is for ducks, and we need dogs that can go on long
retrieves, traveling through thick cover and fighting the strong
currents on big waters. In England, the dogs are used for pheasant
drives and upland work, where a short and compact body yields the
advantage," he explains. While the American dogs predominant in the
States, a large number of breeders here prefer the English Labradors,
and both can be found readily.
Labradors come in three colors, black, yellow and chocolate. Some
would day that these differences are more than skin deep. Rush
explains that "black is the dominant gene, and for good reason. In my
experience, black Labs tend to have more trainability and intelligence
overall when compared to the others." He says that, collectively,
chocolates tend to be higher strung, and yellows, especially the
females, can even be manipulative. "They tend to play on your
sympathetic side, especially when you're trying to make them do
something against their will," he says, laughingly, Rush admits that this
is only an opinion, and that there are certainly examples of individual
dogs that refute this conjecture.
Selecting the proper breed and pedigree is only the beginning. Matt
Rush reminds us that training any dog is a lifelong experience.
"Retrievers are athletes," he says. "We don't expect a football player
to excell without having practiced during the preseason. Athletes train
throughout their careers, as should retrievers. He says trainers should
always build on success, and if a dog stumbles for several days when
trying a new step, go back to the one before or work on something
in-between so the dog remains confident. Although training a retriever
is not easy, it is a process to which humans are strangely well adapted,
and the process provides fulfillment for both the dog and the trainer.