I have a black lab/german shep mix. she's overweight (she's on a diet now and losing weight). Now she's never been trained even in regular obedience and is now about 7 years old. Now... what are your thoughts, should i convince my mom to get my like a dachsund or something smaller, i've heard they are better. and I think my dog is too old, and rambunctious to be a good hunting dog... when given the chance, she bolts out the door and doesn't come back until we chase her, and catch her... letting her run free in a field seems a mistake, and not to mention, any animal smaller than her is "prey" you know, like she sees the birds, the chinchillas, etc etc as food. SO ultimately what i'm wondering is, is a hunting dog really necessary? should I get a smaller bread puppy that i can train?
What are you planning on hunting? Birds, ook at brittany spaniels. In actuality if you want your lab to feel 5 years younger, get a pup and use them both. The lab will learn quickly and love the new attention.
I found that bringing in a new pup to an old dog adds a few years to their life and puts them in a way better mood plus loses that weight. Just as with any dog you need to take care of them with exercising and utilizing them. Do not let a good dog goto waste sitting at home, take them with you camping, hunting, and even fishing. They love the water no matter how old.