Could you make the Labrador more useful?

[Meles Meles]

I know it's a specialist, but it's just really inefficient, even when used to find small game. It seems to be moving on a very narrow path, and if the animal isn't exactly on that path, doggo can't find it.

It just makes it so much easier to bring the Bloodhound instead.

Also, I don't know anything about hunting or dogs, but can labs really only be used to retrieve critters? They can't locate other killed animals?

[FeatheryBacon]

The entire point of the Labrador is to retrieve, not locate. The Bloodhound is for locating.
I don't know about it being inefficient or not but I can say for certain that if it was able to locate dead animals AND retrieve small animals, the Bloodhound would be completely redundant.

The way the Lab is designed and marketed it's clearly primarily for bird hunting and the occasional rabbit, not for having around while you hunt big game, so it doesn't need to be able to locate big animals dead or alive. This just sounds like you don't enjoy hunting birds as much as other animals or are trying to do both at the same time and are expecting the dog to do a job it's not supposed to do.
Also, are you just letting it do its own thing and waiting for it to bring you a kill or are you using the command wheel to tell it to go get one? It won't do it unless you tell it, same with the Bloodhound tracking blood, and it specifically goes for the one that you're looking at first if there are multiple kills.


Anyway, they're adding a new mechanic on 3rd of December that lets you combine the abilities of the dogs so you will be able to have the Lab or Bloodhound do both tasks but you have to own both, might have to level both too but who knows.

Players who already own the Bloodhound or the Labrador Retriever are in for a real treat. Through a free new update available for all dog owners, you can customize your very own expert hunting dog by enhancing one dog with the skills of two. For example, by combining the skills of a Pointer and a Retriever, you can train your dog to skillfully flush out birds and efficiently retrieve them after you've taken your shot.

[Meles Meles]

Originally posted by FeatheryBacon:

Anyway, they're adding a new mechanic on 3rd of December that lets you combine the abilities of the dogs so you will be able to have the Lab or Bloodhound do both tasks but you have to own both, might have to level both too but who knows.

Players who already own the Bloodhound or the Labrador Retriever are in for a real treat. Through a free new update available for all dog owners, you can customize your very own expert hunting dog by enhancing one dog with the skills of two. For example, by combining the skills of a Pointer and a Retriever, you can train your dog to skillfully flush out birds and efficiently retrieve them after you've taken your shot.

A whole lot of yapping there, but this was actually useful. Thanks bud!

[DaArthur]

I like the new update. Now I need to decide if I want to give my Lab the ability to track, or the ability to point and flush