When you make the serious decision to get a hunting puppy, there are several things that you should ask yourself as the owner. First and most importantly, are you going to have time to hunt? I have seen this play out time and time again with my friends and family members.
Someone buys a hunting puppy with great aspirations. They think they will be hunting with it every weekend of the fall. Who can blame them? Anyone who has ever hunted with a good bird dog absolutely loves the experience. There is nothing quite like the bond between man and dog that hunt game together as a unit.
But far too often, people find they are too busy with work, kids, big game hunting, or numerous other endeavors that fall upon us as adults. The pup grows into a dog, becomes bored with being locked in its kennel or its yard, and becomes a problem. Dogs that are bred for hunting are just that. If they are not able to do the job they were bred to do, they will not thrive. It is the responsibility of the owner, not the dog, to make sure the dog is put into the correct environment for it to succeed.
Choosing the Correct Breed
Choosing the correct breed of dog for the type of hunting and lifestyle you lead is also important. My dog is expected to hunt all kinds of game from chuckars to waterfowl and everything in between. But just as importantly, it is expected to be a member of the family and has to be able to exist with us in a mannerly fashion when it’s not hunting. This is not an easy balance. A good hunting dog has to have a strong bird drive, and the ability to turn that off is not easy.
For example, the German Shorthair Pointer is a fantastic bird dog for upland game, which is what I primarily hunt. However, the ones I have been around are very high-strung and seem unable to relax when they are not in the field. This would not be a good breed of dog for my family. As the dog will spend much more time with us as a pet than we will be able to spend hunting with it.
My family is fond of the German Wirehaired Pointer for this reason. They can literally hunt anything, but are also very relaxed at home. They are not perfect by any means; no dog breed is. However, this breed seems to be able to handle the duties of hunting and being a family pet reasonably well.
If you do decide to make the decade-plus commitment of owning a hunting dog, here is a list of 10 things you can do with your new pup to make sure you have an enjoyable relationship with it for years to come.
Time to Get Started!
1. The basics: Every dog, hunting or otherwise, needs to obey a few basic commands such as sit, down, stay, and come when commanded. I would also highly recommend the heel command as well to keep your dog by your side when you don’t want it running around. There are numerous books and videos dedicated to how you should train these commands to your dog. I’ll leave it up to you to pick out your favorite.
My only recommendation is to make your training as consistent as possible. Dogs are easy to teach, as long as the teacher can be consistent. There is no limit to the number of commands you can teach to your dog. The most I know is 30. The dog belonged to a friend of mine while he was in college, and yes, he could get you a beer out of the fridge. He states that the number of commands he was able to teach his dog Slim was directly correlated to how well things were going with the ladies at the time.
Manners Matter
2. Socialize: I recommend socializing your pup early and often to get them used to other people and other dogs. Dogs that have not been socialized can be very timid and aloof around other people and pets, or worse, aggressive. Let your dog know that it’s ok to be around other people and animals, and that they still must obey you when they are. This makes for a more enjoyable experience, and you will be able to spend more time with your dog because you will be able to take it to more places.
Firearms
3. Firearms: I use a lot of caution when introducing my new pup to gunshots. While I have never personally had a gun-shy dog, I know people who have, and it is incredibly frustrating. I start by taking the pup on a walk, and when it is not by my side, I will fire a suppressed .22 pistol. These are very quiet, but the pup is aware that something is making noise.
After a few shots, I will fire the pistol before throwing the pup’s favorite fetching toy. The dog should enjoy playing fetch and will soon associate the gunshot with a fun game. After the pup becomes a little older, I will take the suppressor off. I have also heard of people popping bubble wrap next to their pup while it eats from its food bowl. This would also condition the pup that a loud noise is associated with something good.
H20 and Your Hunting Puppy
4. Water: You will know very early if your dog is a water dog or not! I’ve had some hunting pups jump directly into deep water at 8 weeks old, while others have been shy about it. Regardless of their demeanor, it’s a good idea to introduce them to water early and often. Every hunter will drop a bird in water at some point in their lifetime, and having a dog that can water retrieve is very beneficial. I start in shallow water playing fetch with a favorite toy (make sure it floats) and gradually work up to deeper and or swifter water conditions as the pup gains confidence and physicality.
Home Away From Home
5. Crate trained: It is handy to have your hunting puppy crate trained. With this tool, you can take your dog anywhere, and it will have a home. I use mine for transportation in the pick-up, side by side, going camping, or to friends’ houses where I don’t know what the dog situation is. The dog will feel comfortable in its crate, and you don’t have to worry about it falling out of the back of the truck or running around camp or somewhere new when you don’t want it to.
Patience Is a Virtue
6. Electronic collar: The invention of the electronic dog collar is the single best invention in dog hunting history! They are fantastic and a beneficial tool for the hunting dog. That being said, I do not use a shock collar on a dog until after its first full bird season. The reason is, I want the dog to love hunting. I won’t give the dog any kind of negative reinforcement while it’s learning its craft.
After a year, the dog is hooked and has a better ability to understand what you want it to do as its master. The first year can be very frustrating. I have wanted to use the shock collar many times. However, I just remind myself that I am in this for the long haul. The next decade-plus of a dog that loves to hunt will far outweigh a moment of frustration that could lead to a timid dog for its lifetime.
Hunting Puppy Favorite Game
7. Wings: I like to start training my hunting puppy with a wing as soon as possible. I’ll take a bird wing and bind it to a piece of wood roughly the size of the wing using wire. The wire discourages the pup from chewing on the wing, hopefully translating to later not chewing on birds. I’ll start by playing fetch with the pup, then I’ll drag the wing 50 yards away or so while the pup watches, then let it find the wing.
Next, I’ll start hiding the wing while the pup is out of sight, then give it the command of “find the bird”. This is a great game for the pup, and you’ll find yourself getting very creative to be able to hide the wing where the pup can’t find it. Eventually, you’ll learn that there is no defeating the nose of a bird dog. When the wing is found and pointed out, I make sure to give the pup positive reinforcement.
Safety For Your New Pup
8. Whoa: I have a friend who is around 70 years old and has been hunting with a bird dog most of his life. While writing this article, I called him to ask what he considered to be important in raising a bird dog. I expected a very fancy training and elaborate technique of pointing birds that I had never heard of. However, without a second of hesitation, he told me the “whoa” command is the most important command a dog owner could teach their dog.
He said that years prior, he had a dog take off on a scent towards the road, and he couldn’t get him to stop. Once he hit the road, he was struck by a vehicle and killed. This bothered my friend greatly, and he decided that he needed to teach his dogs a command that would stop them no matter what they were doing.
Hence the “whoa” command. He teaches this by telling the dog whoa before he can go to the feed bowl. In his mind, if you can command your dog to stop (whoa) before it eats, you can get your dog to stop doing anything. He stated this has worked for him with great success. While I have never trained this into any of my dogs, it makes perfect sense, and I most certainly will from now on.
Birds, Birds, and More Birds
9. Hunt! If you have purchased a hunting dog, take it hunting as often and as early as possible. If feasible, I like to start with early-season pheasants. These roosters aren’t conditioned to run or fly early yet, and make for some easy work for a bird dog, which is exactly what I want for a pup that is just learning its craft. I shy away from chuckars until the pup is a little older, as the bird and terrain can be quite intimidating. Regardless of what bird you’re hunting, the more you take the dog hunting, the better a hunter it will become. If birds are scarce, you might want to consider paying to go on private property or a bird ranch. The dog will be much better at finding birds if there are birds to find.
Hunting Puppy – Part of the Family
10. Partnership: Spending time with your hunting puppy is the most important thing you can do with it, even when you’re not hunting. Hunting season only lasts for a few precious months, and you don’t want a dog that is simply locked in its kennel waiting for September. Hunting dogs need to be active, and it’s up to you to provide those activities for them. You and the dog are in a partnership together, and you have to hold up your end. My single most important piece of advice is to ask yourself if you will be able to have time to give to your bird dog. If the answer is yes, then enjoy! There is simply no other type of hunting that can replace the hunt shared between man and dog.
READ MORE HERE: Waterfowl: Footwork while Hunting
Use Caution
ONE LAST THOUGHT, beware of “dog trainers”: I am sure that there are plenty of reputable dog trainers out there. However, in my experience, for every good one, you can count on two bad ones. I have personally known trainers to leave dogs for weeks at a time while they go on vacation. They’ll find someone to feed and water them, but those dogs aren’t worked with for a single second during the time they are gone.
DO YOUR RESEARCH WHEN IT COMES TO A DOG TRAINER! Go to their place of business and see where your dog will be while it’s being trained and what the environment is like. I have personally seen a “dog trainer” who had 30-plus dogs stacked in crates in his backyard. Not kennels, crates. He had a kennel for a few dogs, but then the rest were stacked in the back of his property.
If you do the math, how much time could he possibly spend training your hunting dog if he has 30 other clients that he is promising the same thing to? My guess, you’re going to be lucky to get 15 minutes a day. Your dog will be locked up for the other 23 hours and 45 minutes. I also know that while my dogs will go hunting without me, they will not hunt for anyone but me, even my hunting partners whom I rarely hunt without. Take this into consideration when considering a personal dog trainer. If you just spend a few minutes a day with your dog, I believe you’ll be happy with your work, and the bond formed will be stronger.
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