My last post got me thinking about unlikely hunting dogs. When I was a kid hunting in Rexford, Kansas, one of my hunting mentors, (Mr.) Carol Gould had a great little cocker spaniel that would shag doves as long as you would shoot them. He was like a ferret working up pheasants, though Carol didn’t take him too much because his coat would get so tangled with cockle-burrs.

A friend of mine recently took up hunting and converted his mongrel dog, Tyson, to hunt grouse and rabbits. There’s no telling what breeds Tyson descends from, at least not from any hunting stock I recognize. But he does a great job.

The funniest though, was a guy we ran into duck hunting along Farmington Bay near the Great Salt Lake. He was hunting with an Australian Heeler. It was bitter cold; he had a neoprene vest on the dog, and the dog seemed to be loving the outing. The owner, I never did catch his name, had shot a merganser and it had sailed way way out on some thin ice, where he was still up and alive. (My favorite part was the dog’s name, “Kowalski.”) Kowalski was sent on the retrieve. He blasted out there, then when confronted with a large hissing duck, instead of picking it up, he started circling and driving it back to the blind. I can still hear the owner yelling, “fetch it up, Kowalski!” He looked at my hunting partner and I and said, a little sheepishly, ”He doesn’t exactly come by it naturally.” We still laugh about that today.

The fact is that all dog are canines and are related back to wolves and wild dogs, so it shouldn’t be suprising that with some work, they all can hunt. On the other hand, hard-wiring (genetics and breeding) can’t be overlooked. It’s what makes a cow dog circle the herd and a retriever fetch.

Send me your stories about your unlikely hunting dog.

We are used to larger breeds, mostly hunting dogs, so it is a fun twist for us to have a cute little toy dog (Shih Tzu) boarding with us for two weeks. He came complete with a pink faux aligator-skin hand bag to tote him around in. (I thought I’d really look good with that accessory. Maybe I’ll try it out at the trap range.)

Jackson is a bold little dog and after a minute gets right down to playing with the big dogs. When they get too close or too rough, he lets them know in no uncertain terms that it’s enough. I wonder how these little guys would do shagging doves on a dove shoot?

photo: Steve Ford

“I just got a new puppy, what should I do?” I have gotten several of these calls over the past month. Some of them are brand new hunting dog owners, but most have had a dog or two, but want this one to be the one. I always enjoy these conversations; hearing why a hunter selected a certain breed, or an individual pup from a given litter. I usually have a couple of suggestions:

First, and by far the most important, socialize the dog. Get the dog out and around everything and everybody. I can’t emphasize this enough, get the dog exposure to every novel thing you can imagine (cars, trucks, trains, old people, young people, crowds of people, black people, white people, other dogs, cats, trampolines, blowing plastic bags, you name it). A well socialized dog is one that will be confident in novel situations, will learn readily, and will make for a pleasureable dog to hunt with have around.

Second, learn about dog trianing by reading (and watching). Read books about dog training and seek to understand the principles behind the method. My caution here is to find one method that resonates with you and stick with that method, don’t jump around trying everything you happen to be reading that day. It will just confuse the dog. One of the reasons I like books, is that the author is able to describe important aspects of training, as well as, provide tips and techniques that you might not otherwise percieve. On the other hand, I like watching training videos, because you can see and visualize the principles being taught.

Third, learn by doing. Get out and try the training methdos described. Find someone to work with you. You can spend years (and several dogs) learning it the hard way by yourself, or find someone to learn from. A training partner or club can be a great way, because it provides the incentive to regularly train. You also have several people to discuss ideas with, and to learn from. You also get to see the training of several dogs along with your own.

Finally, (and I wish I were getting paid to say this – at least a free subscription guys!) I suggest a subscription to gun dog magazine. I really like their publication. They routinely have great articles that both provide ideas and give me the inspiration to keep working.

http://www.gundogmag.com

Best of Luck with your new pup!

Fouth of July and fireworks are fun – not so for dogs. Be careful over the next few days with your dogs outside when there a lot of fireworks going off. Even a steady gun dog can be made gunshy from fireworks. When hunting, there is the excitement of the flush and reward of the bird, but fireworks are just loud. It may be best to bring the dog in the house for the next few nights.

Enjoy your 4th. 

 Happy Birthday America!

You can’t get out too much with your dog. The other day we were out running dogs on the Parker and had a great time. The place was beautiful and the dogs loved it. It is starting to get too hot during the middle of the day to run, but mornings and evenings are perfect.