With a good four months until early teal season, and even longer until the regular duck and goose season, keeping our dogs tuned up physically and mentally is a good distraction until opening day. Though most of the focus is on keeping developed skills sharp, along with teaching new ones, the “off-season” also provides great opportunities to enhance the dog’s social abilities. Doing so pays off in some key respects, such as increased confidence, along with desirable manners and behavior. In a nutshell, try to take your dog to different places wherever and whenever you can.
Out and about
Getting dogs out of the house or kennel and in situations they aren’t used to benefits all ages but is really crucial with puppies and young dogs. The sooner this begins, the better. A good hunting dog must have confidence to succeed at training and in the field. Exposure to different experiences helps build that confidence. It also gets the dog used to being around other dogs and people. This makes the dog more sociable and less prone to anxiety that can lead to unwanted behavior.
Confident dogs are happy dogs with good dispositions, while anxious or fearful dogs are not. The latter, unfortunately, can develop aggression issues as well as a myriad of problems, making training a lot harder or in many cases impossible.
Anything new that the dog hasn’t experienced yet is an opportunity, so keep that in mind. I brought my 5-year-old Lab, Molly, home at 8 weeks old and she went to a cousin’s outdoor wedding reception the next day. She got passed around quite a bit, and the noise, smells and everything else were quite a lot, but she seemed to take it all in stride and never seemed the least bit upset.
Other stimulus-rich outings we’ve gone on were football games, construction sites, pet stores and pet-friendly restaurants. Hunting dogs must travel, and we’ve done plenty. From hunting trips in West Texas to hunt tests in Kentucky and everywhere in between, there’s been tons of exposure at rest areas, hotels and other locales. The payoff is that I know I can take her anywhere, and we plan to travel a whole lot more in the future.
Training a well-behaved dog
The Louisiana Sportsman Show and Festival was held this past March in LaPlace and I was asked to put on some retriever demonstrations. With help from North Pontchartrain Retrievers, Whiskey Bent Retrievers and Pontchartrain HRC members and dogs, we had several teams over the three days. Handlers and dogs alike had the opportunity to check out the boats, tractors, ATVs and vendors outdoors and indoors when not running setups. They also got plenty of time to interact with the attendees, young and old alike. I made several rounds outside and spent a good amount of time inside the hall checking out all the gear as well as enjoying some A/C. Molly was relaxed and sat patiently when I was visiting the vendors, even when we were at the food trucks, which is where I thought she’d be a little more “engaged.” The other dogs, some much younger, all had the same reactions and experiences.
There was quite a lot going on around where we were running, but when there was an audience and it was time to go to work, the dogs did very well. I was actually a little surprised at just how well all of them performed and focused on the set-ups that included both marks and blinds. That ability to tune out the sights, sounds and smells in an unfamiliar and strange environment is proof of a confident, well-mannered dog that can get the job done when the time comes. Retrievers, pointers and other breeds love being around us, so make it a point to take them with you wherever and whenever possible. It strengthens that all important bond, enhances time in the field and you’ll enjoy it just as much as your dog will.
