Purchasing a furry, four-legged hunting companion is one of the most fun things to do when it comes to hunting, no matter what it is to be used for. I am yet to meet a person that doesn’t get excited and full of joy when puppies are around and if I ever do I will know that I am in the wrong crowd.
But once that loveable and rambunctious puppy is found chewing on your favorite pair of shoes or making messes four times its body size, the new will quickly begin to wear off. So, now what?
It can be very intimidating when it comes to training a hunting dog up from a puppy. On social media, very rarely will you see videos or pictures of gundogs that are untrained. No one makes brag posts about an untrained dog. Most training tips you see are done with dogs that has had previous exposure to insure it goes smoothly for the camera. It is very easy to begin comparing your dog and your training to these which you see on most media platforms.
Everyone wants the end results but not everyone wants to go through the slow process to get there.
With that being the case it can be very easy to make the choice to send your dog to a professional trainer and justify the monetary cost that comes with it. As an aspiring trainer myself, I love for people to bring me their dogs for me to begin turning them into a gentleman hunting dog. But I always let the owners know that they are going to be missing out on one very important trait with their dog, and that is a bond.
As a hunter, I find joy in every moment that I am actively hunting. From the early season scouting to the day that I finally let my arrow fly towards a mature buck it is all the same to me. But as a dog hunter that joy and excitement is tenfold.
Watching a dog work in the field is a thing of beauty. There is so much time and work that goes into that dog’s first successful point, being steady to wing and shot. At that time, there is nothing in this world that dog wants more than that bird, but it knows it cannot obtain it without the hunters help. It is all the work from day one that creates a bond between a dog and hunter that is unwavering. Training through the good days are fun, the days where the dog is stubborn causes headaches and frustration, but in the frustration when finally, it ‘clicks” and the dog is successful in its task it solidifies a connection the two will forever share.
It is in those days that it begins to perform those tasks successfully that it will see the pleasure and praise it brings to them from you, its owner and friend. When that dog really gets to performing and working hard just for your love and affection, you can’t convince me that there is anything out there that dog wouldn’t do for you, its trainer, owner and friend.
If you are not training the dog yourself, that bond is something that can be missed out on during the early hunts when the dog is growing the most both physically and mentally. But don't fret, that bond can still be made through time spent afield on hunts together.
Just know that there is always a special connection that exists between the dog and the trainer from day one that pushes the dog a little harder to perform. Besides the satisfaction of watching your dog succeed on a hunt is a form of satisfaction that can only be found in a hunting dog.
Luckily in this modern age we have a world of resources right at our fingertips with our smartphones connecting us to fellow houndsmen from all across the country, doing the same thing as you are embarking. Making training your first gun dog yourself a much more relatable and attainable feat. You can literally find years of knowledge simply while driving to work by listening to podcasts such as the Hound Podcast, right here with Double U Hunting Supply.
The beauty about this podcast is the realism that you get out of it. You will hear from both rookies and veterans telling there stories of triumphs and complete embarrassment. As well as tips and tricks from the guys that have trained their own, what they would do different and why. There are no theatrics, or over production. Its simply houndsmen talking to houndsmen. From bear dogs to bird dogs, it is all discussed.
As a DIY trainer myself, I have found myself listening in the truck only to get home to replay it but this time with a notebook and pen handy to take down notes coming from guys who have much more experience than me.
When it comes to getting a hunting dog, there are going to be fun days as well as frustration days. There will be highs and there will be lows. There will be days where you will tell your buddies that it is champion caliber, days where it’s nothing but a pot licker and days where its performance in the field, woods or water does all the talking for you.
If there is one thing guaranteed with a dog it is this; if you take the time to do the work and be a part of training that dog yourself, even being alongside a professional, you are investing in a loving bond and connection with a hunting partner that will work as hard as its body will physically allow, day in and day out without hesitation. So, if you got the dog or have plans to get one, listen and learn from others and just go have fun and build a bond that will last a lifetime.
