Now’s the time to get your retriever ready for fall hunting season.
With fall gunning season only a few short months away, now is the perfect time to hone your retriever’s skills in the water.
Whether you hunt with labradors, goldens, chessies or any of the other breeds, a retriever that is not comfortable hunting lakes, ponds and marshes in a boat or canoe, isn’t worth it’s weight in dog biscuits. By examining how and where you hunt, and including these scenarios in your training regimen, you can be rewarded with a well-rounded retriever.
According to veterinarians, water training is the best form of exercise for dogs. Swimming not only provides a great cardiovascular workout for a dog, it reduces the chance of injuries such as torn ligaments or sprains, commonly associated with heavy, ground-pounding workouts on land. Water also acts to cool dogs down, especially when training during the “dog-days of summer.”
Even though the water training cools off your dog, it is crucial to not work your companion too hard on hot days. Water can only cool a dog down so much, and if pushed too hard, your pet may suffer heat exhaustion. Signs to watch for are excessive panting, vomiting or diarrhea and/or a lack of energy.
For those who plan to hunt Fido from a boat or canoe, it is imperative that the dog is comfortable tagging along in such a craft. Many owners of top-notch field dogs are embarrassed when their “seasoned pro” won’t get into a canoe for the first time. For safety’s sake, no one wants an unsteady dog when hunting on frigid fall waters. A slight weight-shift by dog or owner could spell disaster for an otherwise enjoyable hunt. For these reasons, hunters need to make their dog feel at home in whatever they plan to hunt from.
When I started training my Lab many years ago, I demanded that he be steady in a canoe where I do most of my duck hunting from. His first lesson consisted of sitting still in a canoe while on land. We gradually moved the canoe to the water’s edge where he made a series of short retrieves from the craft. From there, we paddled around in shallow water, forcing him to sit motionless in the bow. Unfortunately, he was fascinated by lily pads that floated by and would often lean over to snatch one out of the water. Whenever he did this, I would rear back on his collar and correct him.
Once he was comfortable as a passenger, it was time to teach him the proper way to enter and exit the canoe for a retrieve. I put the canoe in a shallow bed of reeds and tossed out a dummy. I had Luke slip into the water from the raised canoe seat so he didn’t drag his hind legs on the gunwales, possibly tipping us over. Once he returned to the boat, I would take the dummy from him and grab his collar to assist him in getting his front paws inside, and then push down on his neck to provide leverage for him to pull his hind legs in. He typically did not retrieve from the canoe, as we primarily hunted from blinds, but occasionally I would jump shoot on the way into the blind, so learning the proper method to enter and exit a boat was a must.
Once you reach your destination with pup by your side, most waterfowl hunters utilize decoys, which can be a problem for some dogs. We’ve all seen at least one instance where a novice dog was sent out after a duck and returned with a decoy; line, anchor and all. This embarrassment can be avoided by incorporating decoys into your water training sessions.
The best training scenario is the one that most closely replicates actual hunting conditions. By setting up a spread of well-spaced decoys, your dog can get the picture of what an actual hunt will be like. Begin by tossing the dummy out to the side of the decoys. A generous amount of praise should be given when the dog selects the dummy and ignores the bobbing duck look-alikes. Next, cast the dummy beyond the dekes so the dog must swim through them. Once he has mastered swimming through the spread, plop a dummy down in the middle of the dekes. An application of liquid duck scent to the dummy will help the dog hone in on it as well as ignore the odorless objects around him. Just be certain not to handle the decoys if you have duck scent on your hands. When a pup can make successful retrieves through around and amongst the decoys, he should be ready for opening day.
While training and hunting a dog in water is generally considered to be beneficial for the dog, there are several health and safety concerns that can not be overlooked. First and foremost is water entry safety. We’ve all seen the photos of an eager lab diving headlong off a dock or banking after a retrieve. While this may look impressive, teaching your dog to dive into unknown waters is a recipe for disaster. Each year, hundreds of dogs are injured or killed when they collide with submerged rocks, pier supports and other hidden hazards. Just as you wouldn’t leap off shore into unfamiliar waters, you shouldn’t require your dog to, either. Be certain to examine both hunting and training areas for such dangers before it is too late.
Ear infections are also a common malady when training a dog in water. The most realistic training takes place in a swampy marsh, complete with thick lily pads, snags and brush that you are likely to encounter when actually hunting. Marsh water is muddy and murky, and dogs frequently get yeast infections in their ears. My veterinarian prescribes “Oti-Clens,” a multi-cleansing solution used to clean both wounds and ears. As soon you notice a brown, waxy buildup or detect an odor, massage a small amount of the solution into your dog’s ears with a cotton ball. A smile, a tail-wag, and a soothing growl will likely be your rewards. When you have your dog at the vet’s for it’s annual check-up, inquire with them if there are any other precautions they recommend when training your dog in the water.
By combining practical water training with your dog’s natural instinct to retrieve, you can assure yourself that come hunting season, you and your friend will be ready for a lifetime of memories.
Comments are no longer available on this story