Hunting season is approaching fast, and dogs have to be as prepared as their masters.
You've got your guns, waders, decoys and boat ready. But what about your dog? "It takes six to eight weeks to get your dog into shape for hunting season," said gun dog expert Jim Closson of Sit Means Sit Dog Training in Boise, Idaho.
You've got to cover all the bases with your dog.
"Be sure to introduce the dogs to the birds that you will be hunting," said Closson. "I once met a owner who only trained with pigeons. His dog was great at retrieving pigeons but he would not pick up any other bird." Here's Closson's checklist for dog owners: --Is your dog up to date on all its vaccinations and treated for parasites? --Is your dog micro-chipped and/or tattooed? Is the dog's identification -- which includes your contact numbers and veterinary information -- engraved and pop-riveted on a buckle collar? --Has your dog successfully completed an off-leash obedience program so it knows how to respond to commands under distractions? Does it respond to verbal and whistle commands as well as hand signals? --Take your dog on long walks and bike rides to build stamina and get it in shape for long days of hunting.
--Does your dog know how to swim? Don't take this for granted. Some dogs need to learn how to swim. Every year dogs are lost to the current in Idaho's Snake River. Yes, even some retrievers don't know how to swim.
--Has your dog been properly socialized with other dogs? Nothing ruins a good day of hunting like having to go to the vet and patch up a dog that got into a scuffle.
--Does your dog know the command "leave it" means to avoid anything that might be harmful, including drinking stagnant water that could give the dogs giardia? Always have fresh water for your dogs.
--Has your dog completed a retriever program and does it know and understand that the command "fetch" means to pick up an object and deliver it to your hand with a soft mouth? Start with bumpers to work out with the dog. Once it understands with bumpers, move to frozen birds, then fresh-killed birds and finally live, banded birds to make sure your dog has a soft mouth.
--Has your dog seen lots of birds in training? Begin with pigeons or quail and build to other game birds.
--Most importantly, is the dog completely gun-sure? Does it love the sight and sound of a shotgun? Introduce guns while the dog is at a heightened level of confidence.
Taking your dog to a trap range and tying him to the bumper of a truck and shooting all around him is not a good way to introduce it to guns.
A better way is to begin by having your dog chase some clipped-wing or Velcro-winged pigeons.
Once its confidence is high, introduce a small-caliber gun like .22 starter pistol at a distance of 100 yards.
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