Church Decoy Company

Tides and currents can pose very dangerous situations. A receeding tide can leave you stranded on the mud flats overnight in poor weather conditions which could be life threatening. Currents can sweep a boat, gear, hunters, and dog away if a motor fails. These conditions are also very dangerous to dogs if the tides or currents carry the dog away as it goes after downed birds. These conditions are also responsible for creating holes that hunters step into when wading. Use a good wading stick, wear a life jacket, and hunt with a partner whenever possible. Take'em when they're all cupped up.         dc

One of the problems with training a retriever is having the dogs "break" or take off after a bird flushes or the gun is shot. This can be dangerous to the hunters in your party and to the dog once it gets down range and in front of the shooters. One technique is to train the dog to sit every time the gun is fired. This can be accomplished at the local shooting range. Stand a safe distance behind a skeet or trap range and instruct a young pup to sit at the sound of the gun. To train the dog to sit after a bird flushes will require some live birds and a bird thrower. As the bird gets thrown from the trap, the first command to the dog must be "SIT". Training a young dog in this manner should eliminate your dog from "breaking" and make the hunt much safer. Once the dog is kept under control, you can then begin training your dog to mark and make his or her retrieves.                dc 

My lab has gotten lazy on me and has decided to drop the retrieves about five feet short. To correct this I have commanded her to go get it by giving her the retrieve command of "back!" He would go pick it up and again drop it short. I adjusted this by starting to walk away from my spot just before he got to me. This gives the illusion that you are leaving and he or she will continue to hold the object and follow. Then I quickly turn around and go back to my original position, get the retrieving dummy and praise....praise...praise that dog! Take'em when they're all cupped up. dc

Most of my obedience training is done while my dogs are on a choke collar. Once training is complete, make sure to remove the choke collar to prevent your dog from getting tangled in bushes, fences, etc which could possibly harm or strangle your dog. When hunting season rolls around, use a good leather or web collar to ensure that your dog doesn't get hung up in the brush or on any unseen water hazards. dc

Waterdogs are notorious for ear problems. Moisture gets inside the ear canal after and during swimming and causes yeast infections. If your dog is constantly shaking his head or you get a bad odor from the dogs ears, it is probably a yeast infection. Make sure to dry the outside of your dogs ears after swimming and use  an alcohol based ear rinse to help "dry" out the ear canal. Healthy ears will make your dog much happier and will prevent expensive trips to the vet. dc

As the warm weather aproaches and we start leaning towards putting away the goose guns and breaking out the turkey guns, don't forget about your hunting dog. He won't be much use during turkey season, but he still needs to stay in tip top shape. As I hike the Ozark mountains in the spring to scout for turkeys, I also take my retriever along. We both need to stay in shape and it's not healthy for a dog, or human, to lay around for a good part of the year and then try to push ourselves beyond our physical capabilities. As the weather warms and you continue to train your dog, try to keep your training sessions either short or during the cooler hours of morning and evening. Always have plenty of fresh water at hand and do not let your dog get over heated. They are susceptible to heat stroke just like us. Without the ability to sweat through the skin, dogs sweat through their mouths while panting. If your dog shows any signs from heat, immediately stop any training and get the animal to the vet. If unable to do so in a timely manner, give the dog water and try to coat it's belly with cool water to help reduce the body temperature. The best advice is to train during the cooler hours, have plenty of water, don't over do it, and keep him in hunting season shape. "Take'em when they're all cupped up."

Almost my entire life I have been blessed with having a good Black Lab at my side. I have trained many of these dogs myself and have always enjoyed the bond that is built with these incredible animals. Recently I had to put my hunting dog down and was forced into developing a new relationship with a knucklehead named KC. I began working with him quickly but knew that it would not be his year since he was so young. Even though he was not ready, I took him every time I went this year and to my amazement, KC made his first two retrieves on real birds (Gadwalls) at the ripe old age of four and a half months old. He made me very proud that day and showed me that some wonderful days afield are ahead of both of us. For those that want to train their own dogs, I say bravo. Do not hesitate to try yourself and do not believe it is beyond your capabilities. The dogs know what to do, trust me. You just need to show them. The first thing you must do is start them early. KC was being walked on a leash at two months. This is the time to think about what side you want the dog on when you are shooting. Make sure you walk him on that side. The rules you teach your dog are for EVERYONE in the family. Everyone MUST train the dog the same way. The command words you use must be the same from everyone else to reduce confusion for the dog. Pull up gently on his collar while pushing down on his bottom to teach him to sit. Make sure you say the word "SIT" as you pull up. These are the basics that you will start with. Next will be "stay" which is where you get him to sit and you slowly back away from him, always making eye contact with the dog and saying "stay" as you hold your hand in front of him. It should look like you are giving the stop signal with your hand. Once he has completed this, tug gently on the leash and say "come" or "heel" to get him to come to you. He should come to you and you should immediately make him sit so that he understands that the commad "heel" or "come" means to come to you AND sit. Every action that the dog does right MUST be followed by great praise. If you have practiced too long (10 minutes tops for a young puppy), the puppy will get bored and wander off. NEVER get mad or end the training on a bad note. Praise the dog and end the session. Ensure leashes are put away so the dog does not believe them to be "toys". More later. Take'em when they're all cupped up.

-dc