Most waterfowl hunters who run dogs know the ins and outs of what their dog is capable of doing during the season. All the offseason preparation and training scenarios you drilled have been paying off, but then your dog acts out on a hunt, does not obey a command, birds are circling above, and you feel your blood pressure start to rise with a touch of embarrassment. What did you do wrong with your dog? What could you have done differently? A multitude of thoughts run through your head as you process and analyze the situation.
Jamie Moss is the owner and operator of Big Trax Kennel out of Kentucky. He specializes in starting puppies and training them up to the Master level while running field trials throughout the year. Moss also trains countless first-time working dogs for waterfowl hunters and other handlers. Recently, we sat down with Jamie to learn his top tips for in-season dog training.
1. Physical Conditioning
During the season, it is imperative for your dog to remain in a conditioned manner so that they perform at the top level. When you are not hunting, there needs to be a training regimen throughout the week in order for your dog to stay in shape. You do not have to go out to the field and set up full-blown training scenarios in order for this to happen. It can be as simple as going on a run or an extended walk to keep their endurance up. Throw a couple of bumpers in the yard and go through your commands. As you condition your dog, you decrease the chance for injury and increase your dog’s capacity to do the job.
2. Steadiness
Steadiness is one of, if not the most important, elements of training your dog. A steadiness drill is one scenario that you can work year-round, no matter where you are, in a suburban neighborhood, training grounds, or out in the country. Take your dog out and put them in a “place” position on a stand or a board, simulate a duck blind with conversation and duck calls, then toss out multiple bumpers. Make sure that your dog stays in the “place” position and does not leave that spot, and if you choose to do so, let them retrieve one out of the several bumpers you tossed out before picking them back up to repeat the drill. This training method is one that will not burn your dog out and cannot be overdone. A steady dog is a safe dog.
3. Food Regimen
There is a preconceived notion that your dog has to eat more food during the fall and winter in order to stay warm. While that is the case, as keeping the body warm burns calories, a dog’s caloric intake needs to be consistent with the amount of work they are doing. If you are only working your dog on the weekend and they are receiving the same amount of food throughout the week, that process makes it more difficult on their joints, they are losing conditioning, and the injury risk is significantly greater. Monitor your dog’s caloric intake with their body shape throughout the week to keep them healthy.
4. Train for the Environment
You are on a flooded field hunt with a levee separating two fields, and you shoot a bird that drops on the other side of the levee. You send your dog out, it gets to the levee, and balks at going over the small space of ground. Why? Has your dog been put in a scenario where they had to transition from water to ground and back into water? This is a great example where the dog has not been exposed to the environment that it will be hunting.
If you are hunting out of a permanent blind with ramps, make sure to take the time to practice running your dog up and down the ramp. Have a buddy go out with you to toss bumpers while you work with your dog to make sure they are set up for success.
Take an extra bumper with you on hunts so that on a slow day or during a lull, you can work on different scenarios with your dog that you might not have at home, such as getting in and out of a boat blind, running through a multiple-decoy spread, or traversing the terrain.
5. Don’t Stop Training
Continue to train your dog throughout the week when you are not hunting. Granted, not everyone has the opportunity or luxury to do so, but if you are able to build in a fifteen-minute window in either the morning or the evening to run marks or blinds, that will go a considerable way to keeping your dog ready to go.
There will come a point on a hunt early on where problems will arise on a hunt and you will need to set your gun down in order to train your dog. Unload the gun and set it down, let your buddies shoot the birds, and you work with your dog, because if you allow them to continue doing the wrong thing, you are just solidifying that habit. When you prioritize your dog’s behavior and habits, the hunt will go much smoother for everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
You might think you are not a dog trainer; however, the minute you pick up your dog from the kennel or breeder, you become a dog trainer. Every interaction you have with your dog, they are learning from you. Maintain your standards throughout the entire year to ensure your dog is performing at the level you expect.