While gun dogs are bred to serve a purpose like retrieving a duck or pointing out a covey of quail, they do much more than that. Dogs are our companions, best friends, and in some cases therapists (always listening and never judging). They are always there for you and are eager to please you. In the field, there are few things sadder than retiring a good dog whose mind is ready to go, but whose body can no longer keep up. Saying goodbye to any dog is hard, but saying goodbye to a gundog can be outright unbearable. In an effort to keep their spirit alive forever, here are some of the best ways we’ve found to commemorate your duck dog.
Last Hunts
It’s never easy to retire a gun dog, but when the time comes, it’s the right thing to do. When planning your last hunt, here are a few ways to make it special. For starters, keep the hunt small and meaningful. Invite people who have played a pivotal role in your waterfowl hunting journey and that of your dogs. Perhaps your closest buddies, your family, or your dog’s trainer if you have a personal relationship with them. Being surrounded by a core group of close friends while watching your dog work one last time is a sure way to have a memorable hunt that will stay with you for the rest of your life. If you want to take things a step further, consider filming your last hunt. Years down the road, you can look back on the hunt and remember it as clearly as the day it happened.
Commemorative Shotgun Shells
After the passing of a gun dog, one way we’ve to commemorate them is to have their ashes loaded into shotshells. Once you have the shells, there are a couple of things you can do with them. Start by setting aside some to keep as forever mementos. Then you can hunt with the remainder in a place that was special to you and your dog, spreading their ashes the best way we know possible. If your dog touched the lives of others around you, you can also divvy up the shells amongst close friends and family so that everyone has a way to remember your trusty gun dog.
Decoy Urns
Another great way to commemorate your duck dog is with a decoy urn. Several decoy carvers, such as Luke Costillow of Costillow Decoys or Cedar Run Decoy Company, offer hand-carved gunning decoys that double as urns to store your dog’s ashes. These decoys can be commissioned for any species of bird you want, with the bottom hollowed out to store your dog’s ashes. For some, you may just want to keep this decoy urn as a memento. However, if you want to continue hunting with your dog even after he’s gone, many of the decoy urns double as full hunting decoys. This means you and your dog can continue hunting for the rest of your days.
Commission a Painting
We’ve all seen the classic paintings depicting pointers, hounds, and retrievers out in the field. So why not get a painting that means something to you? There are plenty of talented artists who are still creating incredible scenes of bird dogs doing what they love most, and you can commission paintings from them. Find an artist whose style you like, send them a memorable photo of your dog, and commemorate your four-legged friend with a painting that will become a family heirloom.
A Lasting Conservation Legacy
Some dogs leave behind memories that will last a lifetime. If that’s the case, the best way to remember them we can think of is with a lasting gift to waterfowl conservation. Delta Waterfowl’s Honor a Dog program allows you to make a donation to waterfowl conservation on behalf of any duck dog. In return, you’ll receive a thoughtful letter acknowledging your four-legged companion. Whether you make this donation on behalf of your own dog or for a hunting partner, this is an excellent way to memorialize the good dogs and support conservation efforts preserving the future of duck hunting.
Remembering Man’s Best Friend
The saying that the only flaw in dogs is that they don’t live long enough has a lot of truth to it, especially when it comes to gun dogs. Even the best dogs may only have 6 to 8 years at the top of their game before slowing down and eventually retiring. Your time with your dogs is short, so cherish it and get out in the woods as much as possible. When the time comes to say goodbye to your dog, creative ways to commemorate them will keep their memory alive forever.