Last-minute gun dog tips for hunting season

LAST-MINUTE TRAINING TIPS

By Scott Haugen

Hunting season is only days away. Here are some lastminute training tips to keep your gun dog focused, in shape, healthy, obedient and having fun.

TRAIN WHERE YOU’LL HUNT

Especially for first-season pups, getting familiar with the land they’ll be hunting is a good way to alleviate stress, appease curiosity and instill confidence. I’m not saying let them chase or point birds where you’ll soon be hunting. Just give them enough exposure to the area so they learn the sights, smells and terrain.

Be it a hunt in the Cascades for forest grouse, valley quail in the lowlands or ducks on the river, exposing dogs to the places they’ll soon be working is a good thing. Run some quick training drills and do a bit of conditioning. Let them explore, too. Keep them under control and your pup will be excited when the time comes to hunt these places, and they’ll perform with confidence.

WATER TRAINING

The intense heat of summer is a great time to get that dog in top shape by swimming. As with humans, swimming is one of the best allaround workouts a dog can have. And I’m not talking about tossing a bumper in for a few retrieves. I mean long swims.

Dogs are much better swimmers than we are, so having them follow you while rowing a canoe, kayak or paddle board is a great way to keep them moving. They can also follow

Introducing new dummies keeps training sessions fun for your dog. Avery’s EZ-Bird Pheasant offers many benefits, including sight and scent training bonuses. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

If clipping dog nails makes you – or your pup – nervous, try a grinder, which will help from hitting the quick. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

alongside your drift boat on a river or small boat in a pond. If heading to a lake with the family, take the dog. Having a dog swim back and forth between someone on land and someone in the water keeps it fun for everyone; kids love this!

BEACH TIME

To escape intense summer heat, many of us head to the coast. Sandy beaches are great places for dogs to run fullthrottle. Sand dunes are excellent for workouts. Running dogs up dunes in the loose sand is a great way to build strength in their hind end.

If swimming in the ocean or bay, limit bumper retrieves in saltwater, as it’s not good for a dog to ingest and can dehydrate them. Don’t swim dogs in waves where they take in saltwater. Be sure to have fresh water for them to drink.

SALON TIME

With hard ground training this time

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of year, and lots of dry grass and seeds around, be sure to keep your dog’s toenails short, ear hair plucked and the hair between their toes trimmed. These measures will prevent potential injury that could cost your dog hunting time.

If you’re not a fan of nail clippers, try a nail grinder. Grinders greatly reduce the chance of hitting the quick of the nail, thus excessive bleeding; your dog will let you know when you’re close to the quick. There are dog-specific grinders, but I just use the one from my shop.

Plucking long hair inside the ears will help keep grass and troublesome

With bird season only days away, now is the time to ensure a quality diet and focused, fun training for

your dog. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

seeds from traveling into the ear canal. The same is true for keeping the hair short between their toes and pads, which will prevent sharp seeds from embedding in the webbing between toes, or round seeds from balling up between pads.

HEALTHY EATS AND TREATS

The two most important things you can do is teach your dog consistent discipline and feed it a healthy diet. Avoid big-box-store foods if you’re serious about keeping your dog healthy and helping it live a long, full life. Just because you see repeated ads on billboards and in magazines doesn’t always mean it’s the best. Read labels and know the difference between good and subpar dog food; it’s like us living on fast food versus home-cooked meals.

Avoid unhealthy treats too, as these contain fillers and many ingredients dogs are allergic to. Last season a buddy let a gas station attendant give his dog a biscuit. He didn’t make it a mile down the road and the dog threw up and had an allergic reaction. It was out of commission for three weeks.

I’ve done loads of research on dog food over the years and learned a lot from two local feed stores – even more than from my vet. Bottom line: I feed my dogs NutriSource foods and treats that are packed with protein and no fillers. A third of their diet is raw, too. Their health, performance and recovery is amazing on this food.

NEW TRAINING TOOLS

Like us, dogs love getting new toys. Late summer is a good time to introduce new training dummies and bumpers. Not only does this excite dogs, it mentally lifts them up, which makes them work harder.

Work with the new training tools on land and in water where you usually train, but also in places you’ve not trained all summer. A change in location, along with new toys, will fire up a dog, allowing you to get the most from your training time.

Be sure and have plenty of water for your dog. The average hunting dog drinks about a gallon of water per day.

And above all, keep training sessions fun. Training does not need to be long and intense in order to be effective. Train in the shade and early and late in the day, when it’s cool. The more fun it is for dogs, the more pleased you’ll be with the results, especially come hunting season. CS

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.