Good Hunting Dog

Good dogs are hard to come by. At least for me. I did have some nice dogs as a child. But my definition of “good” was different than it is now. There are lots of different dog breeds. That is good, because different people like different things in dogs.

I have hunted with dozens upon dozens of dogs. They were all different. Some in more ways than others. Some seemed to be able to read their owners minds and obey every command. Others didn’t care to listen or behave at all.

While being an observer in the field with hunting dogs and their owners, at times I have felt it is quite a sight to watch and listen as an out of control dog and out of control owner try to work together. But when you witness a good relationship between a well mannered hunting dog and their master, it’ll make just about anyone respect the relationship between dog and master!

A little over a 2 years ago I got my first hunting dog. He’s a yellow Labrador named Jackson. At birth he was obviously different. He dwarfed his litter mates but his laid back demeanor caught my eye. As the eleven puppies were playing in their box, little Jackson just acted different. More calm, more observant than the others and I knew which dog I wanted.

Time has flown by since Jackson became a member of our family. We worked hard together, learning to understand and respect each other. I watched numerous dog training videos and read lots of books on the subject. One thing became very clear. I needed more training than Jackson.

We worked on basic commands, sit, stay and come were easy. Retrieving all kinds of objects including the morning newspaper was accomplished in only a few weeks. Most of the training was in our front yard. Our neighbors watched as Jackson happily obeyed most of my orders. It made me proud that others were taking notice that Jackson and I made a good team.

Jackson now tips the scales at over 100 pounds, but is all muscle. Last weekend we had an annual dove hunt, and Jackson was in tow. We’ve now been hunting together for over two years and his skills continue to amaze me and others as well. As the day ended, and legal shooting time was over, I bent down and hugged my dog. I reassured him we’d be back to do at again, soon. With a big lick to my cheek I think I understood what he said. Jackson has trained me well.

My advice to anyone considering getting a hunting dog is that a lot of time and training is involved, but a well mannered good hunting dog is worth every bit of it - at least my Jackson is.