Owning a Hunting Puppy: a Non-hunting Spouse’s Perspective

While I have raised my fair share of “leisure” puppies into dogs, I was not as prepared as I thought I was for a versatile hunting puppy.

1. Training begins now ! From the minute we walked into the house with our 6 week old puppy training started. Which areas of the house were off limit, where she was to eat and sleep, potty training and other basic rules were enforced at all times. Besides the basic rules, 2 to 5 minutes, several times a day, over several months, were spent teaching the puppy to sit, stay, down and the endless commands used in hunting. There were no “she’s just a puppy” excuses. Her immediate and obedient response could save her life later while in the field.

As a non-hunting spouse it was, and still is, my responsibility to see that she listens to the rules and commands when we are alone together. It is harder than you think and requires a long term dedication that I was unprepared for. It has become a natural way of dog owner life now, but I needed training as much as the puppy did.. If you are not ready to support your partner or not sure what is expected of you, talk to him/her honestly about what level of participation, if any, you are willing to do. An open discussion may make the hunter realize he is not ready for the 24/7 commitment needed to properly train a hunting dog.

2. Alpha Dog. So, you both decided you are ready for a puppy. Even though there is constant training going on, interactive playtime is necessary too. That little furball of energy is going to wear you out, but do not let it wear you down. You must stay in control of the situation at all times. You must become the “alpha dog”. It came naturally for my husband as he was in charge of the training and the puppy respected him. I, on the other hand, couldn’t resist playtime with this cutie. Well, that little furball grows quickly and soon playing wasn’t as much fun for me.

A hunting dog is supposed to be aggressive and energetic. But, not so aggressive that someone is getting hurt. Teeth grow as well as the body and I was soon fending off nips to the back of my knees. In a conversation with the breeder I brought up the problem. Basically, I had failed to assert myself as an Alpha dog. The breeder informed me that I should immediately put her on her back and growl in her face whenever she nipped or got too aggressive with me. It sounds silly, but it works. I could have avoided this problem if I had known what was expected of me by this puppy. I had owned several “leisure” dogs and had never had to assert myself the way I did with this hunting puppy. Be prepared to take firm, yet gentle, control of every interaction with a hunting puppy.

3. Training . It took me a while to get trained. Once the puppy has the basic commands down, I needed to watch what I said. If I stated I was going down to the basement within the dog’s hearing she would lay down and stay until I realized that I had put her there. While she is focusing on her learned command I am heading down the basement steps. If I told my husband I was going to go sit in the living room I would have to go back to whichever room and release the sitting dog. Whoever states the command should also be the one to release the dog. You will, as I did, quickly learn to use alternate words for things you’ve been saying for years.

You will also learn that hunting toys are not toys. Each item has a specific purpose and is to be used accordingly. Do not play tug of war with the training dummy (a canvas covered or rubber tube-like item that a dog should release into the hunter’s hand immediately on command). You can’t just blow the training whistle and hope the dog does what it should. There are different lengths and amount of whistles for each action. For instance, with our dog, 2 short whistles means she should return to our side. If you do not know what the item is meant for, do not pick it up. If you’ve committed to helping your partner with this puppy make sure you are with them when he/she is training it. Learn what each item is for and practice while he/she is there to help. If you do not want to take part in the training have a place to store the items so that you will not have to handle them.

4. A kennel has its purpose. We brought our puppy home in a February. Of course she stayed in our house until the weather turned warmer. But, as soon as possible we had her spend part of the day and every night in the kennel. She also has a 10′ by 25′ outside pen she spends a lot of time in. Why is it necessary that she spend a large amount of time outdoors? Because she needs to be acclimated to whatever the weather may be. Going from an air conditioned house to retrieve doves in hot weather or leaving a heated home to jump into a lake in December would be hard on any animal. I had to break myself of bringing her in just because I missed having her underfoot.

While the kennel is a useful tool in helping the dog get used to the weather, it also keeps them safe. A hunting dog’s nose can (and will) get them into trouble. Once a scent is picked from all the others they may become so intent on tracking it that they are unaware of any danger. If you are not able to give the dog your full attention return it to the kennel or pen.

I do want to state that a kennel should not be a 24/7 solution. A dog that is only taken out of the kennel when it is time to hunt, most likely won’t. I have rescued a Brittany Spaniel that was an impressively bred hunting dog. He didn’t hunt because he had been kept in a 4′ X 4′ kennel every day for two years. He did become a wonderful companion to an active, older gentleman though. This is where I will repeat if you do not have the time or want to commit to training have an honest talk with your hunting partner. If he/she does not have the time to spend with the puppy that it will need do not get one.

5. This dog is not yours. Yes, you have fed, trained and cared for this dog since it was a puppy. But, you will be second best every time. Get used to it. The hunter will always be number one because he/she is the one that takes the dog to do what it loves most, hunt. There is a bond between the hunter and dog that you will not be a part of. At times it will seem as if your partner likes the dog more than you. That is as it should be. Out in the woods, on the lake, or in the field they count on the other to keep them safe. They are a team as much as you and your partner are. Instead of getting mad, be proud that you had a hand in forming that relationship.

All of the above is with the assumption that the hunter has experience and knows how to properly train a hunting puppy. Just because he/she has watched another hunter with his dog does not count. If he/she does not have the experience or you are not willing to participate in the training then buying an already trained adult dog may be the way to go.

Lastly, I want to say there is nothing wrong with the non-hunting partner not wanting to participate in this long term commitment. In fact you may be saving the hunter and a puppy a lot of frustration and, eventually, loss of interest. But, I’m glad I did agree to getting our puppy. She is now 4 years old and doing a great job. The pleasure I get watching the two of them together when they come home from a successful hunt together is worth any frustration I had and have since forgotten.