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It’s true: The cost of a puppy is the least expensive part of bird dogging. Start saving your cans and bottles long before you pick up that squirming ball of fluff, because you’re going to need a pile of dough to support your new habit—or the next episode in your ongoing addiction.
Sure, you can train a hunting dog with a rope and some hope, but the right tools make life for both of you a whole lot better. I’ve been in dozens of kennels, trained and tested a few dozen dogs, hunted with hundreds of them, and worked with a lot of trainers. I’ve been peed on and licked by dozens of litters, and inhaled puppy breath in 26 states. I may be a slow learner, but I take good notes. This stuff is, in my opinion, an integral part of every hunting dog owner’s arsenal. Essential tools of the puppy-training trade. Fashion them from garage and shop leftovers, borrow or barter with dog club friends, purchase used, or bite the shotshell and buy new. If you get this stuff, then you’re halfway to a trained dog (so I’m told—I’m still working on that part). So, let’s take a walk through puppyhood—watch your step there—and the gear that will help make your next young dog a champ.
Make sure that your pup feels safe and comfortable in its crate and that it isn't a negative place. (Photo courtesy of Mark Atwater) Choosing a Doghouse A crate is essential for housebreaking, but also for a dog’s (and owner’s) peace of mind. It’s a sanctuary for the pup and respite for harried owners while cleaning up bits and pieces of eviscerated couch cushion. It’s also the safest place for a dog to ride while in a vehicle. Hard-won tip #1: If you’re not a big-game hunter, invest in a red or green lensed headlamp. Use it when taking your puppy out for his midnight pee. If you leave all the other lights out, then he will probably fall back asleep sooner upon returning to his crate. Likewise, a dark-colored crate seems to reflect less early-morning light from your window—he may sleep in a little later!
A safe place protects your best friend-to-be, so fence your yard or build or buy a kennel run. Please don’t let a dog run free to become coyote bait or impregnate the neighbor’s poodle. If he’s not allowed in the home (what?), have an insulated doghouse out there and put a roof over it.
Bumpers come in all shapes and sizes, they are a common bird dog training tool. (Photo courtesy of Scott Linden) Puppy Training Tools A collar and leash are a pup’s introduction to control by his human. Lightweight and initially applied with a light hand, your newcomer learns he’s got to follow someone else’s direction, not his own whims. Pinch collar, spiked, slip lead—not yet please—just a simple flat collar. When leash training, place it up behind his ears because a dog goes where his head points. Hard-won tip #3: buy a handful of metal name tags with your phone number on them. These will ornament the uncountable collars that he’ll wear during his career. Jump-start your heeling work with a Delmar Smith Wonderlead , but only when you’ve learned how to use it properly and your young charge is physically mature enough—it’s kind of a supercharged slip lead you’ll need to use judiciously.
The next step in the control continuum is the tie-out stake . Yielding to the collar is the gateway to many commands, and there are two choices: pup battles you at the other end of the leash, or he argues with the stake to which he’s attached. Stay on good terms by letting the stake take the blame.
A check cord can be store-bought or an old water ski rope (go ahead—your other hobbies are now just fond memories). As he grows and ranges out, you still want physical control for a number of reasons: teaching pattern, limiting range for flushers, enforcing “here,” and serving as a “half hitch” to reinforce steadiness. Even when you’ve graduated to electronics, you’ve got to teach the command first—and a check cord is the way. Hard-won tip #4: I like relatively light, stiff material that won’t wrap tightly around brushes or clumps of grass.
Okay, so let’s plug into the electronics . Not just yes, but hell yes. You’ll be miles ahead if you bite the credit card bullet and invest in a GPS-training collar earlier rather than later. Once your pup grows legs and (as one trainer put it) “learns how to run,” your peace of mind will be magnified exponentially if you know you can find your runaway. Hard- won tip #5: research when to start using the “stimulation” component, but vibration and tone can become extensions of your voice and hands for certain commands at distance or in stealthy situations.
A training table makes life easier on your back and keeps the pup slightly uncomfortable and looking to you for assurance. From examining his eyes, or doctoring a foot, to teaching “whoa” or “hup,” there are innumerable reasons to build one.
Retrieving bumpers and dummies: My ever-expanding pile includes small wooden dowel-and-block versions, home-made and store-bought soft versions, and dozens of cylindrical plastic and canvas versions. Each has its use, so start collecting. Be careful about using rigid materials while your student is teething—they hurt! Hard-won tip #6: you may as well stock up on bird tails, wings, and feathers for any number of uses ranging from introducing gunfire to that first taste of bird on an early retrieve.
A whistle saves your voice for tonight’s karaoke and reaches out when your yell won’t; using a lanyard holds it close by.
Bota-like water containers, from Platypus to Camelbak : in the field you can both drink from them without searching for a bowl or filling your hat. You’ll need to teach this skill—get him a little warm and offer up a squirt, eventually he’ll glom on.
It’s a cliché for a reason: “birds make a bird dog.” Wild ones are best, but we’ll get to that in a moment. For now, the smell, feel, taste, and allure of anything bigger than a hummingbird is a primary motivator for your young student. Keep your own pigeons, quail if you can afford them, or find a supplier nearby. The joy of pigeons is this: they’ll survive most retrieves, and many come back to the loft to be called up again in the next inning (unless that %#$*&! Cooper’s hawk gets them). Once the pup is responding correctly to pen-raised birds (and you have a GPS collar) you can venture forth to wild bird country.
A remote-controlled bird launcher is your insurance policy when you use pen-raised birds. Any other form of bird restraint allows the pup to crash in and catch a clueless bird that wouldn’t know a predator from a pineapple. With a ready hand on your remote you can launch a bird before your pup pounces, simulating a “real” bird vamoosing. Once your pup is a little bit steady, go ahead and use a bird harness, rope-pull launcher, “tip ups,” or even an upside-down milk crate. Hard-won tip #7: buy a roll of brightly-colored surveyor’s tape so you can mark where you planted that expensive chukar, and guide your dog into a downwind pointing opportunity. For young dogs, I like to sweeten the deal with bottled bird scent. A strong, stinky scent cone helps youngsters point farther from the constrained bird. That’s a good thing.
Being able to train with others helps your puppy with it's socialization and development. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Social Resources and Information for New Dog Owners Books or videos will guide you, prevent some of your goofs, and keep you on track with a real training plan. “Winging it” won’t cut it—find a method and stick with it.
Memberships in training and testing clubs : find the nearest chapter and get involved. Tests motivate you to train, and fellow trainers offer advice and sympathy. Many groups offer training grounds, a bird supply, access to gear, or a pipeline to members willing to part with some of theirs. Volunteer to do more than your fair share.
A paid-up shooting card at your local clays range ensures all your work isn’t for naught. They’re called bird dogs because they live for...birds. If you don’t drop a few for him to retrieve he’s going to find other ways to get them into his mouth, and none of them are conducive to a positive relationship.
A good puppy can cost thousands of dollars or be plucked from a cardboard box at the grocery store. No matter how you find him, the gear you’ll use magnifies the hit on your wallet. However, we’re talking about a ten-year investment in adventures to beautiful places with family and friends, where you’ll witness the magic of a dog doing what he was born to do: dazzling you and living his best life. What’s that worth?
Free Resources Good news—not everything will wallop your wallet. Some of the most critical elements of a puppy’s first year won’t tap out your 401K. While still as essential as the hardware you buy, your beer budget won’t be dramatically affected by these:
Time. If you can’t devote several hours per week to your new hunting buddy for his entire lifetime, buy a pool table instead. It’s not fair to him, or you. Make a serious investment in this finite resource and boost that commitment early in your dog’s career. He’s most receptive to learning as a pup—the first magical months of his life are when neural pathways are established—when he learns and learns how to learn. Forego vacations, ski trips, and football on TV. Get a pup at a time in your calendar when you have evenings and weekends free. Besides, it’s pretty darn fun, and the return on investment? Imagine watching your dog quivering, skylit atop a ridge, with a covey upwind of him.
You will be able to re-purpose a lot of gear that’s already in your home, but it should be mentioned so it’s at hand on coming home day: food and water bowls, bedding for his crate, poop-scoop, comb, brush, and nail trimmer. Assemble a dedicated (and handy) basic first aid kit with gauze, a tick puller, bandages, 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (induces vomiting), eyewash, cotton swabs, blood-clotting gauze, antihistamines, antibiotic ointment, adhesive stretchy bandage, and hemostat.
And finally, a loving and supportive family that will help you train your puppy into a loyal hunting partner. Together you’ll reap the benefits that accrue in the field.
