Gift ideas for hunting dog owners

Practical and essential tools/equipment for hunters and their retriever

Do you have a hunter and a gun dog or duck dog on your gift list this year? If so, you might be at a loss for what to give them. Here are some gifts ideas for hunting dog owners that are both practical – meaning they will actually be used, and essential.

Whether your hunter hunts upland or waterfowl birds, many of these gift ideas will apply to both. I have sorted them into categories for ease of reading, but many of the gift ideas will apply and be used in multiple categories. For instance, while whistles are used in the field while hunting, they are also used for training.

The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own.

Gifts for use in the field or blind

Whistles

Communicating with your dog in the field is important. But often your dog may be some distance away from you and yelling commands is not the best practice. Whistle training your dog is the solution. Learn how to whistle train your dog here.

If you are buying your hunter a whistle, they will also need a lanyard. A lanyard allows you to carry your whistle around your neck so that it is easily accessible when you need it. Lanyards come in all shapes and sizes. You can spend as little as $6 on a nylon single clip lanyard or as much as $100 on a kangaroo leather double clip lanyard. If you are looking for a leather lanyard that will last but won’t break the bank, a good compromise is the Avery Classic Hunting Dog Training Whistle Lanyard. This retails for around $50. We have found that this version holds up well and is comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Hunting chaps

Briar proof and/or waterproof chaps can be a game changer. Walking through deep cover can quickly break down jeans or other pants. Briar proof chaps can be worn over jeans and are constructed of a ripstop fabric that is tough and sheds burrs.

When I bought my first pair of chaps, which I still use regularly, there were few options. I use the Cabela’s Upland Traditions. They have lasted me over 30 years.

Now there are many different companies that make chaps. This brand has many features I love like full leg zippers.

If you are a both an upland and waterfowl hunter, consider getting a pair that is both briar proof and waterproof.

MoMarsh stand

Neoprene dog hunting vest

If you hunt waterfowl in late season, you should consider getting your dog a neoprene hunting vest. These vests provide your dog warmth from freezing water and protection from briars or sticks and brush.

If you only do upland hunting, a hunting vest is still a good idea. A full day of running through brush can rub your dog’s chest raw. Consider a vest like this one, the safety orange makes it easy to see your dog even in deep cover and the enhanced chest pad protects your dog from rubbing and chaffing.

Field dog water dish

It is important when you are out hunting that you make sure that your dog has access to water often. Many hunters will carry a collapsible bowl with them so that they can easily water their dog as they hunt. These have a carabiner clip so that you can hook it to you belt or vest.

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Tools and equipment for training a hunting dog

Leads, leashes and collars

When training a dog for hunting, it is helpful to have a wide variety of leads or leashes. As you work through training, you often need to use both shorter and longer leads. We have an entire post on the different types of leads, but rather than rehash all of that, I will simply recommend a couple that I find indispensable.

Slip leash

Flexi-leads

E-collars

E-collars are the single most essential training tool we use. Want to learn more about using an e-collar to train your retriever?

There are a lot of companies making electronic dog collars. We have used many different brands over the years, but our favorite for ease of use and dependability is
Dogtra. 

We, personally, use the EDGE RT but they do have a handy E-Collar Finder quiz on their website that can help you narrow down the collars to ones that will work for your training and hunting style. My only caution is that you error on the high side when choosing the Distance/Range since those numbers are line-of-sight and when you are hunting, line-of-sight is often blurred with weeds, brush and/or water.

For most of our clients, we recommend the Dogtra 1900S. This collar is waterproof, rechargeable and has a 3/4 mile range. It is smaller than the EDGE RT and more suited to hunters not working with multiple dogs. They even make a hands-free version of this collar which would be great if you go on long walks or runs with your dog.

As readers and followers of our website, we are happy to provide you with a code for 5% off any purchase over $200 from Dogtra.com. Use the code DGTFSOTK

Bumpers

If you are going to train a retriever, you need to have at least a few (the more the better) bumpers, dead fowl and/or dead duck trainers. These are what you should use to teach your dog to retrieve. And, yes, it does matter what you use to teach retrieving. We cover this topic at length in our post What kind of bumpers/dummies should I use to train my retriever?

If you don’t want to go through an entire education on bumpers, and just want some ideas for gifts, here are a couple of my favorites. We use these extensively in our training.

If your dog is very young, under 4 months old, you will want to use a puppy bumper for retrieving. The canvas is easy on their young mouths and teeth and it is smaller so they can easily pick it up and carry it.

Once your dog has adult teeth, you will want to move to plastic bumpers since they are more durable and will last longer.

Dead fowl trainers

Dead fowl trainers are bumpers that are shaped and look like birds. They are very useful for training since they have more weight, like a bird, and are larger so dogs learn to hold a larger bird.

Gifts for your dogs health and safety

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Dog bed

Crates

Dogs should be in crates when riding in a vehicle. I know some people like to just let them run around the vehicle or lay in the back seat, but it really is not safe for you or the dog to let him have free reign in a moving vehicle. We highly recommend that you put your retriever in a crate.

There are many other kennels that work just fine for restraining your retriever in a vehicle. We use the Petmate Sky Kennel carrier in our home, this also works great in vehicles and is compatible with airline regulations when we need to ship a dog.

Dog first aid kit

Every dog owner, but especially hunters, should own a dog first aid kit. We keep one in our truck and in our kennel. You never know when a dog might get injured. Like everything though, you get what you pay for when you buy these kits.

We use the Gun Dog Outdoors Field Trauma Kit. This kit was designed by professional waterfowl hunter and firefighter/EMT and is designed specifically for working dogs and hunting dogs.

Final thoughts on gift ideas for retriever owners

There are many tools and equipment that upland and waterfowl hunters need to pursue their hobbies and passions. I have covered just a few of the most common. Things we use often and regularly in our retriever training business.

You can also check out our Resources and Recommendations page for other ideas.

Happy retrieving!