How to make my dogs first hunt successful

Patience and guidance key for first few hunts

Maybe you purchased a retriever puppy and sent him off for months of training. Or, perhaps you did the training yourself. Either way Fall is approaching and you cannot wait to get your dog out in the field or in a blind and show him off to your buddies.

I get it.

But in your rush and excitement, you may be overlooking an important step. A step that can make all the difference for the long term. You need to make sure your dog’s first first few hunts are successful.

But I paid to have him trained for hunting!

If you sent your dog to a professional trainer for upland or waterfowl training, your dog likely has a good base and is ready for you to start introducing him to actual hunting. The training he received from the professional is important. It will make the next steps much easier. But there is still work to do.

If your dog has not been through a training program, either by you, the owner, or a professional, he is likely not ready for actual hunting. Read Help, I don’t want to ruin my hunting dog puppy.

Understanding the phases of retriever training

It is important to understand that there are several different phases to training a retriever for hunting.

The first phase is structure and control. During this phase either you or a trainer work on obedience, both on and off lead. Before moving on to anything else, a trainer needs to know that the dog will come when called, sit when told to and be responsive to commands. If the trainer uses electronic collars, collar conditioning is included in this phase.

The second phase is channeling natural desire. During this phase you or a trainer may put your dog through a force fetch program, clean up your dog’s delivery of birds and bumpers, and teach your dog to be steady. This phase ensures that your dog is going to wait to be sent for the bird, deliver the bird to your hand and give the bird to you willingly.

The third phase is teaching concepts and simulations. During this phase you or a trainer sets up various marking drills to teach your retriever to mark accurately and hunt in an area. The trainer may also set up simulated hunting scenarios to teach your retriever to be comfortable in a boat, run and swim through decoys, get used to duck calls and a shotgun going off next to him. These simulations help your dog adjust more quickly to actual hunting, but they are not a replacement for actual hunting experience.

The fourth, and final phase, is actual hunting. This phase is taught by you, the owner. It should include actual hunting but in a relaxed, simplified environment where there is room for the dog to learn and grow in experience.

There is no way a professional retriever trainer can impart this knowledge on your dog because it requires your dog getting real hunting experience that includes you, the owner’s, unique style and personality. It may include getting up early, sitting in a boat for hours waiting for ducks to start coming in, and swimming through dozens of decoys. A trainer cannot simulate multiple ducks flaring into the decoys as several hunters start shooting and multiple ducks falling into the water. These are situations only available during an actual hunt.

Endless hunting styles and preferences

There are limitations to what a dog can learn through simulation. And quite simply, there are too many simulation possibilities for any professional trainer to introduce your dog to all of them.

Here is an example:

Let’s say you hunt waterfowl….

Do you hunt ducks, geese or both?
Do you hunt on land or in water?
Is that water a river, a lake, or a swamp?
Is the water shallow or deep? Frozen or wide open?
Are there cattails, lily pads or other grasses floating in the water?
If you hunt geese, do you hunt in a corn field? Or near a swamp or water?
Do you hunt by yourself or with other men and dogs?

Are you starting to understand the huge number of variables available? So, expecting your dog to come out of professional training ready to hunt “your way” on day one is simply not realistic.

Your retriever dog’s first hunt

Training can prepare your dog for the basics. It can even give him a glimpse into actual hunting scenarios, but it is the first few hunts that you do with your retriever that will set the tone for your dog’s hunting career.

That is why it is so important to plan and prepare for your retrievers first few hunts. There will be many challenges your dog has never encountered before. Take time to season him, keep your expectations low, even if your dog has been through months and months of training. Your dog needs to learn your expectations and understand the exact conditions they will be facing while hunting with you. To combat all these new experiences, it is important that your first hunts are successful and good experiences for your dog.

If you spent a lot of money and time to have your dog trained, that training is about to pay off in a big way! Just don’t rush the process and expect too much too soon.

Think about the experience

Do you want the first time your take your dog duck hunting to be in tough conditions or somewhere they have to break through ice to get the birds? Does your dog even know or understand ice in the water? Is it fair to expect him to perform in a situation you have not prepared him for?

If on your first hunt you don’t get to shoot anything down, that also will be a poor experience for the dog. You do not want that. You want each hunting experience to be a good experience. So, make sure you bring with a dead bird or a bumper. That way, if you don’t shoot anything down, you can at least do a few retrieves with your dog so he feels good about the experience.

How to make my dogs first duck hunt successful

There are several steps you can take to help make your retriever’s first hunt a successful one:

1. Limit the number of people

If you are a waterfowl hunter, consider taking your dog out with just one other person. This will allow you to give all your focus to watching and controlling the dog. In addition, your dog won’t have to adjust to the shock of having several people shooting around him all at once. Use this time to focus on your dog.

2. Let your dog get used to the environment you hunt in

Let your dog get comfortable with the blind, boat, or stand you use for hunting. Teach him where you want him to sit or lay down. Realize that if you are having him say under a large decoy or on a stand away from you, it will take some time for your dog to understand. Be patient and teach him about your expectations.

3. Keep it simple – only singles

Even if your dog has been trained to retrieve doubles or triples, on these first few hunts keep it simple by only shooting down singles. Remember, these first few trips are going to set the tone for years to come. You want quick and easy success for your dog.

4. Maintain control but easy on the pressure

Don’t’ expect your dog to be steady, even if he is steady in training. This is a new place, a new situation, and the excitement of the situation will make it hard for your dog to remain steady. To help, don’t be afraid to use a leash (with no loop on the end) or a tab lead (approx. 4-6”) connected to the dog’s collar to help you control your dog. You may even want to hook him to the boat with a short lead to make it impossible for him to break or jump around and knock over guns. Do not let him become a hazard to you or other hunters.

In addition, be careful about using too much pressure on those first few hunts, electronic or otherwise. Remember, your dog is learning and being exposed to things he may have never encountered before. If you come down hard with pressure at the wrong time, you can make your dog confused or even worse, frightened of some aspect of your hunting set up.

For instance: if your dog is hesitant to get into the water because there is ice floating in the water, using pressure to get him to go out will likely only make the problem worse and you could create a fear of water. Tread carefully on pressure during the first few hunts.

5. Avoid geese and difficult hunting scenarios

For the first hunt, it is best to avoid hunting geese. Geese are big and even seasoned dogs can find carrying them challenging. Not to mention injured geese can get mean and your dog may not know how to handle a situation like that.

In addition, you should also avoid other difficult hunting scenarios such as hunting in inclement weather. Remember, you are looking for success. This is not the time to challenge a young dog or any dog new to hunting.

6. Keep it fun

Once he retrieves a bird, stop hunting and do a few fun retrieves for the dog. Teach him that doing his job is a good thing. Also, you can bring a bumper to retrieve when things are slow.

7. Ensure success

In as much as you can control it, you want the first few hunting trips to be a complete success for the dog. That means you want him to get to retrieve and deliver a bird to you. While you cannot control if the ducks come in, the better the first few experiences are the quicker you will be on your way toward more complex hunting situations.

8. Advance slowly

Once you have a few successful hunts using the tips listed above, you can start adding more complexity. But add it slowly. Don’t throw your dog into a situation he or she is unprepared for and then expect that he or she will simply adjust. It is your job to slowly advance your dog in his hunting ability.

How to make my dog’s first upland hunt successful?

If you are an upland hunter, here are several steps you can take to make your retriever’s first upland hunt a successful one:

1. Ensure success

Schedule some time at a game farm for those first few hunts. Have just a few birds put out and let the game farm know your dog is new to upland hunting. They will often plant them a little easier so your dog can have a good positive first experience.

Some game farms inquire how well trained your dog is. I caution people not to brag about your dog as some game farms take this as a competition to hide the birds in a very tough spot. This is not what you want. You want the first times together to be successful.

2. Limit the number of people

Consider taking your dog out with just one or two other people. This will allow you to give all your focus to watching and controlling the dog. In addition, your dog won’t have to adjust to the shock of having several people shooting around him all at once. Use this time to focus on your dog.

3. Maintain control

You will be learning how to read your dog and he or she will be learning how you hunt, your speed and patterns. Your job should be to concentrate on the dog, have your buddies be the ones who get to shoot the birds. If a bird goes down your dog should deliver the bird to you. Then you can hand the bird off to the shooter, for them to carry.

4. Keep it simple – only singles

5. Bring lots of water

Make sure who have water for your dog as they may get hot quickly. You may have to build up your dog’s stamina, as the training hunts were likely not as long as an actual hunt may be.

6. Keep it fun

Once he retrieves a bird, stop hunting and do a few fun retrieves for the dog. Teach him that doing his job is a good thing.

make my retriever dogs first hunt successful

What if something goes wrong?

It is highly likely that something will go wrong on that first hunt. It is almost inevitable. But your reaction is what is going to matter. If your dog gets confused or nervous, and your reaction is anger, you are going to do more harm than good.

This is another reason why your first hunts should be with a limited amount of people. If you are trying to impress your hunting buddies with your newly trained dog, you are setting yourself up for failure. But worse yet, you are also setting your dog up for failure.

A dog can humble you quicker than you could ever imagine. They are not robots. Your dog will not do everything perfectly. They are going to fail you. It is only a matter of time. So, don’t hang your ego on your hunting dog, no matter how great they are. No matter how much training they have had. No matter how much money you have spent. They are dogs – eager to please and trying to learn what is expected of them, but imperfect just like us humans.

Final thoughts on how to make my dogs first hunt successful

Making those first few hunting experiences positive will be worth its weight in gold down the line. Each hunt your dog is learning, growing and maturing in his training. He is learning how you handle him, what your expectations are, and how you hunt. This is valuable experience, molding your dog into the exceptional hunting partner you want and need.

Remember, the first few hunts are about the dog, not about you. Focus on the long term.

Remember, if you really want your retriever to grow and progress this year but doing the training yourself sounds overwhelming or maybe your schedule is just too busy to get it done, I’m here to help! You can email me (ottertailkennels@gmail.com) or just give me a call. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer.

Until next time happy retrieving.