Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, fetches toys at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center in Sioux City. Labs are known for their retrieving skills.
Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal
Cindy Brodie plays fetch with Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center.
Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal
Cindy Brodie plays fetch with Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center.
Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal
Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, fetches toys at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center in Sioux City. Playing fetch with dummies is part of training a dog to hunt.
Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal
Cindy Brodie plays fetch with Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center on Oct. 15, 2015.
Few tools or specialty pieces of equipment can aid a hunter quite like an adept hunting dog.
“A dog enhances the experience,” said Cindy Rarrat, owner of Sioux City’s Animal Adoption and Rescue Center and 35-year veteran dog trainer. “A good dog will go out in the field and tell you exactly where the birds are.”
She noted that researching different breeds and their uses is the first step.
“Before you get any type of dog, research what it is that you’re after,” Rarrat said.
There are dogs bred for pointing, flushing and retrieving, among others.
“It all depends on what kind of hunting they are doing,” Rarrat said.
She also noted that, as long as they are spayed or neutered, females and males are equally adept hunters.
Potential hunting dog owners also need to consider whether the dog will live inside the house and be a family pet or live outside. If the plan is for the dog to live outside, choosing a breed with a longer coat is good due to cold winters.
Rarrat added that hunting dogs do make excellent family pets, however.
“Usually sporting dogs, aside from their high drive, make really lovely family dogs,” she said. Because of this high level of energy, they are best for a more active family.
Maintaining exercise year-round is important to ensuring the dog stays in shape and healthy when it comes to hunting season, a time when the dog might be expected to run all day.
“A lot of these dogs don’t get any exercise except for the two months of the year of hunting season,” Rarrat said.
Rarrat stressed the importance of purchasing a hunting dog from a reputable breeder and paying the higher price for a well-bred dog.
“A good breeder will let you see the parents, and they breed healthy dogs without hip and elbow problems,” she said. “That can cost you $2,000 on up. You get what you pay for.”
Tips for training puppies to hunt
Here are the basics when it comes to training hunting dogs, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Begin with basic commands such as sit and stay. Puppies can never be too young to start this.
Introduce the puppy to water when it’s young so it isn’t afraid of water when it gets older.
Allow the puppy to become familiar with the scent of birds through feathers and use decoys and dummies. Work with this every day.
Introduce the dog to the sound of gunshots during a target practice before it’s in the field.
Always use positive reinforcement when the dog performs well.
Possibly the worst place to feel wheezy is in a dusty field during hunting season.
Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, fetches toys at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center in Sioux City. Labs are known for their retrieving skills.
Toby, a one-and-a-half year old male yellow lab, fetches toys at Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center in Sioux City. Playing fetch with dummies is part of training a dog to hunt.
