It has always been a privilege to share quality time afield with other outdoors enthusiasts - but to me, the most appreciated time is spent with my gun dog, Tex.
Luckily, I have been around amazing dogs and great mentors in the gun dog world. I knew when I had the opportunity to start trainning my own dog, it was something I was going to put all my time and energy into. It started with knowing great pedigrees and doing the research on the health of the bloodline and the titles in the family history. After all the tideous backend tasks, it was time to get to work!
Tex came home at 8 weeks old, that is when the training started. We were throwing blue teals for him a few hours after bringing him home. From there it was a daily thing for the house hold. Consistent retrieving, casting to food bowls and learning how to be steady - I was engraving it all into this little retriever's head. I remember throwing a full sized mallard for him when he was barely 4 months old. The bird was the size of him but he picked it up and happily brought it straight to me. From there we went to whistle sits, casting and then T work. He became a machine who was unknowingly waiting for waterfowl season to begin.
It wasn’t long before it was summer time and we were able to run in our first hunt test together. Being a first time handler with a dog who was eager to do his job was intimidating, nevertheless. You just hope all the training you did shows and that your dog doesn’t make a fool of you. I am so thankful for the mentors and the help I had along the way. Luckily, that brought us as a team into the hunting season. Growing up with a dad who had upland dogs - Tex was my first dip into the waterfowl. He is the reason I am now hooked on the season. Seeing every hour of your training and hard work come alive in the field and in tests has now been such a reward for both of us and pushes us to keep going.
Being a dog handler in the field is more work than just shooting the birds. It is a constant job of making sure your dog is safe, being steady and helping them back into the boat if they need it. It is staking down a dog blind so it doesn’t tip over when I yell his name as he comes rushing out for the retrieve. It’s also making sure your handling is clear when they are 200 yards away on a blind retrieve and working their heart and body out. It also means the training never ends - I am always challenging him with different marks and blinds - always making sure he is ready for the next hunt. However, it is also the feeling you have when your dog’s head is on your lap Saturday night tuckered out from the day but ready to rock and roll again Sunday morning at 4 AM with you to do it all again.
“Nowhere is this greater proven than the bond a hunter shares with her dog”
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