OK waterfowlers, now it’s April. It has been three months since we left the swamps and rivers, and another five till we return. Apparently this is what purgatory is like. Sure we could be looking at nesting sites, cleaning the boat, repainting or rigging decoys…. all great things that need to be done, but for me its time for a little maintenance. If you’re a water dog owner now is the time to knock some rust off; not a week into the season. There are many levels of duck dogs, ranging from meat dogs (basic hunting companions), all the way up to the highly trained champions. There is one thing that I have learned over time, and that is no matter how good your dog is, there is NO such thing as a perfect dog. Now is the time. Look back over last season and pick out a few things that you and your dog could stand to improve. Maybe it’s the dog breaking on gunfire. With some time and patience this is a simple fix. Have a buddy throw some ducks or dummies for you while you shoot popper rounds with the dog at the heel position. Make sure to attach a lead of some fashion to the dog. When the dummy or bird is at the top of its arc fire your gun. Any movement whatsoever gets IMMEDIATE correction. Repeat this process until your dog is rock solid steady. This may be a very quick process, or it could take several weeks. Be patient and let the dog dictate the pace at which you move forward. One word of caution…. be sure not to steady young pups too soon. This can cause confusion and a lack of desire down the road if applied to pups 8 months or younger.
-Todd Sadler