Hunting Dogs

I was desperate, so today I did something peculiar. I took the family pet dog pheasant hunting with me. I had the day off today for Veteran's Day, but none of my usual hunting companions had the day off. So, it was either go it alone, or take a chance with the dog. I have not had much luck this year flushing birds alone, so I took the chance. He's a 100% mutt, and certainly not any of your standard hunting breeds. Up until today, he was a total hunting rookie, although we have taken many walks in the woods together in the past.

Surprisingly, he did quite well! He was far from your ideal hunting dog, but he certainly helped my hunt with little issue. He stayed close to me. He was constantly looking back to check on me. He came back easily when called. He kept his nose to ground. He got into the bushes and covered some ground for me. He definitely coverd more ground than I would have alone. He did tend to stay on the paths more than you would like from a hunting dog, but was not stuck on the paths. Whenever something caught his attention he did not hesitate to jump into the thicket. He even passed the biggest test -- gun fire. I fired two shots while he was at my side. He was a little skittish when the gun fired, but he was not overly scared and did not leave my side. Within 10 seconds he was back to prancing around as if nothing happened. After some heavy work, he was pretty tired. He's sure to sleep well tonight. I think he enjoyed the trip, and I know I had more fun with him there with me.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone should go ahead and take their house pet into the field. However, your mutt dog may surprise you if given the chance. I'll be sure give my dog another chance out before the season is complete.