After the Shot
Retrieving by any breed of hunting dog is essential for full enjoyment of the sport of hunting with a dog, and as an effective conservation measure. A few dogs have become artists at fetching with no formal or informal introduction to fetching. They went out and brought back the first bird shot over them and continued to do so the rest of their lives. But the chances of this happening with your dog are slight. It is more than likely that without pre-hunting introduction and training the "natural" retriever, if he ever picks up a bird at all, will do so only occasionally and ineptly when the notion happens to strike him.

There is nothing more frustrating than to have a bird down in cover and a dog you cannot depend upon to pick it up and bring it to you. Conversely, there's nothing that makes a man prouder of his dog than the recovery and delivery of a bird he knows would have been wasted without a reliable retriever.

Introduction to retrieving can begin as early as possible, when a pup is six to 12 weeks of age. The older the pup gets before the start is made the less readily he will pick it up, although those with strong retrieving instincts can be successfully started between four and 12 months of age. If some sort of retrieving hasn't been practiced early, by the time a dog reaches a year to a year and a half he probably will have to be force-broken.

Start indoors in an aisle, hall or garage that limits runaway space. Your "bird" is an old glove, knotted sock or bandana, corncob—anything that isn't too big, hard or slippery for a pup to grab and hold. Slither the object around on the floor in front of him, attracting his attention and teasing him into trying to catch it. Then skid it along on the floor, just a few feet. Longer slides and tosses come later. You want him to see and hear it so he'll go to it. You should be down on the floor with him and when he picks it up say, "Here, Joe, Fetch!" and keep repeating until he comes to you with the object. Let him hold onto it while you are petting and praising, then gently remove it from his mouth and repeat the procedure no more than a half-dozen times. You want to quit while he's still interested.

As he progresses over the coming weeks you can drop the "Here" and even the "Joe," if you want, and simply say "Fetch!" Or you can follow the custom of professionals which sends the dog to retrieve when his name is spoken. "Joe, Fetch!" may make the most sense, his name alerting him for what the next word commands. However you choose, say it one way and one way only. Too many words are confusing.

It is possible to start some pups retrieving outside, but avoid distractions as much as possible. When he's doing pretty well inside, move outside for his work. When you toss the object for him to fetch, always station yourself between the spot where he'll make the pickup and his house, kennel, car or trailer. That's home, his den, and he'll head for it with the retrieved object.

Because you intercept him each time, he'll form the habit each time of coming to you with what he's carrying. You've made yourself an indispensible part of this game. Kneel or squat to put yourself down at the pup's level and instill confidence. Make much of him when you pet and take delivery. Have short, sweet sessions several times a day . . . anytime you have time.

Talk to him. Pet him. Take him with you anyplace you can. Developing great trust in you, he'll think you are the greatest and want to share every--thing with you.

Play training sessions should have your pup making 15 to 25 yard retrieves of thrown objects and ready for work with a retrieving dummy—usually a canvas boat fender. If that convenient type dummy is too large, as it may be for smaller pups like spaniels, you can construct one of wood wrapped in burlap. Most retrievers and pointing dogs can handle a dummy at between four to six months of age.

Then, if you've saved bird wings from the hunting season (and you should have) tape them onto the dummy. Even before you get to dummies you may alternate a bird wing with the glove or sock when the pup is very small, accustoming the pup to picking up feathers at a very early age. When the season is open, bring home intact small game birds if your pup is too young to take along hunting. Toss them (or dead pigeons in the off-season) a few times before you dress them as a change-up in his sock or dummy routine.

To assure a nice delivery, move back a step or more as the pup approaches you or, if necessary, run away from him, calling or clapping so he'll chase you and catch you while carrying the dummy. Moving toward the dog when he comes in is likely to be interpreted as either a threat or an invitation to play. This can cause the pup to drop the dummy short of you for an incomplete delivery or run off with it in the hope you'll chase him.

You probably will instinctively make some kind of hand gesture to encourage his coming in. As long as you're going to do it anyway, do it right. Instead of slapping your leg, pat your chest which will direct his eyes upward and encourage him to thrust the dummy (and later a bird) up at you rather than look down and drop the bird.

Once he's doing simple retrieving with dash and verve it becomes only a matter of making the tosses longer and more difficult, throwing the "bird" into light and then increasingly dense cover so that he learns to stay in the area of the fall he's marked and to use his nose to find what he is sent for.

When you've taught him to sit and stay you can toss two or three dummies in different spots and send him to make these multiple retrieves. But, after he's fetching thrown dummies well, when he isn't looking drop one in plain sight five or 10 feet from his starting point. In an excited tone give the retrieving command and make a tossing motion with your arm. He'll probably start off looking for something to fetch, spy the dummy and pounce on it. Have him deliver and praise him.

If he's confused and doesn't see the dummy, walk toward it, repeating the gesture and command. Don't let him fail once you've told him to fetch and never fake tosses. Success and trust pay off. You are instilling behavior patterns he'll follow when older. Bad patterns cause future problems. Be sure he picks up and comes back.

Retrieving training will introduce your dog to a lot of other things with little or no strain or conscious effort. One of the things he has now learned is an elemental hand signal. He responds to your wave to get out and fetch. This will also assure that he will hunt out an area you tell him to work before the shot (to be explained a bit later).

Now that you have your pup retrieving, when in the yard or taking him afield, always carry a dummy with you and throw it at odd angles and into different pieces of cover for him to retrieve. Practice, practice, practice. But, it should be fun for both you and your dog.

When he can recover anything thrown as far as you can throw, enlist the help of a "bird" thrower and school your pup in marking and retrieving long falls of 75 or 100 yards or more. And while you're doing this you'll be able to start his introduction to gunfire and assure that you won't wind up with a gun-shy dog.

Practice a lot the type of retrieving your dog is most likely to encounter. Normally a 40 to 50 yard retrieve would be a long one for a pointing dog. But a retriever to be used on ducks must learn to mark and go after falls more than twice that distance.

Doesn't a duck dog have to be introduced to water? You bet he does and that ties in with retrieving too. The important thing to remember is that if you use retrieving as a base you can tie it in to all kinds of other procedures that will make it possible for you to actually hunt your pup at an age that many might believe is too early to even start training. Depending upon your pup's precocity and your diligence he may be ready at from five to 10 months of age to begin the practice that will determine his greatness as a gun dog . . . actual hunting.

Dogs become good hunters only through experience. So the earlier that experience can be obtained the better. But no dog should just be turned out and expected to do the job without some pre-conditioning. Nor should an immature canine be expected to hunt all day or under severe conditions. However, he should be exposed to hunting every chance possible —for an hour or two at a time. Proper introductory training will make it safe and possible to hunt and train at the same time.

Thus, the first and, possibly, the second season afield with your dog should be looked upon as a period of training and consideration for what is good or bad for the dog, rather than how many birds you bagged or how seldom you had to interrupt your quest to teach or reinforce something regarding your dog's behavior. Doing things right that first season or two will pay big dividends in your dog's performance and your hunting enjoyment in the years to follow.

Before we move on to training that will benefit your dog before a shot is fired and also assure his acceptance of the shotgun's blast when his first wild bird goes up, let's go to the proper introduction to water—an element every retriever or spaniel should revel in and pointing dogs and hounds should be at least familiar with and not fear.

Water Work
Depending upon when your pup was whelped, there are two times a year when a gun dog should be introduced to water and neither is during the hunting season. For winter and early spring whelps, summer and early fall is the proper time. For those born in summer or fall, the following spring will provide you with an opportunity to familiarize the adolescent with water. This rule of thumb applies particularly to areas that experience severe winter weather and is void in very mild climes.

In the summer, from mid-June to September when the water is warm, find a shallow pond or lake with a firm gradually sloped bottom. Don waders or swim trunks and just wade out a little way and encourage the pup to follow. Bold ones will be frolicking and splashing virtually upon introduction. Shy or suspicious ones will require coaxing and patience. If you own another dog that likes water, the older dog (or, if you have a litter of pups, the bold encourage the shy) will aid you in getting the pup wading around.

In the spring, when the creek bottoms are flooded, the marshes wet and puddles stand in the meadows under warm sunshine, if you hike in waders or hip boots and slosh through everything you can, your pup will follow.

Once a pup enjoys puddling around, move out deeper until gradually the pup will have to "dog paddle" to keep up. Marshes are good for water introduction because they allow a dog to touch bottom, lunge, climb up on hummocks, swim a few strokes—thus instilling confidence. Some pups swim readily and fearlessly from the start, others thrash around and are clumsy swimmers even if not panicked.

Again, we utilize the after-the-shot retrieving training to encourage the reluctant and make good swimmers of the awkward. With luck your pup will be at home in the water by the time he's four months old, if a winter or spring whelp. But if birthdate, elements or the untoward has delayed his introduction, get out that retrieving dummy.

At four to six months of age, if you've done your part, your pup should be doing a fair job of fetching on land . . . and he should be crazy about it. Then take him and the dummy to some shallow water on a warm day. Have him make a couple of retrieves on land. Then when he's fired up, toss the dummy just a couple feet from shore so he has to put his feet in the water to reach it and pick it up. Fuss over him when he fetches. How bold he is or how willing or unwilling he is to accept this new element will govern how much you lengthen each toss until a lunge to grab the dummy takes him into swimming water. But do it gradually, do some wading with him at the same time and in a few sessions you'll have him swimming confidently.

Then you can start flinging the dummy out in the water as far as you care to and work out a variation of retrieving practice that includes water as well as land. Carrying the dummy also tends to make a dog quit thrashing and swim level.

Learning to Hunt
Now, let's move on to a subject you probably think we should have started with. How do you teach a dog to hunt? The pure fact of the matter is that dogs can usually teach men more about hunting than the other way around. This is something a dog must teach himself and there is no way he can become proficient except by actual contact with native game in natural cover. You must provide the opportunity. The frequency and degree of hunting opportunity offered will decide whether a great dog reaches his potential and the not-so-great dog becomes at least satisfactory.

This is particularly true of hounds. But you can go a long way toward shortening the time it takes for a bird dog of any kind to reach a proficiency peak by utilizing artificial means. Spaniels and retrievers in particular can be taught to hunt a pretty good lick with a minimum of birds and space. Released and planted game farm birds can educate a pointing dog in the rudiments. Then he'll be able to concentrate on figuring out how to handle the natives which won't allow him to get as close as hand-reared birds.

So, let's make a stab at teaching a dog how to hunt in a relatively confined area without real game. Thus, when the wide open spaces beckon a mere shift in gears, rather than a sputtering start or an engine failure, will allow him to cope with the hunting situation.