The Importance of Obedience Training For Gundogs

Written By: Zach Miller

"You’re sitting in your duck blind on a brisk December morning, the frost still crystalizing on the beams of the blind, you and your friends wait patiently for the first sound of whistling wings. “Look, 12 o'clock high!” Shouts your buddy, a perfect group of mallards cupped into your decoy spread, you all take the safety off of your shotguns and… Fido hits the gas and breaks his position out of excitement, all eyes are on you the handler…"

I’m sure the scenario above has been witnessed or experienced at least on time in a duck hunter's career. It begs the question, why did that person skip or slack on training obedience? When discussing obedience, we need to understand something right out of the gate. There is no circumstance in dog training where it can be skipped and/or neglected as the dog progresses in life. It is something that must be constantly built upon and challenged as the dog ages and as they take on more demanding skill sets within gundog training. 

Duck hunting is a popular sport that requires a well-trained dog to retrieve the ducks that have been shot down. A gundog must be obedient and well-trained to perform its duties effectively. Obedience training is critical in gundogs for several reasons. Within this article we will dive into a few of those reasons, keep in mind, like every training situation, every dog is different and not all dogs learn the same way. That being said, every trainer trains differently within the gundog world, the obedience world can be multiplied by 10 for this statement. Moral of the story, opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one. 

Firstly, obedience training helps to establish a strong bond between the dog and its owner. A well-trained dog is more likely to obey its owner's commands, which makes it easier for the owner to control the dog. This bond is essential in duck hunting, where the dog must be able to work closely with its owner to retrieve the ducks that have been marked by the dog and also blind retrieves, obedience training bleeds into every corner of gundog training in some way. 

Secondly, obedience training helps to ensure the safety of the dog and its owner. A well-trained dog is less likely to run off or get distracted by other animals, which can be dangerous in a hunting environment. The dog must be able to follow its owner's commands and stay focused on the task at hand. In the initial scenario, I have seen many an anxious hunter still discharge his/her weapon even with a non-obedient dog in the water after it broke. This has led to many dogs being hurt and confused as well as many a handler getting a black eye following this. Be smart, the birds will always be back, a dog is a different story.

Thirdly, obedience training helps to improve the dog's performance in the field. A well-trained dog is more efficient at retrieving ducks, which can increase the success rate of the hunt. The dog must be able to retrieve the ducks quickly and efficiently, without damaging the birds or getting distracted by other animals. As stated before, obedience training truly bleeds into every corner of gundog work. If we look at a simple retrieve, I need the dog to maintain duration within a “Sit” or a “Heel” command while a bird is flying and more importantly when feathers start flying everywhere. If you ever want to see great obedience training, watch the dog when the duck gets hit, it all comes down to those feathers. Most dogs will break when they see the “pillow case” effect after a bird has been shot. Contrary to popular belief, the shot is not what makes many gundogs break. 

Finally, obedience training helps to improve the dog's overall behavior. A well-trained dog is more well-behaved and less likely to exhibit destructive or aggressive behavior. This is important in a hunting environment, where the dog must be able to work closely with other dogs and hunters without causing any problems. Depending on what type of gundog you keep this isa true statement. What I mean by this is, some folks have a gundog who only comes out when they are training or working. More commonly, most folks have a house dog who is also their duck dog. In this case, I still hold the same standard of training levels in a home as I do in the field. This creates what we in the dog world call, a “light switch”. The ability for a good gundog to be able to turn it on and then back off is a really difficult thing to instill, obedience training aids in this. 

In conclusion, obedience training is critical in duck dogs. It helps to establish a strong bond between the dog and its owner, ensures the safety of the dog and its owner, improves the dog's performance in the field, and improves the dog's overall behavior. A well-trained dog is essential in duck hunting, and obedience training is the key to achieving this. Never skip or slack on your obedience training as it is the most vital part of a gundog’s success in the field and at home. Always remember, a house cannot stand unless it stands upon a solid foundation.