Children and Hunting Dogs
Many people believe that hunting dogs should never be contained indoors or allowed to be around children. They think that because the dog has “tasted blood” on the hunt, it cannot be trusted not to hurt children. This line of thinking is simply not true. Hunting dogs make wonderful family pets because of their natural tendency to want praise and acceptance from their masters. They are also quite intelligent and follow commands easily. Most hunting dogs, especially retrievers, have “soft mouths”, which means that they don’t bite down hard. This is definitely an advantage for young children who love to play with dogs.
One of the most popular dogs anywhere in the USA is the Golden Retriever. These dogs love the water, they are docile dogs and they are great hunters, though seldom trained for hunting. These dogs are perfect dogs for children since they have energy to spare and they love to play.
Training your hunting dog to take to children is pretty simple. It’s important to remember that a hunting dog sees you (as the adult and trainer) as the top dog and therefore considers children who they are living with as part of the ‘litter’. As your children grow up, the hunting dog will follow your example. He will watch and see how you treat him as well as his ‘litter-mates’ and he’ll determine what the ‘pecking order’ is in the home.
Very young children don’t always understand how rough or gentle they are when they play. Make sure that you show your children how dogs, especially puppies, are to be played with. If your child likes to wrestle and roughhouse, make sure it doesn’t go too far. You don’t want your child or your puppy to be injured.
Set rules and boundaries for both your children and your dog and make sure they follow them consistently. Children don’t always remember that a dog does not act or think like they do. Your dog is certainly a member of the family, but a canine member, not a human. Have rules such as: never feed the dog from the table or let him beg; the dog sleeps in his crate, not in anyone’s beds; or, the dog is not allowed in certain areas of the house. This may not seem fair to your children, but it will help them understand the boundaries set for them and for your dog.
There is no price that can be set on owning a dog. Their unconditional love will be remembered forever in your children’s hearts. Every dog is unique. Think about your first dog – can you remember the special tricks he did, what treats he loved to eat, the little quirks of his personality? Who would not want that for their own children? Dogs help us remember that the little things in life are what’s most important, and they give us an appreciation for nature. In this respect, hunting dogs are no different than other breeds.
To help you train your hunting dog you should make sure you have the proper supplies. Some of the more popular supplies include: Tracker Maxima Tracking Collars and Innotek ADV 300 Dog Training Collars.
