Children and Hunting Dogs

There are a number of myths surrounding hunting dogs and children. In fact, one perpetual myth is that a hunting dog should never be kept in the home because they have gotten a taste of blood from being trained to hunt. This is simply untrue and has no basis in reality. Hunting dogs can make a great family pet in addition to their jobs in the field. It’s important that we all remember that dogs are not vicious by nature. Only their training can make them that way.

Hunting dogs by nature have an instinct to hunt. However, not everyone who purchases (or adopts) a hunting dog is going to train them to be hunters. Like all other dogs, a hunting dog wants to be loved, accepted and praised. A hunting dog makes a great pet especially retrievers, as they have naturally a soft mouth approach to retrieving and hence will not bite down when playing.

America’s favorite dog is the Golden Retriever. Their unique traits make them wildly popular – they’re natural swimmers, are calm and gentle, are very intelligent, and are generally content. Plus, they’re just beautiful to look at. They’re also large enough that children can play and roughhouse with them and they never seem to run out of energy or patience for this. These things also make them ideal service dogs. And yet, most people that own one don’t realize that all of these things were bred into them so that they would be great bird dogs. They’re so common that most people don’t even think of them as being hunting dogs.

If you’re nervous of how a hunting dog will interact with your children, remember their instict to follow the “alpha” dog – you. As long as you’re a strong leader in his mind, he will think of your children as his litter-mates. As your children get older and they learn to be pack leaders themselves, your dog will learn to follow them too.

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. If you are in need of a dog tracker unit, then the Tracker Maxima is a great choice. If you are looking for a dog training collar that has the ability to expand to a two dog model, then the Innotek IUT-302 is the unit for you.

Tags: bird dogs, Dogs And Children, Family Pet, golden retriever, Great Bird, Hunting Dog, hunting dogs, Instict, Instinct, Litter Mates, Myth, Myths, Natural Swimmers, One Don, Pack Leaders, Patience, Pets, puppies, Service Dogs, Soft Mouth, Taste Of Blood