How To Help A Hunting Dog Enjoy A Life Without Hunting

Duck season or rabbit season? Neither, it's hound season.

 

Dogs evolved from wolves to assist Homo sapiens in various tasks, chief among them hunting game. Let's face it, many of the most charismatic and attractive dog breeds are sporty breeds. These include retrievers, spaniels, and other dogs born to hunt.

But many contemporary dog lovers want a hunting dog for companionship without having to shoot its natural prey. Is it fair to expect a dog born to hunt to be happy and fulfilled living a life that doesn't hunt? Is it even possible?

 

Absolutely, experts say.

 

"Hounds hunt regardless of whether someone nearby is armed or not," explains dog master Sarah Wilson, author of Dogology: What Your Relationship With Your Dog Reveals About You. "In backyards or parks, they'll run around with their heads down, chasing anything that moves."

 

Here's good news for lovers of hunting dog breeds who don't hunt: It's easy and fun to give these dogs an outlet for their instincts by substituting fun entertainment for other animals.

 

"The Fetch is a hound classic," says Wilson. "Any kind, anywhere, usually just about anything. Also, if the dog is fit enough to do it safely, consider dock diving and Frisbee catching. Water loving dogs can enjoy swimming, and for most dogs It's all good exercise."

 

Tracking and a nose job is an exciting thing to do for any sporting dog breed, she adds.

"Anything that appeals to the nose and the mind will attract the athletic breed," explains Wilson. "Without formality, you can leave a treat somewhere in the house or yard and teach your dog to 'find it.'"

 

In the winter, she says, use a tool or broomstick to make holes in snowbanks and put treats in them.

 

"For restless, snow-bound dogs, this could be hours of digging fun," says Wilson.

 

Plus, she says, "keep in mind that many of these dogs are natural superathletes and can run miles a day, so dog parks, jogging, skiing, dog carts, and scooters can all help burn off that genetic steam. "

 

If that level of physical activity is over, mentally wear them out with self-control games like Space Activity on My Smart Puppy.

 

"Mental focus and self-control can tire a high-octane dog as quickly as—or faster than—physical activity," she says.

 

David Frei of the Westminster Kennel Club is a big fan of the Brittany and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a hunting dog traditionally used for hunting birds. It is a toy breed that is also good at chasing birds. Frei lives in New York City, which isn't exactly a hunter's mecca, however, he says, "My Brittany and my Cavalier show their 'bird instincts' every day in the city, stopping and pointing hard at the No game birds, pigeons, every time they see one. When people stop and look and smile at the event, I tell them, 'Just keep practicing - next time it might be a pheasant!' '"

 

One of the reasons sporting dogs are so good at assisting hunters is their temperament, he added. "Doing things with their people is what they live for. Chasing a ball, running in the park, and other fairly simple activities involving being with their people."

 

As the founder of the renowned nonprofit Angel on a Leash, Frei happens to be very active in the field of therapy dogs, so he draws from personal and professional experience to explain that therapy work is a natural avenue for non-hunting hounds. "Also, that wonderful 'I want to be with you' attitude makes most of them good candidates for therapy dog work," says Frey.

 

“We have a number of sport dogs doing great things for people in need as therapy dogs,” he says, including textbook hound Ch. English Springer Spaniel for Best in Show (and, in Frei's opinion, "the best working therapy dog I've ever seen") and Frei's own beloved Brittany, Grace.

“Grace loves being at the Ronald McDonald House [where Frei’s wife, Cherilyn, is the pastor] and doesn’t flinch from all the poking, prodding, and body-slamming that comes with ‘kid duty,’” Frei said. "Some breeds just do their own thing. I describe it as, 'This is their world and we just live in it to meet their needs. "But for most sporting dogs, they want to be in our world, to be with us, to please us. Their athleticism makes them excellent candidates for things like agility, and their intelligence makes them excellent candidates for obedience." candidate."

 

do you have hounds When socializing with dogs, do you consider the breed's history? Let us know in the comments!