Why One Hunting Dog Isn't Enough

Do you ever stop and have a squiz around your house, and reckon, 'mate, I've got a heap of dogs?' It's all good. Upland hunters and waterfowlers are always snagging more. We need more shotguns, more shells to chuck through 'em, more floating decoys, more field decoys. Boats, motors, leases, land access… more, more, more. So, it shouldn't shock anyone that when we buy one gun dog, we soon want another. The worst thing that can happen to a hunter's wallet is to have a pointer or retriever that turns out to be a top-notch performer, because then, of course, we've gotta get another. With that in mind, we asked some of the most dog-mad hunters and trainers we know why, exactly, they keep snagging dogs.

Drew Palmer is a former college pitcher turned waterfowl media bloke and Kansas duck guide. The ex-fireballer has a four-year-old black Lab-his main bird dog-and, just snagged a 10-week-old German wirehair pointer he can barely let in the door at his folks' house for fear she'll scoff everything in sight.

"The best thing about watching a young dog grow is seeing them pick up new skills every time they're out in the field," says Palmer. "They're just like athletes … some days they're ace and some days they're not. But, watching them work and have the keenness to hunt hard is real beaut to see. It adds another dimension to any hunt I go on, watching them do what they love."

You probably know the name Tom Dokken. The famed trainer, who splits his time between South Dakota and Minnesota, has had a few pups in his day. You won't find a more dedicated dog bloke. Tom loves his dogs so much that even when they pass away, he cremates them and puts the ashes inside a duck decoy, so they continue to hunt with him season after season. Tom and his missus Tina both have young Labs at the moment, and there's always a mob of dogs around the Dokken compound.

"Having a new puppy is the start of a new chapter and makes me keen to teach and watch a beginner turn into a fair dinkum hunting mate," Dokken said.

John Gordon probably treats his dogs better than people, which is bloody hard to do, because the Banded/Avery PR bloke is about the nicest fella you'll ever meet. A passionate snow goose hunter, John loves to shoot greenheads and quail… well, honestly anything with feathers or fur. But, he wants to do it with a dog by his side, which is no problem since he owns a Lab, Chessie, German shorthair, and a new golden retriever.

"I never planned on having so many dogs, but I'm not unhappy that I do," Gordon said. "And I love the diverse breeds; they all have distinct personalities. I'm a dog man to the core. I don't feel right without them."

Mark Atwater is a renowned photographer of gun dogs. He also owns a prestigious golden retriever, GRHRCH (6) Runs Creek's Be Ready for Yeti MH MNR QAA. The (6) indicates that Yeti has passed the UKC's Hunting Retriever Champion Grand six times. One more passing score at a Master National event, and he's in the hall of fame. The Atwaters have a total of five goldens, ranging from just over a year old to seven.

"Knowing the potential of a pup based on their ancestry or owning/being around top-notch dogs and realising the potential of the offspring and then shaping that innate or inbuilt talent into a top working and companion dog is an unmatched experience," Atwater reckoned. "Plus, puppy breath is wildly addictive."