Is Your Dog Ready for Opening Day?

For many, opening day is just around the corner. Whilst this is the day many of us have been waiting for for months, it’s important not to get so caught up in the anticipation that you forget to ensure you and your pup are fully prepared for your first day in the field. The following checklist should help ensure you and your hunting partner are ready for the field:

Fully trained- As the season approaches, it can be very tempting to rush a dog through training or to take a dog to the field that's not quite ready yet. While this may offer more instant gratification, it will cause problems in the long term. Introducing your dog to the field before he or she is ready could not only cause immediate harm that day (losing your dog, maiming a beautiful downed bird or losing a bird altogether) but could reinforce some of your dog's bad habits by getting the reward of a hunting trip. SportDOG Brand® ProStaffer Steve Borecky offers great examples of great dogs that were turned out too early. Don't be that chap. You don't have to have the perfect pup to get in the field. All dogs make mistakes, but make sure the mistakes are rare and your dog has a clear understanding of your expectations. This will make for a much better day and hunting career.

Health Check-Up- Your dog requires a thorough check-up before being let loose in the field. This includes any necessary vaccinations, hip/joint examination and obtaining all the correct documentation for him to travel if you intend to do so. Particularly if your dog has exhibited any signs of illness. Your hunting mates will not be pleased if your dog transmits any sort of infection that could disrupt their season, and some lodges/state wildlife departments will not permit you to hunt unless you have the documentation to prove your pup is healthy.

Conditioned- If you haven't been taking your dog out quite as much over the summer, it's high time to start. Letting her run in the field after spending a lazy summer on the sofa is the sure way to ensure you'll be heading home early. If your dog is going to cover the miles on opening day, he/she needs to be covering them right now. If you've been allowing your hunting partner to slack this summer, begin with short walks and gradually build up to a good few miles by opening day. This will ensure you're both ready for the challenge.

Geared Up- Nothing can spoil a good day in the field like reaching into your gear bag and realising you’ve forgotten an essential piece of your dog's equipment. If you haven’t checked your gear yet, make sure to do so now. If you’re missing anything, you’ll want to ensure you have time to pop to the shop or order online. At this time of year, people will be hurrying to their local and online shops to stock up on replacements, so shopping early will help ensure what you need is available. Remember to check our website, www.sportdog.com, for any replacement parts or accessories you might need, or any of our fine retailers.

That’s our short but important checklist for opening day. What would you add to this list?