The waterfowling seasons are just around the corner and it is a special time of the year—especially if you have a new dog to introduce to the sport. I remember my first hunting trip with my lab and it was a special occasion.
    Taking your dog on that first duck hunting trip is a big deal and you want to make it something your dog is going to want to do over and over again. Doing this properly is a bit more complicated than heading out into the blind and having a go at it.



    I recently chatted with John Luttrell of Luttrell Kennels in Clark, S.D. Luttrell is a native Minnesotan who has a lot of loyal clients in his home state and is definitely worth a call. He is the dog trainer and breeder who I got my dog from and is a fountain of knowledge.
    “First of all, Luttrell said, “Don’t take your dog hunting until they have been broken in with the gun. I do this at five months old after they lose their puppy teeth. As a general rule, the younger the dog the less you can expect it to do.”
    When you take a kid fishing for the first time you don’t go chasing muskies with little chance at some hot action — you take them dock fishing for sunnies. The same applies when taking your dog out for the first time. You want to set up an easy hunt that will keep both yours and your dog’s frustration level low.
    One of the best ways he said to do this is to take a buddy along with you so they can do the shooting while you do the dog handling. Leave your gun in the truck and have your buddy shoot some ducks for your dog. Make sure your buddy shoots singles for the first few passes.
    “There’s nothing more frustrating for a dog, especially a rookie, than trying to locate three or four birds among a spread of decoys. Don’t forget to take a few rocks along with you so you can help the dog find the duck. Throwing rocks near the downed duck is a lot cheaper than throwing shotgun shells,” Luttrell said.

  
   
    Dogs can get frustrated, but way more often the owner’s are the one who get frustrated enough to ruin a hunt. Don’t expect perfection and keep it fun for the dog. More than a few dogs have been ruined their first time out because they were wonked on the head with a paddle because they wouldn’t sit still.
    Don’t forget to take along a dummy for your decoy bag so that you can keep your pup active when the ducks aren’t flying. Sitting in a cold blind or boat all day long is only fun after you’ve done it a few times and know that there’s more to the experience.
    Taking the time to set up an early hunt and doing it the right way is going to pay huge dividends down the road even though you’ll never get to take a shot yourself. Just remember, you aren’t doing this one for yourself, you are doing it for your new hunting partner.
    “Look at it as an investment in your duck hunting future,” Luttrell said.