DUCK Mallard ducks are the most popular of the species family, with large numbers migrating from north to south, along the Mississippi River flyway in December...Read More View All Duck Tips

 

Wade Bourne: Duck hunters frequently hunt from boats on large rivers and lakes. This is a great freelance strategy, but it can be tough on a retriever working out of the boat.

Getting out is usually not the problem; the dog launches over the side. But getting back in is the hard part. If a dog is swimming, it can’t climb back in over a boat’s high gunnels. Then many hunters resort to grabbing their retriever by the collar or scruff of the neck and hauling him back aboard. This rough treatment can scare a dog, especially a young retriever, and he may balk at leaving the boat the next time a duck is downed.

However, using a retriever ladder and teaching the dog to use it before the season starts can alleviate this problem. Such training should be conducted in a fun, non-intimidating setting. It won’t take most dogs but a session or two to learn to use the ladder and overcome any fear of doing so.

I use the Avery Double-Duty dog platform, which simple hooks over my boat’s gunnels. I will introduce a young dog to this platform/ladder in the backyard on dry ground.

First, I encourage Andy, my Lab, to board the boat via the ladder. If there’s any hesitancy to do so, I may use treats to lure him up the ladder.

Once Andy gets used to going up and down the ladder, I command him to sit in the boat, then I begin throwing a dummy for simple retrieves. Soon the dog gets over any fear of the ladder and sees such training sessions as play time.

Next, I’ll transition to water. The lessons he learned on land will carry-over to this setting.

Again, the idea is to build the dog’s confidence in the ladder instead of fostering intimidation. Make training sessions fun and non-threatening, and soon he won’t give a second thought to launching from the boat and coming back with birds you’ve downed.

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