My First Hunting Dog – A Hunting Irish Water Spaniel

“Is that a poodle?”  Everybody asks me that.  No siree.  Meet Murdoch, the (soon to be) hunting Irish Water Spaniel.

Given I only just started hunting a couple of years ago, it may seem overambitious to also try and learn to train my first hunting dog while still learning to hunt.  To that I say: you learn nothing without trying, and I’m sure as hell excited to try this.

I grew up with one of these dogs; not only are they smart as hell, they’re active, ambitious, and rugged.  Indeed, in the early 20th century they were the third-most-popular hunting dog in North America. Now, unfortunately, they’re a rare breed.  Not sure why.  It appears the most common explanation is the explosive popularity of labs, especially following the formalization of field trials.  Apparently labs are a bit less willful, and a bit easier for the general trainer.  Whatever the explanation, this breed is perfect for my fiancee and I.  He fulfilled each of our requirements; I wanted a trainable, intelligent and versatile dog. My fiancee wanted a dog that was friendly and (sigh) fluffy.  He is all of these things.

Now, as in all things hunting, I’m a total beginner at this.  I read at least 6 different books on dog training.  I watched dozens of youtube videos.  I reached out to professional trainers.  I’m glad I did the prep, but it is quite an overwhelming amount of information, much of it contradictory.  Once i was in the thick of it, some of the most basic stuff has turned out to be the most important.  If you’re thinking of getting your first hunting dog as a puppy, here are a few of the key things I’ve learned over the past few weeks.

Murdoch is now 11.5 weeks old.  In that time I’ve learned:

• I how amazing it is to properly crate train a dog.  He sleeps in his crate every night, in our bedroom.  On the first night, when he whined after being put in, we simply ignored him until he fell asleep.  On the second day, when he was fast asleep, I gently placed him inside with the door open.  We have fed him a few meals in there, and often give him treats, talking happily as we put him in.  He now likes it in there, he goes inside of his own accord and knows that whining won’t get him out.
• It is very useful to take time off work in the first few weeks.  I spent the whole first week at home with Murdoch, bonding with him and working on house training.  It is a lot easier to drill in the idea that peeing happens OUTSIDE when you can keep an eye on the dog most of the day.
• It is tempting to rush training.  I really am so excited to have this dog that I want him to know everything right away.  I’ve learned that it is best to take my time, work at the dog’s pace, and let him be a puppy.  At the same time I’ve also learned that even a small puppy can begin learning basic commands and obedience.

In that same time, Murdoch has learned:

• How to sit on command, on gesture, and on a whistle
• How to come on command and on a whistle
• That peeing in the house leads to a firm “AAAH AAHH AAAH!” and getting whisked outside if caught in the act (while peeing outside leads to praise)
• That going to the door, sitting, and looking back at me means that it is time to go out to pee.

He really is whip-smart.  He wants to chew everything.  He’s brave and clearly has a mischievous streak in him.  If I don’t screw this up, I expect he’ll make a fine hunting dog.

But I might screw this up.  To help avoid that, I’m working with a professional hunting dog trainer named Spencer Ray.  In our first session, Murdoch clearly was into chasing live pigoens, so he at least isn’t bird shy! I’ll keep this page updated with his progress as we go.

In the meantime, if I have any advice to anybody wanting to get a hunting dog, it is to work with patience.  It is really easy to get frustrated with a puppy.  It’s also really easy to get stressed out about making the dog perfect right from the get go.  I’m hoping that by giving consistent structure, plenty of praise, and firm boundaries that I’ll turn out a great dog in Murdoch.  We shall see! I’ll keep this page updated as we go on this adventure.