How many times a year did you hunt your dog during its first season? I've taken here on a few hunts during dove/early teal when I went solo and one trio hunt. However, during the trio hunt, it seemed a little too much so I pulled her back to watch. What did y'all do?

following

How old and what level of training?

I try to not hunt my dogs until they are about a year old or older.

I will take pups out and let them run around while we set up decoys and everything but then put them up before the hunt.

Hunting a dog early only causes problems. The stimulation of a hunt can cause noise issues and steadiness issue which are two of the most common problems you hear about as well as two of the most difficult to fix.

I believe once a dog is very steady and mature enough to handle the excitement you can hunt them as much as you want.

However, the dog's first few hunts should be 1-3 people and you should focus more on the dog than hunting yourself. When you've been on a few hunts and feel they are doing good then you can rock and roll.

I hunted my last dog at least 1 time a week all season.

Last season was my pups first, she was one year old. She wasn’t ready by dove season but she was for duck. She had 26 hunts and retrieve over 100 ducks.

@ 40.

Prolly hunted the last two puppies somewhere between 30 and 50 days before they were one year old. The dog I have now was closer to only 30 days but he was only 5.5 months old when his puppy season closed. If a pup is ready for it, I like to get them on birds early and often and show them as many different habitats and types of cover as I can. A lot depends on how a pup has been brought along and how stable they are.

My pup was 10 months old at the start of season last year and had spend two months with a trainer already. He was pretty solid on Obedience, recall, and holding until flush. I hunted him every day I could. At least 8 days alone and another 10 with other hunters and dogs.