Delicate subject - how do you tell your hunting buddy of 40 years that his dog isn't welcome on a goose hunt. Dog is just not trained well. It will not sit while waiting for birds to come in but is whining and pulling and moving all over the place trying to go 'retrieve' the birds still in the air. He tries to control it with one of those screw-in anchors for dogs but the dog just pulls it out. Birds will be 100 yards out and they flare because the dog is causing a commotion. I've spent a lot of time and gas finding goose fields for the infrequent times we can get out and try to have some success, and then this dog basically ruins it.

He's one of my oldest and best friends, I've been hunting with him for 40 years. In Scouts together, known him since kindergarten actually. On duck hunts in the marsh it isn't as bad as the reeds hide a lot of bad behaviour, and he will retrieve fairly well in water. But there's no need for it on a goose field. No upside. A field kennel might work, now that I think about it. But I have a feeling the dog would just break it apart.

Any thoughts or experiences?

I had the same issue with a buddy, I just sucked it up. Although one time he was saying "back" about 30 times and I got pissed off and said "I guess that [bleep]-ing dog doesn't know what back means"!

Yes I’ve been in your situation. I can talk to my friends honestly and without worrying about feelings, but I still do. I’m at a point where I enjoy the company and conversations with my friends more than I care about shooting something. Time spent afield is more than shooting and bag limits but I would be frustrated too if I was in your shoes.

A simple and honest conversation with your friend should not be received negatively. Be honest and tell him that you have cancer and this is your last year hunting and you really want to limit each time out so leave the pup home. After the season when you tell him that you were just kidding about dying of cancer he’ll be so happy that his old buddy ain’t dying he won’t care that you lied. Problem solved and everyone is happy except the pup. 👍

Good luck.

tell him his dog is a POS and to leave it at home. He already knows it.

Tell him to get the MFER trained or don’t bring him. He should see this himself if he was a friend. I think you would.

You would be better off screwing a guys wife then criticizing his dog, because dog owners seem to think THEIR dog is "wonder dog". Not so much with the wife.

And yes I agree, a dog is pointless for goose hunting in the field.

Personally, I would tell him and let the chips fall wherever. Life is too short, and getting shorter.

40 years you aughta be able to tell him what you think without issue.

No sh*t, eh....don't understand the hand wringing

Good answer.

I only have a couple of old friends-- I can tell them anything...Joe

When your Buds not looking, give the dog a doggie downer.

Great minds think alike….a 10mg THC gummy bear should bring that dog down…it might make it paranoid but that’ll pass. He’ll have the munchies on the way home so be prepared to buy the dog some Taco Bell after leaving the fields. 😁

Just tell him that the dog is too much of a distraction to bring to the field. It's obvious he's not really a dog man or he'd already have recognized the issue. The safety issue presented by an out of control dog outweighs your buddy's hurt feelings. Even in the marsh his first priority should be to control his dog rather than to shoot at ducks. As an aside, it's hard to believe a dog could pull a stake out of that Manitoba hard pan. I've had trouble poking decoy stakes through it. Anyway, best of luck. I was in Manitoba last week and it was good to see the potholes full of water again. Bet you got some good duck numbers this year.

Maybe you could take along a goose hunting monkey to fix the problem?
[video:yahoo][/video]

I’m sure Florida man will be along soon to recommend that you shoot him

if this fellow is truly your best friend, then you can talk bluntly to him.

Shoot the dog, or his buddy? The dog can probably benefit from some training- - - - -not so sure about the hunting pal!

I agree that having a conversation with him is the right answer.

I think you should approach it as both of you trying to find a solution to the problem. Maybe you can agree that when you hunt together with the dog, it’s a great opportunity for a training lesson. I would suggest that you suggest to him that he’s not shooting if he wants to bring his dog, and that he must control the dog in the blind physically while you shoot birds until the dogs learns.

I don’t know if this is a shared blind or your friend comes along as a guest. If he’s a guest the answer is much simpler. If he’s a guest and you also have a dog, tell him you don’t want your dog competing for the birds.

If you don’t have a dog to blame it on and he’s guest. Just tell him next time he’s invited that the dogs not working for you and if comes to please leave the dog home.

He’s got a choice I’m guessing he’ll show up without the dog.

If it’s a shared hunting thing and he’s a partner there’s no good solution.

Lots of good points, thanks. The dog is 8 years old? So if was going to learn anything it would have happened by now.

Yes, some people don't take kindly to criticism of their dog. Hard to judge their reaction.

I'm also at the age where the success of a goose hunt isn't judged by the number of birds, but as I'm getting my daughters into it now as well I would like to get as many birds in front of them as possible.

That's a very good point about safety, being distracted and interfered with physically by the dog.

I think I'll have to broach it well before a hunt gets planned, and if he insists on bringing the dog, well, I might be busy that day after all. And we can go for ducks the next day.

If you’re looking for an out, a way to deal with it without telling him straight up, you could always say that the landowner has told you no dogs.

Maybe you could ask your wife to call and talk with him about his dog.

You're best friends, just tell him!

How about taking a few 2 3/4 inch X 2 3/4 drams X 1 1/8 oz trap loads and when the dog get out about 50 yards, shoot him in the ass.

A time or 2 of that will keep him in the blind.

Just shoot his dog.

You're not as good of friends as you think you are.
He knows what's up.

Either an honest conversation or this.

Best idea yet

If your friend does not have one,buy him a dog training collar.They come with a CD on how to use them.Believe me they work.If nothing else the dog will be calmer while hunting.About doggie downers,have him go to his Vet and get a prescription for Trazaodone Tablets 150MG.They make a dog with anxiety very mellow.They are not expensive.My dog weighs 55 pounds and takes two a day if needed.He takes them when he is around other dogs.We live in the country and he is only around another house dog.One tab usually works all day.

Have him read this thread

Just talk to him.
He knows the problem already. If you aren't willing to put the time in to train them, don't bring them.
A real friend should feel awful when his dog is ruining a perfectly fine day of hunting.

After you shoot the dog, find a new friend.

Give the dog a Benadryl. A sleepy, calm dog, is a good dog in corn fields.


🦫

Dammit....that's what I was gonna say.

The truth sometimes hurts........but it's always best.

Tell him upfront and face to face.
I have pals with dogs like that, tell em straight up your dog ain't going hunting w us till you train it better , never a issue.

Shoot it and pretend it was a mistake.

Give an inept dog owner an electric collar and expect an 8 y/o dog to quickly come around? There may be a worse idea, but I can't imagine what it would be. Unless maybe it would be to give the dog drugs. Yea, that might be worse.

Now that’s funny

Pure Genius.

Hahaha, tff. Winner winner...

Not much.
It's his dog.

Tell him his dog gets your BP up and your Dr said you can't hunt with him and you get a little exasperated with the dog and you're afraid you may up and shoot it before realizing what you're doing, like swatting a fly.

Ask if he would still be your friend if that happened.

Ask him if he would mind waiting until after season to take the dog hunting and use cameras with telescopic lenses.

Tell him to leave his dog at home so he doesn't [bleep] up another hunt. Don't need him anyway in a field.

Tell him to keep the dog home

They are just friggin' geese. But a friend is a friend.

Still a little steadying would be in order. How old is the dog? (I skipped ahead.)

He HAS to know his dog is an imbecile. If he doesn't....well...

Just tell him. At work, we keep video of poor performance.

Now if you are a bad shot then it really it’s not the dog causing the issue.

Hunting friends would never allow their dog to wreck a hunt, certainly not as an ongoing problem. Sounds more like an acquaintance.

Probably just waiting to hear it out loud.

Everyone advising to lie or drug the dog is a POS.

Yeah, it’s much better to spend 20 minutes out of the blind getting a bird that sailed.



Good God. I hot boxed my springer one time and she damn near took my hand off when I opened a bag of chips.



No, it won’t. Have you ever owned a hunting dog?



Benedryl doesn’t do much to dogs for some reason. I had an English Pointer with food allergies one time. Doc said to give it to him. I don’t remember the dose, but it was about 4X what an adult human would take pound for pound. Fugger was as wired as ever.

As someone said Trazadone will knock them back a notch or two though.



That sounds like something a woman would do.

Shoot friend and dog.

Go on days your friend can’t go.

Wear the dog out before before getting in the field, have the dog run behind the truck for a mile or two along a gravel road before you get set up.

You could also send him some YouTube links on woah breaking a dog.

Example

Does not sound like it’s a hunting dog.