Dog Owners: Training Your Dogs To Be Fishing Companions.

[scel]

I am a proud owner of a dog. My puppy is 12 weeks old. The dog is an F1 hybrid of a registered border collie and a registered australian cattle dog. He is super smart and very trainable. He has the basics down: sit, down, come. He responds well to a leash (important if we are living in a city). Ultimately, however, fishing is an off-leash activity.

 

There have been a few times that I have been fishing and encountered poorly behaved dogs. Barking incessantly and aggressive behaviour are 2 personal peeves when I encounter a dog while fishing (a warning bark is totally OK).

 

Here are a few questions:

How old was your dog when you first took them fishing?

 

What are some mandatory dog etiquette training you would consider mandatory in order to take a dog as a fishing buddy?

Personally, I know I have to be confident the dog's prey drive will not kick in. He no longer chases cats or squirrels (although, i know he wants to). He tends to stick very closely to me unless there is a group of animals when herding instinct kicks in (it is funny watching him try to herd a murder of crows).

 

Dogs are awesome.

He sees me: stoked.

He sees my wife: stoked.

He gets some food: stoked.

He plays with the cat: stoked.

 

I cannot wait to take him fishing, but I do not want to ruin it for both of us.

[flyfishfairwx]

My Dog Fischer , was just over 14 weeks when he had his first trip to the Crowsnest river.

 

He is a Pure Bred German Shepherd dog, he is now 8 1/2 years old.

 

He has stood between me and 2x black bears, 1 x Grizzly and 2 x wolves, also chased a burglar out of the house. With the Bears and wolves he was certainly putting himself between me and danger, protecting me, no chasing no running at or challenging, but guarding. It is a hell of a sight to see his "Mohawk up" and his lips curled and hear the deep growl. These were very close encounters also and with the Grizzly predatory from a young determined bear, first time I have had to pull bear spray and stand against an attack, it lasted 45mins. without Fischer I would not have known the bear was there until too damn late.

 

While fishing he stays very close to me , like on the back of my heels, has no interest in the fish, he will drop a stick or 8 foot log behind me and I tell him "closer" he will pick it up and throw it closer and repeat until it hits me in the back of the legs I then tell him to "wait" once I finish doing what ever I am doing in the water I throw the stick for him and we repeat this all day..

 

He has warned me of people coming and of close encounters with uncounted animals, he has not interest in deer Elk Moose etc..

 

He does however not like Birds, he thinks one of them pushed him in the Castle River , that's another story, however I can tell him no and he will not pursue his displeasure with the birds.

 

The connection with you and your dog while fishing and any type of activity has to be strong, this means daily training and conditioning, this starts when he or she is 8 weeks old.

 

One of the tricks I use on all my dogs it to take the pup to a wide open field and set him down, lift his chin, look him in the eyes and say his name then take a step backward and call him "here, or Come, or by name" if he comes he gets praise , if not then repeat until he gets it, this goes on for a full month. I do this from the very first day. For me this has created a "Velcro dog" which is what I want, no worries of him wondering off or chasing anything.

 

Work with your dog daily, love him completely and he will return that love and commitment totally.

 

Train your dog well, and train yourself better.

[Tungsten]

Remember you are the pack leader,when ever you go through a door or into a truck or down the bank,you go first.

 

I'm having trouble with mine running out the garage when the big door opens,i have to tie her up get her to sit then open.Any other door she's fine but the garage door is taking time.

[BurningChrome]

Here's the way I trained mine for fishing specifically. I first brought him out when he was less than a year old and still extremely high energy (he's a terrier), but he got bored pretty quick and wandered off. Took me a little while to find him so back to the car we went. The next time I brought him fishing we first went for a walk and played some fetch to tire him out. Then we went down to the river and I let him go in the water to cool off a bit. Walked down to where I planned to fish then threw the ball for him some more at that spot. I left my pack on the bank with him for him to "guard" while I was fishing and left the ball with him as well. I stopped fishing frequently to play some more fetch with him. That's pretty much how I fished with him all the time until he got older and started to slow down a bit. I still keep a ball in my fishing pack and sometimes just stop fishing for a while to sit on the bank with him.

 

It's going to vary with every dog because of different energy levels and personalities though. Since your dog is a cross between two working breeds you might have to give him a job to do so he doesn't get bored. Just remember that for the first bunch of times you take him you'll probably spend more time training than fishing.

[CDone]

My catahoula/heeler cross Loki is quickly becoming an awesome fishing partner, not overly interested in the fish (although will take a look when in the net or in hand), will not wander away from me when on stream and has shown no interest in birds, squirrels, ect. Has a piercing bay/bark, (think coon hound mixed with sheep dog) that lets me know when someone or something is coming close but that is controllable with a quick 'no'. Loves the water and can swim well so I have no concerns about crossing streams with him or spending time in a boat, a far cry from my previous mutts (huskies).

 

[scel]

All great advice. Thanks peeps!

[Roach]

I am on season number two with my latest fishing bud (aussie shepherd) and feel as tho she has taught me quite a bit on this topic!

If I had any advice it would be to get him out on the water asap and as much as possible! It sounds like you have a very smart dog and he will learn what you want from him, it will just take practice and lots of it.

Being consistent is of the utmost importance, If you do not want your dog doing something or being a certain way then it will have to have "rules" from day one with no exception! (even if it is a cute puppy...) Let him get away with a few things here and there and he will always challenge you on it (ei. chasing wildlife). I like to spend as much time with mine in the mountains as possible, hiking has been huge for us... they like to be on the move and with all the river crossings and hill climbing she stays very close as to not be left behind. I hid from her a few times as a pup if she wandered farther then i liked, this worked wonders for us! Another good trick to do if you need to actually fish on your first few outings would be to tie the dog up right beside your bag close to where you are fishing. This not only lets you get a few casts in it also teaches them that they can get some rest and you will never leave your bag or them behind ( i wish mine would learn to get some rest when the bag was on the ground...) anyways let him cry if he wants... if you ignore it, it wont be long until he is offleash choosing to have a sit by the bag on his own.

With all that being said, everyday life is going to be far more important to having a good fishing buddy. Spending as much time with the dog as possible and building that connection is paramount. Whether it is playing in the back yard, fetch at the park, walks in the city or off leash on the river / in the mountains they will love you for it. With a high energy dog the best thing you can do is keep them tired/stimulated! If they are to tired they wont be bored and get into trouble, and if they don't get into trouble very much it is unlikely it will become a habit! Also never underestimate your dog (with consideration to breed) with four legs they can do twice the things your capable of in half the time! they can learn any thing you want them to it is just a matter of you finding a way to teach it !

 

First year is tough with maybe not as much fishing as you would like but trust me, BE PATIENT! it is so worth it to push through and bring him every time! Year two is going so much better and I cant wait for 3 4 5 6 7 8 ......

[scel]

I am on season number two with my latest fishing bud (aussie shepherd) and feel as tho she has taught me quite a bit on this topic!

If I had any advice it would be to get him out on the water asap and as much as possible! It sounds like you have a very smart dog and he will learn what you want from him, it will just take practice and lots of it.

Being consistent is of the utmost importance, If you do not want your dog doing something or being a certain way then it will have to have "rules" from day one with no exception! (even if it is a cute puppy...) Let him get away with a few things here and there and he will always challenge you on it (ei. chasing wildlife). I like to spend as much time with mine in the mountains as possible, hiking has been huge for us... they like to be on the move and with all the river crossings and hill climbing she stays very close as to not be left behind. I hid from her a few times as a pup if she wandered farther then i liked, this worked wonders for us! Another good trick to do if you need to actually fish on your first few outings would be to tie the dog up right beside your bag close to where you are fishing. This not only lets you get a few casts in it also teaches them that they can get some rest and you will never leave your bag or them behind ( i wish mine would learn to get some rest when the bag was on the ground...) anyways let him cry if he wants... if you ignore it, it wont be long until he is offleash choosing to have a sit by the bag on his own.

With all that being said, everyday life is going to be far more important to having a good fishing buddy. Spending as much time with the dog as possible and building that connection is paramount. Whether it is playing in the back yard, fetch at the park, walks in the city or off leash on the river / in the mountains they will love you for it. With a high energy dog the best thing you can do is keep them tired/stimulated! If they are to tired they wont be bored and get into trouble, and if they don't get into trouble very much it is unlikely it will become a habit! Also never underestimate your dog (with consideration to breed) with four legs they can do twice the things your capable of in half the time! they can learn any thing you want them to it is just a matter of you finding a way to teach it !

 

First year is tough with maybe not as much fishing as you would like but trust me, BE PATIENT! it is so worth it to push through and bring him every time! Year two is going so much better and I cant wait for 3 4 5 6 7 8 ......

 

I took the dog to the river today for an off-leash romp. As you can imagine, he was frickin' stoked. He scaled riprap like a pro. Trundled through the single track. The only bad thing that happened was chasing a cyclist. It was weird though, I know there was not a bike path for many kilometres. Anyway, we will have to work on this.

 

I am the novice dog owner. My wife, however, has owned several dogs, including (and most recently) Australian Shepherds. We decided to get a dog because I mainly work from home and we have both had a few wildlife encounters that left us a little uncomfortable.

 

I must admit, when I first got the puppy, I was thinking 'what the hell were we thinking?!' It did not know where to poop. Tried to chew everything. It was like a toddler except way more destructive. At least now, even though it is still a puppy, with the basics of house etiquette down, we are starting to have some fun.

[Birddog]

Most important to do ground work with him at home and in the field. Hey him to be you're buddy,have patience, put him in a leash at times for corrections,he's going to screw up but that's the best times for corrections and praise. I've got a 13 year old Brittany that goes out all the time with me since he was a pup.

[Roach]

I took the dog to the river today for an off-leash romp. As you can imagine, he was frickin' stoked. He scaled riprap like a pro. Trundled through the single track. The only bad thing that happened was chasing a cyclist. It was weird though, I know there was not a bike path for many kilometres. Anyway, we will have to work on this.

 

I am the novice dog owner. My wife, however, has owned several dogs, including (and most recently) Australian Shepherds. We decided to get a dog because I mainly work from home and we have both had a few wildlife encounters that left us a little uncomfortable.

 

I must admit, when I first got the puppy, I was thinking 'what the hell were we thinking?!' It did not know where to poop. Tried to chew everything. It was like a toddler except way more destructive. At least now, even though it is still a puppy, with the basics of house etiquette down, we are starting to have some fun.

Yea I cant image fishing without my pup. The bond fishing together creates will last a life time!

Just keep that little ball of energy tired! both physically as well as mentally. The in home chaos will fade... btw its almost impossible! hahah gl scel! it only gets better

[flyfishfairwx]

Big Fischer on the river, paying attention to something

 

 

[SkwalaStonefly]

I am not anti-dog, however, the only time I have ever had to use my bear spray while fishing was on a large agressive dog who refused to listen to his owner. Many dog owners think that because their dogs are friendly towards themselves, that they will be friendly when they meet someone on a trail or on the river. I am fed up with meeting poorly behaved dogs while out fishing. I believe that the rules are that dogs should be kept on a leash. If you don't do that you run the risk of having your dog run off and bring a bear back to you - or of having a hiker or fisherman use bear spray on the dog if he gets nasty with them.

 

There are lots of complaints on this forum about poachers, people who tear up rivers with ATVs, people who random camp where they shouldn't, etc. If you take your dog fishing, keep him on a leash. If you don't, you are no different than those just mentioned above who decide what rules they will follow and what rules they will ignore. It's often easy to spot a friendly dog, but not easy to know whether an agressive, growling dog is going to take the last two steps and lunge at you. Fishing is supposed to be fun, so for all you dog owners who like to take pooch fishing, please respect other fisherman (and others, particularly kids) who you might not expect to meet out in the wild, by keeping your dog on a leash. It might also save you a lot in vet bills.

[SilverDoctor]

Further to that you may love your dog but when I'm on the river I have no interest at all in your pooch. Don't get me wrong I'm a dog lover but I'm not your dog sitter, I'm there to enjoy myself without keeping an eye on an unleashed untrained dog. Twice I've had dogs run into my back cast with the owner looking on and get tangled and hooked. Once I had to sacrifice a high end fly line cutting it free. So very few people actually train their dogs to stop, heel and sit. If your dog can't be totally trusted with these three simple commands they certainly don't belong off leash outside your property. I've owned four dogs and all where trained to these commands. I've also been bit twice in the outdoors as the owner shouted out "he won't bite".

[flyfishfairwx]

Well Skwala and Silver Doctor, I strongly suggest you think very hard before taking any aggressive actions against dogs you meet while fly fishing, for several reasons and all of them to do with your safety..

 

That being said, I totally agree with you both..

 

The reason for my first statement is that a dog running wild or even just loose and ahead of its owner is very unpredictable. Also the owner is unpredictable..

 

Now your nervousness can cause nervousness in a normally calm dog, you aggression can cause aggression in a normally calm dog.. I have witnessed this several times.

 

I always watch people as they approach Fischer, and when I sense that they are nervous I will get him to sit and ask them if they would like to meet him or ask me questions.

 

He does not charge or chase bears wolves etc, and he will put himself between me and somebody or something if he feels that I am being threatened, he will do this for Tiana also and my sons even though they are grown now..

 

Now the point of all this is that you make sure you know the difference between a well trained dog and an untrained dog, don't make a mistake, because I won't!

[monger]

Really....I shouldn't respond aggressively to an aggressive dog? I own a big, powerful, well trained dog. If she was to act aggressively to someone I would pound her face in the dirt. If I have an encounter with an aggressive dog I think both of us are going to get very hurt. I am sick and tired of aggressive dogs that are out of their owner's control. I fish to relax, not to feel threatened. If you don't have control of your dog, and it has aggressive tendencies, please keep it on a leash.

[SkwalaStonefly]

Maybe we should back up the train here for a minute. All the Alberta municipalities I am aware of require dogs to be kept on a leash except within specified off-leash parks. Here is the listing from the Mountain View County by-laws:

 

3.03 (a) No person who is the Owner or Keeper of any Dog shall permit such

Dog to run at large within the corporate limits of the County.

 

So, if you are out fishing with your dog running loose, you are really no different than poachers, people who ride ATVs through the river or those who camp where they are not allowed to. The above actions are all a result of people choosing not to obey by-laws. This is not about whether your dog is well-behaved so you don't need to obey the law. It's about obeying the laws where we live. We don't get the option of picking and choosing which laws apply to us. As good citizens we are responsible to obey ALL the laws, including the ones that we don't like, whether that means not fishing when the streams are closed or keeping our dogs on a leash.

[adams]

I always take my golden retriever in the mountains with me. She's very well trained (will sit, lay down and stay even if I walk out of sight until called). However, some people may perceive her as aggressive as she will bark at any approaching angler (until she sniffs them and then she's their best friend). She does this to provide me with a warning. Her tail is always wagging though, even when she's barking so she doesn't fool most people.

[bcubed]

Kind of funny to see the comparison of a bylaw to a provincial offence and/or federal fisheries act offence

[BurningChrome]

Maybe we should back up the train here for a minute. All the Alberta municipalities I am aware of require dogs to be kept on a leash except within specified off-leash parks. Here is the listing from the Mountain View County by-laws:

 

3.03 (a) No person who is the Owner or Keeper of any Dog shall permit such

Dog to run at large within the corporate limits of the County.

 

So, if you are out fishing with your dog running loose, you are really no different than poachers, people who ride ATVs through the river or those who camp where they are not allowed to. The above actions are all a result of people choosing not to obey by-laws. This is not about whether your dog is well-behaved so you don't need to obey the law. It's about obeying the laws where we live. We don't get the option of picking and choosing which laws apply to us. As good citizens we are responsible to obey ALL the laws, including the ones that we don't like, whether that means not fishing when the streams are closed or keeping our dogs on a leash.

So I guess you've never exceeded the speed limit, run a yellow light, or rolled a stop sign? Made a right turn on a red light without coming to a complete stop first? The list goes on and on...

[twispi2]

I could swear some fly fishermen were born with a bubble wrap suit on in the midst of perfect conditions. Always will find something to complain about. Heaven forbid a dog be off leash in the mid of no where

[snuffy]

I could swear some fly fishermen were born with a bubble wrap suit on in the midst of perfect conditions. Always will find something to complain about. Heaven forbid a dog be off leash in the mid of no where

Heaven forbid that a guy clean his quad on a stream in the middle of no where - what harm could it do?

[snuffy]

Kind of funny to see the comparison of a bylaw to a provincial offence and/or federal fisheries act offence

So at which level does the law start to apply to you?

[snuffy]

 

So I guess you've never exceeded the speed limit, run a yellow light, or rolled a stop sign? Made a right turn on a red light without coming to a complete stop first? The list goes on and on...

Probably, but I've never taken to the internet to defend the practice or threaten to assault anyone affected by my criminal behaviour, as above.

[snuffy]

As someone who until recently put 20k+km/year on a bike, I've been attacked by a lot of dogs (many, like scel's are fond of attacking cyclists). Some had their tails up and wagging, some had their tails level, some held their tails low, some barked, some growled,and others were silent. The one thing they all had in common was an owner utterly convinced that their little darling would never hurt a fly, or that if they did our was the fly 's fault, regardless of the dog's often lengthy rap sheet.

 

Also had to pull and even use my bear spray on aggressive, illegally off leash dogs on the river, most egregiously in k country where they are strictly forbidden. Something about the outfit freaks them out and otherwise same dogs often get crazy territorial in the backcountry.

 

I won't be taking any chances.

[SilverDoctor]

I could swear some fly fishermen were born with a bubble wrap suit on in the midst of perfect conditions. Always will find something to complain about. Heaven forbid a dog be off leash in the mid of no where

I was with Skwala when two out of control Rhodesian Ridgebacks attacked him. It was an extremely dicey situation and could easily have resulted in his hospitalization. The two separate bites I received in previous years encounters both drew blood I had deep puncture wounds from one. There was no Bubble Wrap involved. But perhaps according to you I shouldn't complain.