Page 6 - Gun Dog Department

THE
////////////////////////////////////////////////// DOGS OF //////////////////////////////////////////////////
SCATTERGUN

The program is so
popular, there’s
a waiting list for
people to join.

and they start to get antsy. They want
to get back to work, and they’re excited
to return to the lodge. They’re equally
excited at the end of the season to return
to their foster homes.
The program is so popular, there’s a
waiting list for people to join.
All of the ScatterGun’s dogs are
trained by Tom Dokken, of Oak Ridge
Kennels in Northfield, Minnesota. Train-
ing is done in stages, with young pups
starting with a two-week, bird- and
gun-introduction class designed to bring
out and enhance the dogs’ natural abil-
ities, and develop a strong drive to
retrieve. The pups then go to their foster
homes and become well socialized before
returning for an intermediate course.
This training establishes good citizenship
in terms of basic obedience, whistle
recall, and quartering skills. There’s also
a focus on force-fetching for dogs to
deliver to heel and hold. At the same
time, they’re introduced to the e-collar
and trained to hunt close, as good South
Dakota lodge dogs should.
“Of course, basic obedience is hunting
close,” says Chuck. “They need to com- Four roosters and a spent
shell casing in the air give
plement what we’re doing. They’re going an indication of how fast
to work. They’ve got a job to do, and and furious the action can
be at ScatterGun Lodge.

Within reasonable range,
28-gauge shotguns are
often all that’s needed at
lodges like ScatterGun,
where the dogs are
trained to hunt close.

58 GUN DOG MAGAZINE | November 2019 gundogmag.com gundogmag.com November 2019 | GUN DOG MAGAZINE 59