There is an old school of thought that a hunting dog should not live in the house. “It ruins his instincts, spoils him like a kid, and creates bad habits that make him a less efficient hunter.”  I say, “Bunk.”

Thankfully, that school of thought seldom exists today and it is clearly out of touch for followers of LabsnDucks. Your lab spends a lot more time as a family pet than he does chasing mallards through the reeds. Your lab needs what he gets from living with you and your family in your home just as much as he does learning to sit on the whistle in the field. In fact, the socialization and love he gets at home can make him more responsive to wanting to please you in the field.

Letting your hunting dog hang out on the sofa or sleep in your bed is not a problem from my perspective. And certainly not from your dog’s perspective!! Your family will spoil your lab in many ways that are out of your control because he is their dog too.

But sooner or later, you need to distinguish fun from training.

It’s up to you to find the balance because no one can tell you when to just let your dog be a dog and when to insist your hunting dog be a student of the game. It should, however, be a top of mind consideration because they are counterproductive as one encourages breaking the rules and creating habits that will impact your training. Give a lab an inch…

For example, when you’re just playing fetch for fun, include some of the disciplines that you are teaching at the time but keep it light and age appropriate. When the kids want to throw something for the dog, try to make him sit and stay first and have the kids give the fetch command. Then have them yell ‘come’ when the dog picks up whatever they threw (stay away from sticks.) The kids will love the ‘power’ and your friends will be impressed by the dog’s discipline even if rudimentary. At the very least, you will be reminding the dog that there are rules he cannot forget. You can add basic discipline and still let everyone have fun. But don’t neglect just random play with the dog either because that’s important for everyone.

Find the balance like your family depends on it!