Why Teaching Your Spaniel to Hunt as a Team Strengthens Your Bond—In and Out of the Field
Sue Watkins 
Teaching your spaniel that hunting is a team effort strengthens your bond, enhances their focus, and creates a safer, more fulfilling partnership
The Importance of Teaching Your Spaniel That You Hunt Together—Whether or Not They Work in the Shooting Field
Whether or not your spaniel works in the shooting field, teaching them that hunting is a shared effort is vital. While many associate hunting behaviours with fieldwork, the skills and cooperation involved in this training go far beyond flushing or retrieving game. Understanding that hunting is something you do together benefits both you and your dog in many scenarios, regardless of whether you're actively working in the shooting field.
Here’s why developing this partnership mindset is important, no matter where your spaniel’s skills are put to use:
1. Strengthening the Human-Dog Partnership
Training your spaniel to work with you in a hunting environment nurtures a strong partnership. Spaniels are intelligent, driven dogs with deep-rooted instincts, and when they learn to collaborate with you, they start to see you as an essential part of their decision-making process. This fosters a relationship built on mutual trust, respect, and communication.
Even if your spaniel doesn’t work in the shooting field, practicing these collaborative behaviours creates a structured, rewarding activity that strengthens your bond. This teamwork mindset helps spaniels feel more connected to you, improving your overall relationship beyond just hunting.
2. Satisfying Natural Instincts in a Balanced Way
Spaniels are born to hunt. They have an innate desire to sniff out scents, flush game, and retrieve. While these instincts are powerful, they don’t always need to be expressed in the field. By working together, you can guide your dog’s natural tendencies in a way that’s both productive and satisfying for them.
Engaging in training exercises or mock hunts channels their energy into cooperative behaviours, giving them a sense of purpose. Whether or not your spaniel ever enters a shooting environment, they’ll appreciate having an outlet to express these instincts with you as a guide.
3. Fostering Focus and Responsiveness
Training your spaniel to hunt with you teaches them to be more attentive to your cues and to manage their impulses, which is invaluable whether you're in the field or not. When your dog knows they’re part of a team, they are more likely to check in with you, listen to commands, and stay focused.
For dogs who don't work in hunting scenarios, these skills are transferable to daily life. A dog that understands cooperation will be easier to manage on walks, more responsive during training, and better behaved in stimulating environments, like parks or social settings.
4. Prioritizing Safety Through Collaboration
When a spaniel learns to work alongside you, it enhances communication and keeps them safer. Whether in an open field or a park, your dog will naturally stay closer, respond more quickly to recalls, and follow your lead. This cooperative approach makes it easier to keep them out of harm's way, especially in unfamiliar or unpredictable situations.
Even if your spaniel never flushes game, the practice of staying tuned into you and working together significantly reduces the chances of them wandering off or encountering dangerous situations, offering peace of mind in any environment.
5. Enriching Their Daily Life
For spaniels not involved in hunting, engaging them in activities that mimic hunting behaviours, like scent work, retrieving games, or obedience exercises, offers them the mental and physical stimulation they crave. By approaching these activities as a shared effort, you create a rewarding experience for your dog that enriches their day-to-day life.
Your spaniel will benefit from a sense of purpose, and the teamwork involved will make these exercises more enjoyable and fulfilling for both of you. When dogs understand that these activities are done together, they approach them with greater enthusiasm and focus.
6. Translating to Other Activities and Challenges
A spaniel that learns to work with you in the field, or even in a mock hunting scenario, will find it easier to adapt to other activities like agility, tracking, or even basic obedience training. These sports and exercises require the same level of cooperation, attention, and responsiveness as hunting, and the teamwork mindset you develop will carry over seamlessly.
By working together, you set the stage for success in any other activity, helping your spaniel thrive in new environments and challenges.
Conclusion
Teaching your spaniel that hunting is something you do together has value, whether or not they work in the shooting field. It strengthens your relationship, gives your dog an outlet for their natural instincts, and enhances their focus and responsiveness in all areas of life. This shared approach not only makes them a better partner in any task but also fosters a deeper bond that extends beyond training.
By working together, you create a sense of teamwork that benefits both you and your spaniel, ensuring a happy, fulfilled, and cooperative companion in any setting.