Loan your dogs to a buddy?

One person and that was my father in law, he was getting up in age and his dog passed away so instead of him getting another dog we let him take our older lab to the pond with him. After the first time he was back every week to get her they spent a lot of weeks sitting in that blind together.
 
I was freshly out of college and had never owned a dog and had a coworker who I hunted with who would let me take his lab hunting. He had young kids so he wasn't able to get out more than once a week so he was happy to get the dog more work. The dog was well behaved and not the type to go running off, etc. We had hunted together dozens of times before he offered, surely seeing I wasn't a yahoo. Led me to getting my own dogs as well. If it's someone I trust I don't mind loaning them out.
 
The list is short…. As in dad/brother/one friend. Not being a snob but that would be the day something happened where important decisions need to be made. If it was just hunting I may be more generous, my list of vet bills from the past proves otherwise!
 
I had a very good and professionally trained lab. I did a lot of hunting with a few friends for many years. My dog would always hunt, it didn't matter who took him. I had a very busy fall one year (work). My hunting partner called and said we should go. I said I couldn't, but that was no reason to keep my dog from going. They took a weekend trip to western MN and did great. I wouldn't lend my dog out to someone I didn't trust. I always felt like my lack of availability shouldn't impact my dog. He was also hunting alone which I liked. My mindset was, something could happen to your dog whether you were there or not.
 
My mindset was, something could happen to your dog whether you were there or not.
Certainly could. But if you aren't there, someone else is going to be held liable and responsible. I would never want to shoulder that burden with someone else's dog and if it occurred on my watch, I'd never forgive myself. If it happens with my own dog on my own watch, I only get to blame myself.
 
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