Indoor Hunting Dogs

[Carguy2Banker]

This questions is for anyone that has an indoor family pet, that also is your highly driven and skilled 4-legged hunting partner.

How aware are they to knowing your routines and when it's a hunting day? What action triggers them? How excited (or annoying) do they get, even if others I'm the house are still sleeping?

I try to be as discreet as possible, for as long as possible to avoid this excitement, but eventually I have to put on hunting pants and there is no controlling the whining, panting, jumping, etc. after these go on. Anything blaze orange does it also. She will pick up my hunting vest and parade around, whining, if this is sitting out anytime she sees it.

Most days, she had to go into the dog box long before we leave, just so she didn't wake everyone by following me around everyone and being overly excited and vocal.
She doesn't sleep in my bed often, and on the rare occasion that she does, she avoids any contact and likes her space. However, if I lay hunting clothes out the night before, she always sleeps on the bed touching me. I assume so she doesn't sleep through my departure.

Is this common behavior in your households?

 

[robjak]

Yes. Dog goes crazy if i put out any hunting clothes or hiking clothes. Then sulks if i go right into the shower once i wake up (means i am going to work). She knows. She is whining right now watching me type this. Come on, dad lets go. She knows it is a huntoing day.

 

[birddude]

Mine are not too bad in the off season. They will calmly watch me until I put my boots on. Then they get excited. They even get noticeably more excited when I put on lace ups compared to slip Ons. But when the weather gets cool, they go crazy every time I walk into my hunting room. Then they get crazier if I touch a tracking collar. Having dogs in the house is a pain, but the rewards are worth it. From the comedic, to the sadness to the greater bond. I've only let my dogs in the last 20 years or so. Now I feel a sort of sadness maybe even shame for all the ones I didn't.

 

[Js4fn]

Just finished week of deer hunt 4 for 5 hunters when ever I open safe door mine are ready to go when he sees me get my vest out zest the GSP wears blaze orange neck gaiter when we go he’ll find it and bring it to me

 

[GetTothePoint]

Mine are not too bad in the off season. They will calmly watch me until I put my boots on. Then they get excited. They even get noticeably more excited when I put on lace ups compared to slip Ons. But when the weather gets cool, they go crazy every time I walk into my hunting room. Then they get crazier if I touch a tracking collar. Having dogs in the house is a pain, but the rewards are worth it. From the comedic, to the sadness to the greater bond. I've only let my dogs in the last 20 years or so. Now I feel a sort of sadness maybe even shame for all the ones I didn't.

It's changed for me over the years as well, I grew up under the thought of you can't keep good hunting dogs inside it'll ruin them. The older I've gotten the more they've been inside the house and the truck cab haha. My dogs now all are inside at night if not most of the day also for a couple of them. I even packed my truck different on a trip home from SD last year so they could ride in the backseat because it was damn cold and they'd hunted hard for 4 days in a row and weakness got me i guess. Other than the dang hair and dust I enjoy them in the house nowadays