"Every time I looked at him in the field this season, it felt like I was hunting with an older dog. He really impresses me with his brains and disposition, and he’s got really great potential to be an all-star dog."
Getting Chevy was a pretty last minute decision. It still didn’t feel like enough time had gone by since Gunner’s passing. To be honest, I knew I would never be ready, so I decided to just bite the bullet.
Chevy is a lover, man. If you let him, he’ll sit right beside you and lick you for an hour straight. He’s great with the kids and they love him as much as I do. Unless I’ve got him sitting on his bed, he’s out there playing with them.
In some ways, he’s an old man in a one year-old’s body, especially when we’re hunting. In the field, he’s all gas, no brakes. He listens well and is pretty in tune with what I’m asking him to do. But when we’re home, he’s a clumsy, bullheaded teenager who wants to figure things out on his own.
It was pretty hard not to compare him to Gunner as a puppy and get out of the “old dog” mindset I had where Gunner knew every move before we made it. When I brought Chevy home, I jumped right back into bonding and training mode. I knew that was something I’d have to prioritize more this time around – when I got Gunner it was just me and him but when I got Chevy, we were a family of six with a lot going on.
Chevy did great during his first season and definitely has the foundation setup. His first duck hunt was a field hunt last November. I knew he hadn’t been in a situation like that before, with hundreds of sock decoys everywhere and lots of shooting at once, but he really surprised me there. He was so steady and quiet, but intensely focused and driven to retrieve. He picked up ten mallards that day, and I was really proud of how he did. It was hard to remember he was only around 12 months old.
Now that we’ve had a full season together, we know each other a lot better. He’s got a great nose and great instincts. Every time I looked at him in the field this season, it felt like I was hunting with an older dog. He really impresses me with his brains and disposition, and he’s got really great potential to be an all-star dog.
Chevy’s been at training recently and he’s doing really well. My goal for him this season is to get into a good cadence together and just learn each other’s communication styles more. We have such a great bond already, and he has really good natural instincts– even if I mess up a command, he still picks up on exactly what I’m asking him to do. I’m excited to teach him new skills and techniques that I never got to teach Gunner. He just got his HRCH, and my next goal is to work with him on blood trailing deer.
