Has anyone brought their dog on guided hunts before? If so what guided operation did you use? I have a dog that needs to get some hours under his belt in the duck blind.

just about any guide service will let you bring your dog it's your money

I would ask first some Guides will NOT let you bring your own dog! Me for example I run trips out of airboats. I won't let someone bring a dog if were going on the airboat just due to most dogs have never been on one. The noise makes the dogs cower down and run straight under neath the captain. Seats and engine stand. Pretty much toward the prop. But on my flats boat more then welcome to bring a dog. But ask before you bring one!

I don't let dogs come on mixed group hunts. Clients aren't paying to have a dog that's not there yet ruin their hunt, and I'm to busy to go to court as a witness on a murder trial when the guy on his very first ever duck hunt shot a breaking dog and then the dog owner shoots the client. I'm just to busy

Ask before taking. Most will if you give them a heads up and you are not in a mixed group of hunters.

Dave

He's gotta be steady on working birds. Only way to be sure of that is to go on a hunt where a buddy is hunting and you're just there to handle your dog. IMO, that's the make or break scenario.
I knew my dog was ready for primetime when he was maybe 18 months old and he didn't break when a 6 pack of gadwalls landed 5 yds in front of his mutt-hutt before legal and he didn't budge.
He's been on 25+ mixed group hunts since with various outfitters

More than welcome to bring your own dog unless on a mixed hunt. On the other hand if on a mixed hunt the others agree something can be worked out. However you have to be willing to put the dog up if things aren't going well.

Yup, got to bring my boy @ 2 yrs old on his 1st goose hunt. It was a blast! I never shot , just worked the dog. He did great on steady, lying next to me and chasing down and tackling sailing cripples. Great experience and proud to have my dog bragged on.

Nothing can ruin a hunt faster than someone's out of control duck hound. However, nothing can make a hunt better than someone's in control duck hound.

We allow clients to bring their dog as long as it's a private party. Even then we'll still bring ours to make sure we're not having to chase birds all morning. If the clients dog proves that it can take care of all the retrieves, then the next time we'll leave ours at the house. Lost count of how many times we've heard about how awesome a dog is or how much it's been trained and then needless to say it underachieves.

All our hunts are private so if the client wants to bring his dog he can, even in the airboat. My somewhat joking rule is if your dog doesn't pick 'em up you will. I've had several clients of dogs I've trained book hunts with me so they can learn on the job so to speak as to how to handle the dog while we hunt. Most times I bring one of my dogs too. If nothing else it's great honoring practice and if the situation comes up where the client dog is in "over his head" then my dog can pick up the slack. So far it's not been an issue and as someone said above, it's your money/your hunt. And that's one reason we run private parties so nobody gets upset if the dog work takes over the hunt.

Luckily I have friends with awesome duck hounds

I would ask. If it is a private party most won't care. I brought my pup last Sunday out with Brad B's outfit. It was me, my son and the guide. I "expected" my dog to do well but it was his first time to hunt ducks for real (hunt test don't count) so you never know. It went great but I would have been nervous in a mixed group since it was his first time.

BTW - Thanks Brad again we had a good time


Funny Story - I did have a guide tell me that the dog has to be run flawlessly, that is why the only bring there own dogs. The guide I hunted with had a lead on his dog that he stood so the dog couldn't break and then couldn't handle a blind retrieve. Even better than that is the video on the website has a different dog already in the water before shooting has even stopped.