Alex, I think it all depends on the dog and to some extent the marks you fish. My mate Giles takes his two jack russels as they go everywhere with him and to be honest one of them can be a bit of a liability. He ALWAYS seems to know when you have a fish on and then has his heart set on getting the fish landed for you. Not ideal!
I have taken two of our labradors on a few occasions and they are no hassle (Softie will attest as we had them with us on one trip we met up - although George's seemed intent on drowning himself!). They seem to get bored after a while and just chill out or lie down. Most dogs will cope with any terrain you might cover but if you are doing a lot of deep wading or clambering then you might want to rethink as the dog could get distressed if it can't be with you. Also, if there are other dog walkers where you fish you need to be confident your dog is socialised and isn't going to start a scrap or run off after other dogs. After all you want to be able to concentrate on your fishing albeit with your companion. The last issue is farm livestock. A number of my marks require a walk through fields with sheep or cattle. You do need a dog that is trained to stock and will behave on a lead or you could get yourself and the dog in trouble. Luckily my two labs are trained gun dogs so are used to stock and pretty obedient. If your dog is highly strung or tends to whine then I'd leave it at home, personally.
Despite the confidence I have in my dogs I don't often take them to be honest as it is a distraction I prefer not to have when I'm fishing and the car gets pretty crammed by the time you have Me, George, two loads of tackle, waders, boots, lunch, two dogs etc etc. They love it though, and I may try a bit harder to include them this year. Concentrate on Scout's basic obedience training while the fishing isn't the top priority and then you will have the option later in the year.
I have taken two of our labradors on a few occasions and they are no hassle (Softie will attest as we had them with us on one trip we met up - although George's seemed intent on drowning himself!). They seem to get bored after a while and just chill out or lie down. Most dogs will cope with any terrain you might cover but if you are doing a lot of deep wading or clambering then you might want to rethink as the dog could get distressed if it can't be with you. Also, if there are other dog walkers where you fish you need to be confident your dog is socialised and isn't going to start a scrap or run off after other dogs. After all you want to be able to concentrate on your fishing albeit with your companion. The last issue is farm livestock. A number of my marks require a walk through fields with sheep or cattle. You do need a dog that is trained to stock and will behave on a lead or you could get yourself and the dog in trouble. Luckily my two labs are trained gun dogs so are used to stock and pretty obedient. If your dog is highly strung or tends to whine then I'd leave it at home, personally.
Despite the confidence I have in my dogs I don't often take them to be honest as it is a distraction I prefer not to have when I'm fishing and the car gets pretty crammed by the time you have Me, George, two loads of tackle, waders, boots, lunch, two dogs etc etc. They love it though, and I may try a bit harder to include them this year. Concentrate on Scout's basic obedience training while the fishing isn't the top priority and then you will have the option later in the year.
