Time can also be budgeted. In our time-pressed world, blocking out one or two hours each day for dog training can be difficult. Work, long commutes, family activities and other commitments can erode dog-training time as well as hunting time.

At the very least, block out 10-minute training intervals each day. If you can spend 10 minutes in the morning before work, another 10 after work and then another 10 before bed, your dog will get 30 minutes of training per day.

With this formula, if you miss one or two time blocks during a given day, your dog still gets some attention, and should end up with about 90 hours of training per year.

Of course, owning and training a dog requires commitment and you cannot budget commitment. Remember the old adage for any activity: You only get out of it what you put into it. Put your heart into a dog and you will enjoy many years of exciting sport with your valuable hunting partner.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Hunters should evaluate their family lifestyles as part of the dog-buying decision. The average American works eight hours per day, gets a one-half hour lunch break and commutes 20 minutes each way.

With that schedule, a dog would be alone for nine to ten hours per day. While an adult dog could handle that quiet time, a puppy might not. Thus, before getting a puppy you need to arrange midday home visits on lunch breaks, or have family members or a dog sitter walk the dog during the work day.

Traveling salesmen and other careers that require lengthy travel trips must evaluate their ability to care for a dog. If you have such a job, you need to be honest with yourself about what is fair to your dog. Owning one may not be the best thing for you or a canine hunter. Don't get a hunting dog if you honestly don't have the time to train or hunt with it.

SOME OPTIONS
If your life situation prevents or dissuades you from getting a hunting dog, you still have some options. For example, consider buying a "started dog" from a professional dog trainer.

Waterfowl hunters will almost always pick a retriever. Buying one is not simple because all retrievers are not created equal.

Started dogs have already undergone the basic training needed to turn them into quality hunting dogs. You could spend $3,000 to $6,000 for a started dog depending on its level of training.

But the advantages here are that you're buying a one- to two-year-old hunting dog that is ready for the field instead of a puppy that needs to be housebroken, obedience trained and then field educated. If you put a value on your time, the started dog could actually be considered a bargain.

At this juncture, one might think that buying a hunting dog would qualify you for advanced psychological counseling. But, owning a dog provides rewards beyond the financial burden and time commitment. Your dog will be your best hunting partner. He will never laugh when you miss a bird not criticize your field miscues, nor stand you up because the weather is too cold, too windy or too wet.

Rover will always be there by your side --in the field and at home.

WHICH BREED IS BEST?
Once you make the decision to get a hunting dog, your next difficult step is to evaluate the breeds. Hunting dogs can be divided into three groups -- pointing, flushing and retrieving. These designations indicate what the dog will do in the field.