By J. Michael Kelly

My wife and I will never forget the afternoon when we came home from grocery shopping to find Buffy, our six-month-old English springer spaniel, stretched out in the middle of the living room rug.

Or, should I say, what used to be the rug? During our two-hour absence, Buffy had turned that multi-colored woven oval inside out. Starting at one end, she and her needle-like teeth had separated the expensive floor-warmer strand by strand, until it was transformed into a jumbled heap of cloth spaghetti.

Many people, upon seeing such a sight, would have reached immediately for a phone book and dialed the local newspaper to place a "dog for sale" notice in the classifieds.

For our part, we just wailed piteously and reminded each other of how much we loved this recent addition to our family.

Keeping a hunting dog is definitely not for everyone. If you are thinking of getting your first, heed my words.

Although countless articles in sporting publications regale the reader with the advantages of having a four-legged field companion, darned few authors take a hard look at the flip side of the coin.

Before sealing a bargain with his local breeder, therefore, a prospective buyer ought to give sober consideration to the potential cons of dog ownership, as well as the pros.

Photo by J. Michael Kelly

Conversely, the hunter who goes afield only a few days a year, or who doesn't have the time to hold regular off-season workouts with his dog, won't get the full benefits of owning a hunting companion, no matter how impeccable the animal's pedigree. Instead of buying a pup, such a fellow would be wise to tag along behind somebody else's mutt or save his extra cash for guided hunts.

The proper motivation for dog ownership isn't the likelihood of easier sport. It's the desire to form a partnership with a creature that loves hunting every bit as much as you do.

We bought Harley, another springer spaniel, a couple of months after losing Buffy to a debilitating illness. Depressed by Buffy's passing, I knew the surest way to lighten my heavy heart was to strike up a new relationship with a different dog. From the outset, Harley and I hit it off. Like all loved dogs, she lived to please her master, and we quickly forged what can only be called a psychic bond. Quartering through goldenrod fields, she soon acquired the habit of glancing in my direction after each turn, altering her own path in response to simple hand signals. Moving at a methodical pace that matched my middle-aged ambulating, she seldom roamed more than 40 yards out and rarely flushed a ringneck out of range.

Today, I frequently hunt behind her without the need of speaking more than a word every 20 minutes or so. I know her, she knows me - in fact, I swear that dog can read my mind.

If you can honestly picture yourself having such a close relationship with a dog, start shopping for a pup immediately. You'll treasure the man-dog experience regardless of how many extra birds it puts in your freezer.

Like city-dwellers, suburbanites often find it difficult to come up with good places to exercise and train their pups. Local ordinances may prohibit dogs from running loose in parks, and even if there is a public place for such exercise, Little League ball games, group picnics and other activities may distract Fido from the task at hand.

Country residents who have big back yards and friendly neighbors would seem to have it made where issues of dog ownership are concerned.

However, no matter where a hunter lives, he must decide whether there is room for a dog in his own household. Should you lodge your dog in an outdoor kennel, or allow it to live indoors as a virtual member of your family?

Despite that rug-chewing incident (and a couple of other episodes I won't get into), my wife and I have always permitted our dogs the run of the house, with a couple of exceptions. Harley, according to Kelly family tradition, has access to one rather beaten-up old chair but is sternly forbidden from snoozing on any other pieces of furniture. She may watch us eat from an adjoining room but may not beg for snacks.

Every night, Harley curls up on the floor beside our bed and does not retire to her favorite chair until we are fast asleep. You might say that our dog has relatively few boundaries; however, I can assure you the lines that exist are firmly drawn.

As a reward for treating Harley as a beloved pet, I have a working dog of exceptional devotion and reliable obedience, a hunting partner who likes nothing better than spending time with me, at home or in the field.

Admittedly, I have friends who hold to a much different view. Two, in particular, kennel their dogs outdoors at all times and allow relatively little interaction between dogs and non-hunting family members. They get very good results during pheasant season, yet it seems to me that they are missing out on what could be wonderful year-round relationships with their hunting associates.

Kennels also pose some practical problems. First, a kennel must have a run long enough to permit its occupant a reasonable amount of exercise. Such a facility will take up a significant chunk of the yard, and if it is not meticulously maintained through regular repairs and repainting, it may quickly devolve into an eyesore. The likelihood of such deterioration explains why some communities specify the dimensions and materials for backyard kennels, or zone them out of existence.

For some hunters, the decision to confine a dog to an outdoor kennel is made by a spouse or other household member because of concerns over allergies, shed hair, tracked mud, and similar health and hygiene issues. Some fastidious folks simply can't tolerate a messy house, and if you or your significant other is part of that faction, you should resolve to build a kennel. Be aware, though, that keeping a kennel clean can be every bit as time-consuming as vacuuming hair off the family room rug. As for allergies, if dogs make you sneeze or break out in hives, you won't be comfortable with one of your own, no matter where it is kept.

Before moving on to the next subject, let me demolish one canard about dog housing. Namely, keeping a dog in your home will not make it fat, lazy, disobedient or spoiled. Conversely, housing a dog in a kennel will not make it leaner, more biddable or better disciplined. Poor conditioning and bad behavior are the result of inadequate exercise and shoddy training rather than living arrangements.