# Dogs in Avery Finisher



## craig jansen (Nov 19, 2004)

I had posted a while back about concealment of dogs when hunting out of your layout blinds. I've decided against a separate dog blind because I often hike in where I hunt, and I don't want the extra baggage. I also want to have closer control over him. I don't use an ecollar, and I don't want him bolting out of his own blind at the wrong time. This means I've decided to get a blind that the dog will fit in with me. I've also ruled out the blinds with the dog door at the feet, because I don't want to be firing over his head, for various reasons. I also want a blind that will fold up, because I don't have a pickup truck and I'm not pulling a trailer. Having said all that, I found a place that's selling the Avery Finishers in field khaki for $160 plus ten bucks shipping. That seems to be a pretty good price. My question before I commit to a purchase, is do you guys that use Finishers think there is enough room for a tall hunter to have his dog lay along his left side, inside the main cockpit of the blind, with enough room to sit up and shoot? Thanks in advance for your replies.

Craig


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## texan68 (Nov 29, 2004)

ya really don't need a blind at all....just keep still.


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## apeterson (Aug 3, 2005)

Just got done using my finisher for the first time today... I have a seperate blind for my dog.... I would say there is not enough room for a dog and a person to sit in the blind unless he is on your lap. to me this is not what I wanted to do..


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## bratlabs (Mar 11, 2005)

It depends on the size of your dog. If its a biggun, then it wont work. Ive sat in mine with my 65lb. lab, at home and it seems fine. I havent got to field hunt with her yet so I cant say in a actual hunting conditions. The Migrator would probably be a better choice for having your dog in the blind but the [email protected] things dont fold up a whole lot smaller then when they are set up.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

The dog blinds fold up pretty small and can't weigh much more than a couple pounds I'd go with a dog blind much safer for the dog. One guy in our group has a golden that weighs about 80 pounds and he keeps him in his blind he cut out the end of his finnisher but his dog is 10 and already hard of hearing .


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## swany25 (Sep 3, 2005)

Final Approach makes a product that attaches to the side of your blind and to the ground like 1/2 of a tent. it is ment to conceal your dead game. But I think it would work for a dog to lay under it. It is about 3 ft long and rools up and would fit inside a colapsed blind.


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## Labsroc01 (Mar 23, 2004)

Hide-a-Pooch the only way to go! The blind is made by Avery and is just as low profile as my Finisher Blind. My 85 lb lab fits in it just find, plus it has tie down stakes on all four corners, which won't allow the wind to blow it away like a tumble weed in 50 mph winds like the wind we had Saturday morning. As far as keeping you dog close and not allowing him to bust when you pull up on birds an e-collar is just about a must. I practiced two years ago with my lab shooting doves over a water hole in a flooded stuble field, so there would not be any problems when Honk's or Greenies were finishing, by the end of our first night everytime I pulled up out of my Finisher to shoot he would not bust unless I gave him the command. You can throw the dummy a thousand time's working on your pooch staying, but when the real birds are coming in they get just as excited as you! Also I have never had a problem with birds finishing using the Hide-a-Pooch from Sept. through Dec. Only weak point of the blind is that it will not fit back into the duffle bag it came with. I simply wrap a bunggy cord around it and it stores just fine.


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

I have a Finisher, and I'm 6'2" and also hunt with a lab (93 lbs.). I would not recommend putting the dog in the blind. Banging birds with a dog inside that blind is risky and questionable safety wise. I bought a little collapsable Finisher dog blind, it folds up fast and fits in a little bag. I just cut a small hole in the back of the dog blind and staked him in until he learned to hold steady.


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## Keith (Oct 17, 2003)

Craig, I weigh about 175 and my dog 58. We both hunt out of the same finisher, with her laying at my side. Tight fit, but it works. If your dog is not rock steady a side blind might be a better option. When you pop up and a whole flock of birds "appears" 10-15 yards out, and everyone starts up, initial sensory overload can induce a steady dog to break.


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## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

Mocha......Lay down!!
Mocha......Stay!!
No blind just a still dog.
She does and it works.


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## tb (Jul 26, 2002)

Here's what I did. I figured I'd put that extra movement to work to my advantage. Sold my chessie, sold my golden. Bought a black lab, special breeding (more about that later). I also bought a dog vest, sort of a dusty gray colour. Then I taught him how to stand on his back feet and clap his hands when I do a hail call. Each fall I paint his cheeks white and I paint his a$$ white. Its incredible. Beats the living $H!t out of flagging. Oh yeah, forget the field trial breeding. I talked to the animal trainer at the circus last time it was in town. He lined me up with a great dog.

I swear its true.


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## apeterson (Aug 3, 2005)

do you just use white spray paint or should I get the special dog kind...


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