The saying ‘A dog is a man’s best friend’ rings true for Hidden Hill Lodge owners Lorrie and Carla Sanderson. However, they have NINE best friends. For twelve years now the couple has ran the hunting and fishing lodge alongside their furry pro staff who are way more than just employees; They are family.
Lorrie and Carla have always had a true love for dogs, especially Labradors. Holding a true passion for training, Lorrie takes pride in what he can teach a dog to do. “Normally I start training a pup at 6 weeks old. Labs are really smart, and can pick up on training quickly,” says Lorrie.
Before purchasing Hidden Hill Lodge in 2012, Lorrie owned a Lab named Maggie and was training another pup for a friend named Sandy. “Maggie and Sandy got along so well, and we loved Sandy as our own,” says Carla. “When it was time for Sandy to go live with her new family, Lorrie and I both cried.” Three days after delivering Sandy to her owners, they called and were unable to give Sandy the love and care she needed, so Lorrie and Carla welcomed her back with open arms.
Once Hidden Hill Lodge, located south of Fort Sisseton, was theirs, they knew quickly that they were going to need more dogs for the hunts they were scheduling. Before they knew it, nine dogs would call Hidden Hill home, and each one was trained by Lorrie. You may think it hard to keep track of nine dogs, along with remembering their names, but for the couple, it’s a piece of cake.
Ruby is 11 years old and leads the pack. Babe is 10 and sometimes gets car sick. Sadie is 10 and hates eagles. Jetta is 9 and is always stealing someone’s food. Dakota is 7 and gets easily jealous; Jazi is 7 and takes her job very seriously. Daisy is 4 and is always happy. Duke is 4 and is a daddy’s boy. Spike is 4 and is constantly running and playing.
“They are like our children. We don’t have a favorite, and we are with them 24/7” says Carla. The dogs roam free throughout the yard and acres around the Lodge, and always come to Lorrie with a quick whistle or command.
The dogs are even nationally known for their amazing ‘Pray before we eat’ trick.
“Carla and I truly believe God brought us to this Lodge for a reason, and we always thank Him for it before our meals, so I decided the dogs needed to pray with us.” Each dog gets there food dish or treat in front of them with Lorrie reminding them ‘No!’ not to eat until the prayer is complete. Once they are all set, Lorrie asks them to bow their head in prayer, each dog does as commanded and once the prayer is over and Lorrie says ‘AMEN!’ the dogs scarf down their food.
One guest that was staying at the lodge was so in awe of this trick that he recorded it and posted it online. Soon the video had over 3 million views and 20,000 comments. Before long, guests were booking their stays just to see the dogs in action. Often, when children come with for guided hunts, they love on the dogs more than focus on hunting. Carla states, “The children have so much fun with the dogs, and can recite their names, but forget Lorrie, Brandi and my name!” Brandi Stark is employed by Hidden Hill Lodge, and enjoys the dogs just as much as the guests do. There is no lack of love for these four-legged friends.
Of course, the dogs’ favorite thing to do is hunt, however they also enjoy a trip to Roslyn for coffee at least a couple times a week. Hidden Hill owns a 12 passenger bus and each dog has their own seat. They happily jump on the bus, into their seat and wait for Lorrie to take them to town. Once there, they get to come off the bus and wait outside of the C-Store as the employees always have 9 dog treats waiting for them to show off their ‘praying dog’ trick. They also love swimming, and jumping off the pontoon to retrieve training dummies during the summer months.
Lorrie and Carla take great pride in keeping their dogs healthy and ready for the hunting season. Each dog gets a certain amount of dog food, and a certain amount of treats. “We’ve learned that a big dog doesn’t live as long as a smaller sized dog, and that managing their diets really can help their longevity,” says Lorrie.
During the hunts, Lorrie takes out 3 dogs for around 2-3 hours and then gets 3 new dogs for the next hunt that day. Carla says “Oh, if he doesn’t take Duke and Jetta right away, they cry and howl the whole time, so I always remind him to take those two first so they get good and wore out so they will nap while the next set of dogs go out.” The couple goes through 40lbs of dog food every 5 days. They have started working with ‘Next Level’ dog Food Company and are very impressed with the product. The owners of the company have even come out to Hidden Hill for a guided hunt.
The couple has loved their time at Hidden Hill and look forward to however many years they have there, but the Lodge is for sale. When asked if the dogs would get sold with the lodge, the Sandersons quickly replied, “Oh NO! They are our babies, they go where we go.” However, Lorrie wouldn’t be opposed to bringing the dogs over for a hunt now and then if someone bought Hidden Hill and continued to use it as a game Lodge.
For now, the dogs patiently wait for hunting season and guests to arrive. They are always ready for whatever command Lorrie gives, a hug or love from Carla and Brandi, and most of all, for that table prayer to thank God for the food in front of them.
