Interesting reading.
One thing for sure is the passion and conviction everyone.
Decoy Dog, if nothing else is a very broad term and it seems everyone has a different take on it. I understand that some depending on where they live have different expectations about what a dog is and where it falls in their family.
I do not buy working dogs. Others may.. But I am looking for a pet. I live in a large city and getting somewhere to hunt takes an hour, or more (it's not uncommon for me to drive 4 hours somewhere). My truck is 4yrs old and has 93K miles and i live a mile from work. The terrain also can be tough, and dictate different styles. As others were saying they like their dogs to get out there, while some may want them to stay close.
The first thing, I would think, that a dog owner needs to do is figure out, do you want a working dog, or a pet? What do you want the dog to do on stand?
Since i live in a city, and don't have close hunting, i would take the dog to the dog park where she could play and run, a tired puppy is a good thing. The park here is about 2 acres, fenced. She would run out, chase the dogs a bit, and then get them to chase her, and come back to me. There were times when a dog would get to rough and she learned how to deal with that. A coyote isn't going to be forgiving.
Since i don't hunt every day and typically less than 60 days a year I wanted a behaved dog that was a pet first and a hunting buddy second. On stand, she would stay within 50 yards and usually sit near me and look for coyotes, and occassionally start howling and barking with/at the call. She would run out to coyotes, but then come back.. I didn't want her off chasing them where i couldn't see her, as that wasn't what i wanted. The area around here is full of washes and such and a puppy could get into trouble and i wouldn't have a way to protect her. A dead dog does no good.
my personal goal was to have a dog that would be a second set of eye's, keep the attention off me, and help sell my stands.. She did that very well. The biggest reason i got her was to sit on stand with me, and help me find the dead ones. Out here, you shoot one or two on a stand, and it can take some time to recover them. having a dog that i can put in the general area of the coyote, and find it quickly, would save me hours of time a year. Time that i would rather be calling in more, on the days That i do hunt. I don't live in rural area's, i don't have a job where i am out in the field all the time, and wish I could.. But, on the times that i am out, I would rather have that dog with me, then most people i know.
I kill an average of 25 coyotes a year, and liked having the dog. I skin out the coyotes, and sell the pelts despite knowing that it's really not worth it here in AZ, but it's good experience, and i enjoy it. There are a lot of guys here that have their ways they do things, and it works for them. Each of us have to pick and choose what works for us. Read, listen, discover all the different styles and find what works for you, and try not to desparage others. Lifes to short to get mad at someone because they don't do things the way you do.