When it comes to hunting waterfowl, there is nothing quite as awesome as watching your dog swim out into the freezing cold water to retrieve your prize and swim back to the shore carrying it in his mouth. Not only is it a great feeling when you are the one that trained your dog to do this, but there are few things that you will come to appreciate as much as your 4 legged hunting partner taking the swim into that freezing cold water for you.
A well trained hunting dog will not only help you hunt successfully, but will also become an obedient, lifelong friend and a cherished family pet. The following tips are meant to help you get started in training your hunting dog. These tips may not work for all dogs but will work with Terriers, Spaniels, Retrievers and Pointers.
To begin with, make sure that you do your research. There are a lot of different breeds of hunting dogs. Each one has a reputation for being skilled at one type of hunting or another. Research the different breeds to make sure you are choosing the one that is the best suited to your hunting needs. Each breed will vary in the amount of care that it will need. Some need a lot of room to run and others lead a sedentary life so it is also important you take the needs of the dog into consideration - and remember that a cute puppy could grow into a decent sized dog.
Many people find that choosing a puppy versus an adult dog nets better results. If you are simply looking for a house pet, then you should definitely choose an older, well behaved dog. Check your local dog shelters for the perfect household companion. For hunting it typically works best if you train the animal, beginning when he is a puppy. Taking the time to acclimate your new puppy to water will help ready him to go into open water when the time comes.
Teaching them some of the most basic of commands is also beneficial. Although you may feel it is cliché to train the dog to sit, it will help set the foundation for the future when you are training her to learn and listen to more complex demands. Introduce your puppy to decoys and scents early. You want to make sure that he learns the difference between a decoy and a real duck at a young age.
Always take time to reinforce positive behavior with a positive reward. Dogs love to know when they have pleased their owner. It is important when establishing a long relationship with your dog that he knows, from an early age, when he has done something that he will be rewarded for. If it is possible, train the dog daily. Making it a fun and rewarding experience for her will help her learn quicker.
Use training tools such as decoys and scents often so that the dog will become adjusted to the scent and feel of the waterfowl (or other animal) that you want her to hunt with you. If a boat will be used, train her using the boat so she will learn how to get in and out and will not be scared of it. As the dog learns, begin taking him out into real hunting scenarios so that he will adjust to that part of the training phase. During the training, when you are training the dog to adjust to gun fire, start by shooting away from the animal and over time, make adjustments until you are able to shoot right over her head. In time she will learn not to be afraid of the sound of gun fire when she is out hunting with you.
As always, we would love to hear any feedback from our readers. If you have additional tips that will help us or other readers train their dogs for hunting, please leave us a comment that we can share with everyone. You are of course always welcome to contact us too.
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