Hunting Dog Training

Tips for Training Your Hunting Dog

Training your hunting dog allows him to develop and hone his natural abilities while creating a unique bond between you. Training requires patience and a substantial time commitment, but the rewards of turning out a high-quality gun dog are well worth it.

Some tips for successful training:

1. Socialize your pup. Your dog needs to familiarize himself with the world and with strangers as well as bonding with you.

2. Don't rush it. Your pup needs to learn the basics of acceptable behavior before he learns more complex commands.

3. Be the boss. Dogs are pack animals, and if your pup does not perceive you as the leader, he will do whatever he wants. Be firm, but gentle.

4. Use repetition. Dogs learn consistent behavior by performing the same task many times. Try to keep training sessions short and more frequent, rather than lengthy, as your pup's attention span is limited.

5. Do not over-handle your pup. Say a command once; dogs understand one-syllable words far better than a mish-mash of repeated commands.

6. Train in a realistic setting. If your pup is only accustomed to your back yard, he will not know what is expected of him in the woods.

7. Expose your dog to live birds, not just training dummies.

7. Perhaps most importantly, introduce your pup to the gun properly. Let him get accustomed to loud noises such as slamming doors before exposing him to the report of a 12-gauge shotgun.