The training of a hunting dog should start the same way as any other dog being trained. The best time to start training the dog is when he is still a puppy because if months go by it will be harder and harder to make him respond to your commands.
One of the hardest parts concerning training a hunting dog is that almost all owners want their dogs to be efficient at not only hunting but also as a family pet. For the first time, the puppy must learn basic and simple obedience commands like stay, sit, and whoa. The dog should be trained in such a way that he will respect his owner, because otherwise he will never listen to his commands. In order to earn his respect, the owner of the dog should train him by being gentle and kind but also by using discipline when situations require this. This will be crucial when you will be hunting, so you can rely on your dog, otherwise you will waste your time.
Sometimes while training a hunting dog, you may need to use an electric collar. This is a collar that you put around the dog’s neck that has electrodes in it, and every time you feel that your dog is not following a specific command you gave him, you can easily press a button so that the dog gets a shock through the collar. This helps in training the hunting dog in such a way that when he gets these shocks he will begin to learn and understand that he has done something wrong and ideally, he won’t do it again. This electronic collar can also be used when you are actually hunting with your dog, as this will help in those situations in which the dog will be distracted by a sound or when he will start chasing an animal. Don’t worry about using an electronic collar, because your dog won’t get hurt, he will just feel a little shock that won’t do him any harm.
If a hunting dog is properly trained, he will always keep his eyes open on his owner, and he will know every second where his master is and what he is doing. If your dog goes off on his own to hunt, that means that he wasn’t properly trained for this activity. A dog that is trained for hunting should always be trained in such a way that he will rely on his scenting abilities rather than his visual abilities, because in many cases he won’t be able to see the animal, but he always can smell it from great distances, thus making him more efficient.
Of course, the hunting dog should be trained to focus on the commands that his owner is giving him, because otherwise he will most likely become a useless hunting dog. When you are not hunting, you should keep your hunting dog in very good condition by making sure that the hunting dog gets plenty of exercise. Never give him too much food, because this could make the dog overweight. Not doing this will prevent the hunting dog from being able to keep up to the game when it is hunting season.
All things considered, training a dog for hunting purposes isn’t for everyone, but with time and patience, anything can be done. Always respect your dog, and he will return the same respect to you.
About Author: Razvan Marian Jr. is the CEO of
www.huntingdogsreviews.com/, a site where information regarding
hunting dogs can be found as well as other useful dog training tips.
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