If you dream about becoming a long-range shooter and go hunting with your dog, you can accomplish your dreams. If you are already an accomplished hunter, or you have mastered the shooting skills, then your only task is to get a puppy that would hunt with you. Even if you live in the city, you still can train your dog properly.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the breed, training the dog, interacting with the pet, etc. This article will reveal several important tips on how to train your hunting dog. If you aren’t sure if you can train the puppy right, you can always consult a professional trainer. But let’s begin with figuring out what you can do on your own.
Choosing the Perfect Breed
The best idea when seeking the right breed of a dog is to consult professional breeders. It takes a lot of time and effort to actually find a breeder – but that’s probably at least 50-60% of success. The rest will depend on you and your abilities as a trainer.
So, how to find the right and quality breeder? Probably, it’s not the best idea to just randomly google the request and click on the first site. Here are the most important tips on how to find the correct breeder that has the best puppies:
- Talk to people with whom you usually go hunting, they might know someone. If you haven’t been hunting yet, you can ask people with whom you were learning how to shoot. You can even ask your instructor if you had one.
- When talking to breeders, make sure they actually sell breeds that perform on the field. The difference between contest show-bred and on-field-bred is obvious – the second type of dogs are hunting with real hunters on the field, while the second type is just for contests.
- If you have already found an agency or a website, make sure to spend time and research the company that you have found. Read the reviews and comments of people who have been using their services.
- The next step is to set an appointment and visit the breeder. You can consult with a breeder about what type of dog you need. Make sure to point out that you are interested in hunting breeds, not regular dogs.
There is one important thing to note – even if you buy a dog from a respectable breeder, the puppy might grow up into a regular dog. It’s uncommon but might happen. Even with the proper training and the best genetics, the puppy can grow into a loyal pet who loves you but is more interested in playing frisbee, rather than hunting ducks or other animals.
Make sure to understand that it can happen and be ready for the responsibility – don’t get rid of your dog just because it hasn’t met your expectations. You still get an extremely loyal and loving pet.
Understanding the Dog’s Needs
Do not forget about the regular needs of your dog. While growing up, it needs a lot of great-quality food, rest, sleep, and playful activities. Probably, one of the most important needs of your dog is bonding with you. Always remember that you need a connection between you and your amazing puppy.
Since you live in the city, keep playing with the dog in parks. Consider checking whether you have dog parks in your city. Dog parks are amazing to take your puppy to. These parks are equipped with everything a growing and active dog needs. Encourage your dog whenever he makes progress.
Make Sure Your Pup Keeps Hunting
Professional trainers recommend training and hunting with your puppy regularly. Set up a schedule and don’t miss training or hunting sessions. You can find trainers in your city, if possible, consult them about how to train your puppy to hunt.
The most important rule is consistency. If you train your puppy several times a week, and then you skip training for the whole next month, you won’t be successful. Try engaging your dog in hunting games whenever it’s possible. First, it will help you bond with your dog. Second, it will be great for the growth of your puppy. And Last but not least, your puppy will get used to physical activity.
Keep Training at all Times
As it was mentioned, training at all times is extremely important. Remember, even when your dog is already an adult and has learned how to hunt, it’s still important to keep training. This rule is especially important to stick to considering that you live in the city.
Your dog needs to be physically active. Long walks won’t be enough to keep your pet in great physical shape. Consider finding a park and train your dog several times a week. Moreover, you may consider using the services of professional trainers.
If you ask for help from a professional trainer, they will tell you about the importance of bonding with the puppy and spending a lot of time together. Before you let a professional trainer train your dog, your puppy needs to understand that you are the leader of your pack. Take care of the needs of the puppy, spend time together, play together, and make sure your pet is disciplined.
Obedience Training Is Important
Yes, puppies are extremely active, loving, overall amazing creatures. They love doing some fun things and to create chaos in our houses. Even though it can be extremely funny at times when a puppy is doing something wild, you need to train your dog to become your companion.
The very first thing to understand when it comes to obedience is that your dog shouldn’t fear you. The puppy has to feel safe around you. Your pet needs to trust you, that’s the only way you can earn the loyalty of your amazing little friend. Do not beat your dog, even if he or she is doing something that you don’t like.
Try to be calm and strict. If the puppy is doing something wrong, use a calm but strict voice to explain that the dog is doing something wrong. It might take a while till the puppy will understand that your strict voice means “no”, but eventually, you will succeed.
Earn the trust of your pet by being a perfect owner. Take care of the needs of your amazing little friend. One of the most important needs apart from food is bonding with the owner. It’s a crucial part of training your dog and earning his or her obedience and loyalty.
A strong connection between the puppy and owner can be established only if you will be the one who spends time with the dog and takes care of its needs. Spend a lot of time with your puppy. Play with your little friend whenever you have a free moment, especially during the first months of his growth.
Take care of all the needs of your dog, make sure he or she feels completely safe in your presence. Why is it so important? Because your dog gets the needed confidence. As you know, dogs are extremely loyal, especially to those owners who actually spend time with their puppies.
The puppy who has confidence and loves his owner will be encouraged to show the best possible results. The dog will want to be obedient to please you and earn your praise. That’s why it’s so important to spend every free second of your time with your little friend.
Conclusion
One of the most important things to remember when taking a dog is that from now on you are responsible for the well-being of the puppy. Even if it won’t grow up into a professionally trained hunting dog, it is your little friend who is loyal to you. Do not get rid of your dog if he or she won’t meet your expectations. Another important thing to understand is that you need to work bonding. A loved dog is a loyal dog, and that’s a part of successful training.
