A Look At Bird Dog Training by Morgan Hamilton

When choosing a dog, people base their choice on many different factors. As there are so many breeds of dogs to choose from, hunters for example base their choice on the type of hunting they want to do with the dog. However, no matter what hunting breed you choose there is one thing that is essential. It’s called bird dog training and apart from being very enjoyable it is crucial for a hunting dog. The most important thing about such training is that it must start quite a long time before planning the first real hunting trip.

It is very well known that all bird hunting breeds do have their natural inborn instincts, which make them so good for that type of hunting, but we still need the bird dog training in order to learn how to control those instincts. And make hunting much more enjoyable both for us and for the dog. It is an unpleasant emotion when hunting to yell at a dog that never listens. That’s why the main purpose of a good bird dog training program is to learn to communicate with your dog. Once you have the program all you need is consistency, as it takes many weeks, even months to learn that lesson.

The hunting dog breeds have a kind of inborn need to please their owner. It’s like a second nature. Usually hunting breeds are quick learners and are very eager to go hunting – naturally they’ve been bred to do that. But those dogs do need their trainer to be very consistent in the way he trains them. That training teaches the dogs to follow the hunter’s commands, and when at the end that dog knows exactly what the hunter wants it to do it will insure a plentiful and successful experience hunt after a hunt.

The training for bird hunting dogs is not only limited to the upland game hunting, it also applies for dogs hunting water fowls. The training for water dogs emphasizes a lot more on the dog’s ability to stay and mark the spot where the fowl lands, however the main goal of the training is still to learn how to communicate, because only the faultless communication between the hunter and his dog can deliver maximum pleasure from a hunting experience.

Although it has to be very consistent, it does not have to take up lots of time. Researches show that if 5 to 10 minutes are spent with the dog each day, especially at feeding time in order to practice a certain technique, the dog will learn. Actually any minute you spent with the dog can be used as such training. A retrieving game for example, not only provides good exercise for the dog, but also teaches making and staying, as well as retrieving to the hands of the owner. Even if the bird dog training doesn’t deliver dog show quality training, it will at least save you the unpleasant experience of yelling at the dog every time you need him to do something, while you are supposed to be having great time hunting.