A faux hunt for training

One off season recommendation I can offer is that one should take their dog afield as if to hunt, away from your normal training grounds.  Staying within your states regulations is important so make sure that the time of year you go afield is allowable, especially with hunting dogs since some states have restrictions during nesting season.

One of the best ways to test and reinforce your dogs obedience is afield as if on a hunt.  If an experienced dog that is wise to hunting vs. training, take …  …a toy wooden shotgun or old BB gun or something that ‘fools’ your dog that it is a hunt.  Go through all the same motions as you normally do so as to fool your dog that it is a real hunt.

If a young dog, spend the first 10 minutes yard working your young charge so that he/she understands that the newly learned commands apply at all new places then proceed afield.  Your training skill will come to light as the dog will hunt as it thinks it should.  Whether you have a handle on your dog or not will become readily apparent.

 Here’s some do’s and don’ts: 

DO act like it is a real hunt. 

DO not put out birds the first trip or two until you know you have a handle on your dog. 

DON’T try to control your Brittanys every move.  Remember, they have an independent spirit because that was bred into them.  The are suppose to independently seek game yet hunt to the gun.

DO watch them seek objectives and DON’T call them off of their attempt to hunt an objective.  Your dogs instincts tell him to run on the downwind side of some brush or other objective. 

DO occasionally give your dog your command to change direction as if you wanted to go hunt another area. 

Do ask your dog to whoa several times over a 30 minute period to test his ability to listen to the command and hold until you arrive as if to flush birds.  If the dog does not whoa, change direction, etc, Do correct the dog immediately in the field but remember you probably have more yard work to do back home and at your normal training grounds.

Have fun afield in the off season!

P.S. As it warms up over the summer your trips afield may have to be at daybreak.  If so, you’ll have to muster up some willpower to get up, get ready and be in the field at daybreak!

Dave