Posts Tagged ‘Hunting’
Pheasants come first for Wiklund: Pheasants Forever biologist hopes to help state improve ringneck hunting, while …
By the end of today, Jared Wiklund and other Iowa upland bird hunters like him will have a better idea of just how dire a condition the state’s pheasant population is in.
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When people hunt small prey, they usually use hunting dogs to bring their kills. If hunting dogs didn’t exist, hunters would need to go find the prey they hit on their own, losing time. A hunting dog that is trained properly will reduce the amount of useless work that the hunter needs to do.
But, you can’t just train any dog to help with hunting. There are special breeds designed to perform best in the conditions that hunting requires.
But, you can’t find a hunting dog like you would any other normal dog breed. These dogs are well trained to be able to meet the requirements of hunting. The training process for a hunting dog is usually a long one, that needs the trainer to be patient and to know how to work with the dog. As for the dog, he needs to have the right attributes to become a proper hunting dog.
Choosing the right breed
As I said before, you can’t use just any type of dog to train for hunting. You should work with a dog breed that is specially designed for this, and that has a history of serving men in this capacity. You need a dog breed that is made to do this kind of job.
Some of the dog breeds that are well suited to be hunters include pointers, spaniels and retrievers. Each of these three have their own traits that are unique to them. Once you choose such a dog, the trainer needs to make the most out of their unique traits.
One trait that all hunting dogs have is a great sense of smell. This helps them track the prey in the field. Another trait is that they’re adapted to outdoor life and can be easily trained. If you want the best possible hunting dog, choose a breed that meets all the requirements. In most cases, people choose Beagles, Dachshunds, Bloodhounds or Labradors as hunting dogs.
What dog to choose?
If you want to train a dog to hunt, you shouldn’t choose one that is already fully grown. You should go with a puppy, since his behavior isn’t formed yet and he can be trained easily. The second requirement would be for the dog to have some affinity to the handler. You can’t expect for that affinity to form alone. This is why you should train the dog personally, or at least assist the trainer with it.
What does training usually entail?
A hunting dog needs to be able to master these six tasks:
a) Quartering
b) Retrieving
c) Steadying
d) Marking
e) Shaking
f) Following hand signals
What about scent and gun fire?
Some dogs will be scared when they hear gun fire. So they need to be specially trained to get used to it. Usually, this is done by conditioning the dog, by getting him used both with game birds and gun fire.
Game birds will be associated this way with gun fire. When he will hear it in the future, he will know that when the hunter shoots, he needs to look for the bird. After they get the prey, they will expect to hear the gun fire again.
One thing you should do when training the dog, is getting him used to a certain scent, depending on what you want to hunt with him. If you’re looking to hunt boar, than he should know the boar scent, so he can track it.
It’s much harder to do dog training than it is to train them in other areas. But, if you’re a true hunter, you will need a great dog to assist you.
Labrador Puppies Hunting Homes
Visit a breeder or animal shelter, and you find many Labrador puppies hunting homes. Some will be purebred, AKC-registered dogs. Some will be mixed breed. Some will be bred for pets, while others will be bred for show. If you want Labrador puppies for hunting, however, you will want to look for specific characteristics.
Breeder
The best Labrador puppies for hunting are probably those that come from a good breeder. The breeder should be acquainted with the standard for the breed. More importantly, though, the breeder should be dedicated to, and passionate about, training, breeding, and hunting Labrador Retrievers.
Ask basic questions. Does the breeder use only breeding stock that comes from the finest field trial and hunt test lines available? Ask to see pedigrees of the breeding dogs. Ask to see proof of awards won.
Does the breeder monitor the health of breeding dogs? Are their Labsâ eyes and hips screened for genetic disorders before breeding? Will they guarantee the health of the Labrador puppiesâ eyes and hips for a period of time? Do they keep kennels clean, clearly disinfected?
Are testimonials available from customers who have purchased Labrador puppies for hunting? Is there a possibility of talking directly to any of those people to learn more?
Labrador Puppies
Observe the puppies carefully, and ask questions. It wonât be too hard to choose the puppies that look nicest to you, but there are more important matters at stake if you want Labrador puppies for hunting.
Run through the following check list. Labrador puppies that have all or most of these 7 features are likely to be the most trainable for hunting. The 7 features are not necessarily listed in order of importance.
1. The Labrador puppies have been well socialized, including learning to be comfortable with children as well as adults: learning to get along with other dogs; introduction to birds; crate conditioning; and kennel conditioning.
2. The Labrador puppies have been introduced to water if the season permits.
3. They are obviously intelligent.
4. They are bright and alert when playing.
5. All of the Labrador puppies have respected pedigrees.
6. All of the Labrador puppies have had quality veterinarian care, being wormed, and receiving necessary shots.
7. They are clean and shiny.
New Owner
No matter how wonderful the Labrador puppies hunting homes are, if they are going to be Labrador puppies for hunting, the new owner will have a lot of responsibility. You will have to take those intelligent, energetic, eager Labrador puppies and teach them to retrieve birds for you. To do so, you may want to consider the following points.
1. It is a fallacy that your Labrador puppies must stay outside in a kennel if they are going to be good hunting dogs. Labrador puppies bond with their owners better, and develop much better temperaments if they are permitted to live indoors with the family.
2. For the first 5 or 6 months, you may want to teach your Labrador puppies little else than retrieving. That is, you may want to teach them to come when called. This is of topmost importance in retrieving. It is also important when an emergency arises, such as an unexpected vehicle, a snake, etc. It is a lesson that human children also should learn from a young age. You want your Labrador puppies to learn that âComeâ means immediately running directly to you.
3. Some puppies are taught to sit when they are very young, but they receive so much praise, all they want to do is sit. Some are started out with an obedience course that would be used for any pet dog. They learn to obey many commands, but end up not wanting to add retrieving to the list.
4. Keeping Labrador puppies in the house allows you to use the hallway as an early âretrieving groundâ for the puppies. When you throw a dummy down the hall, they have nowhere to go but back to you. As the puppies learn, you can sit to one side of the hallway, making them come directly to you. If they try to run past you, you can easily capture them.
If you are not experienced at training Labrador puppies for hunting, you may want to enlist a trainer who is, or follow use of the many books that offer complete training programs. Finally, even though you got your Labrador puppies for hunting, enjoy their undying affection and humor.
By: Anna Hart
