When teaching dogs to find and flush out game, Harper suggests running quartering drills regularly. By this point, your dog will have the necessary skills and physical ability to handle more demanding tasks. He recommends starting retrieval training when they’re 6 to 7 months old. Trainer Barton Ramsey recommends starting obedience training when your dog is 8 weeks old. “If a dog won’t do a sit/stay for a short period of time on a stand, then there is no way that they’ll have the control to sit through an exciting duck hunt.” “Obedience is the keystone that all other training is built off,” says Harper. Continue the process gradually, until the gunner is eventually right beside the dog when shooting. Reward your dog as they slowly get used to the shots.

With each retrieve, the shooter eases closer from behind the handler and dog,” says Harper. “The shooter fires a shot as the dog leaves to make a retrieve. At the same time, to start with, one of them would fire a gun 100 yards away. Harper and her husband trained their dogs by running retriever drills for the dogs, tossing a decoy “bumper” for the dogs to fetch. Cara Harper is an expert in the field who regularly hunts with her Labrador Retrievers, Nita and Rou. Gunshots are loud, and the sound can spook your dog into running off in the middle of a hunt. You’ll also need to bring along the proper hunting gear necessary to keep your dog safe and satisfied in the field. Aside from helping you find and retrieve the quarry you’re after, dogs also must become used to loud sounds like gunshots. But that doesn’t mean that your dog will automatically know what to do on a hunt.īefore you head out in search of game with your dog, you’ll need to train them. Many hunting breeds were actually developed specifically to find, flush out, or retrieve game. Dogs have been hunting with humans for millennia. Hunting with dogs is an exciting way to experience outdoor life together.

Akc dog training hand signals