How to Keep Hunting Dog Training Exciting

Bird dog training doesn't have to be hard or stressful. Your dog will pick up his bird dog training faster and easier if he finds the training fun and exciting. With a few simple actions, you can keep your dog interested in training so you'll be ready for hunting season.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Play with your puppy to encourage retrieving. Use the bumper to get your dog excited. Throw bumpers or other items and reward the dog for retrieving the item and bringing it back to you.

2. Keep the training sessions short, particularly in the beginning. You'll have more luck training a dog that is interested than one who is tired and bored.

3. Use positive reinforcement that your dog likes to help teach her what you want her to do. You can use treats, praise, petting or short play times with your training methods.

4. Allow your dog to roam outside in a supervised area. You'll want to wait until your dog is showing good recall before letting her completely off the leash, but you can use long lines in the meantime. Some individuals like to use clipped birds so that their dogs can learn the fun of finding birds.

5. Take your dog to different areas to train once he's gotten the basics down. The new sights and smells will keep your dog excited in the training and help him prepare for real hunting situations.

6. Have fun yourself and your dog will pick up on your enjoyment. Hunting is a collaborative effort with you and your dog, so teamwork is important.

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