How to Train Your Dog to Duck Hunt

Decoy ducks look very realistic and can be confusing for an untrained dog.

Duck hunting is an age old sport in which skilled hunters lure ducks into a nearby pond and shoot as many as possible before they fly away. Dogs are essential for duck hunting as they are the ones that swim into the cold water and retrieve the ducks. Dogs are not born with this unique set of hunting skills and must be properly trained, otherwise they will wind up retrieving decoys instead of your prize and may even scare the ducks away.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Play pool
• Decoy ducks
• Dog treats
• Training dummy
• Gun
• Boat
• Duck call

1. Familiarize your dog with the concept of water while she is still young. Fill a play pool with water and have the puppy fetch balls from the water. Reward her water play with treats and praise.

2. Teach your dog how to avoid decoys when he is roughly one year old. Place five or six decoys around the yard and walk the dog through the decoys, discouraging him from touching the decoys. If your dog obeys, give him a treat. If he tries to pick up the decoys, use a stern no and begin again until he obeys.

3. Add a training dummy in with the decoys once the dog understands that the decoys are off limits; have the dog fetch the dummy. Scold her if she gets distracted and reward her for going directly for the target. Be consistent with discipline and rewards.

4. Take the dog to target practice so that he will become familiar with the sound of a gun. Reward the dog when she remains calm and still while you are firing.

5. Load the dog in and out of the boat, if you are using one. If you have a swimming pool, have the dog practice jumping in and then lift him out of the boat.

6. Use your duck call around the dog. If she has not heard the sound by the time she goes hunting, it will scare her and she may bark, scaring away the ducks.

References

• Ducks Unlimited: Preparing a Retriever for Duck Hunting