How to Train German Short Haired Dogs to Hunt
The German Shorthaired Pointer is an adaptive learner and traditionally bred as a bird hunting dog. According to the American Kennel Club, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter and an all-purpose gun dog. Much of what will need to be taught will come as instinct to your dog, but particular commands must be instructed, such as "sit," "stay," "come," "fetch" and "smell."
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Instructions
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Sit
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1
Hold a treat in one hand above your dog's head and place the other hand on his haunches pressing lightly downwards while giving the command "sit". This should encourage your dog to go into a sitting position; if he tries to lie down gently tug him up with the leash and repeat the command again. As soon as your dog is in a sitting position, praise him and give him his treat.
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2
Tell your dog to sit. Now, take one step away from her, giving the command "stay". If she tries to follow, tell her firmly "no" and make her go back to her initial sitting position. When she holds her sitting position for a few seconds, walk back to her and give her a treat. Begin increasing the distance until you can walk a full 25 feet away from her without her moving.
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3
Allow your dog to wander around on his leash. Give the command "come" and tug on the leash. If he resists, pull him to you with the leash, repeating the command. Once your dog is in front of you, reward him with a treat.
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4
Take a medium-sized corn cob, remove all of the kernels and allow it to dry. This makes the corn cob coarse and prickly to teach your dog to hold things gently in his mouth. Take the corpse of the type of animal you will be hunting and rub it onto the corn cob to get the odor soaked through it. Allow your dog to smell the cob and reinforce your dog's interest with high-pitched inflection. Toss the cob and tell him to "fetch." Your dog will instinctively chase after it and bring it back to you. When he does this, take the cob away and give him a treat. The cob is for training time only; never allow your dog to chew on it.
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5
Take the cob that you trained your dog to fetch with and reinforce the scent by rubbing it on the appropriate corpse again. Tell your dog to stay while you place the cob 5 to 20 feet away from him. Return to your dog, and tell him to fetch and point toward the cob. Once your dog has returned it to you, give him a treat and praise him. This exercise can be elaborated by hiding the cob from your dog so that he has to use only his sense of smell to retrieve it.
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Tips & Warnings
Always keep your dog on a leash to keep him from getting distracted.
End each training session positively. If you feel yourself becoming too frustrated with your dog, end the session and come back to it later.
Your dog must be used to the sound of a gunshot, so expose him to hunting situations as a puppy so that when he's ready to go hunting, the gunshot does not scare him.
Teach one command thoroughly before moving onto the next.
References
- Photo Credit duck 3 image by Aussiebloke from Fotolia.com
