Your Hunting Dog Source

The Setter Breeds have been refined through careful breeding to combine the best features of both the Pointer and Spaniel types of dogs. The result is an athletic and motivated hunting partner, as well as being an elegant and beautiful companion in all situations. The Setter Breeds are one of the oldest types of gun dogs, with a history dating to the 14th century.

The regal Setter breeds possess an innate instinct for scenting and flushing hunting game such as quail, pheasant and grouse. The Setters search for their game quietly, relying on their keen sense of smell. Rather than chase after the game, the Setter defies natural instincts and freezes and waits, allowing the hunter to step in and take the prey. Their distinctive “crouch” or “set” when they find their prey earned them the Setter name, and includes the Irish, English and Gordon Setters.

Well-balanced and athletic, the Setters are grace personified, and their flowing coats help give them the illusion of floating across the landscape as they move rapidly towards their target. Their athleticism makes them an ideal companion over large amounts of terrain, but in companion life they require devotion to regular exercise to maintain their health and mental well-being.

Setters are ideal for families able to give them the necessary attention and activity they crave, and their intelligence and sensitive nature makes them adaptable dogs, suitable for both hunting and the home. These breeds of dogs are highly tolerant with young children, and are especially suitable to be a companion for active children and adults seeking a partner in their adventures.

While everyone has an opinion about the best dog breeds, whether for hunting or home, one thing is for sure… we all love our dogs!

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The smallest types of hunting breeds of dogs, Spaniels, are also extremely versatile. Endowed with intelligence, affection, obedience, and especially beauty, Spaniels have found immense popularity in both the hunting world, as well as a valued member of the family.

The Spaniel was bred to be the ideal hunting companion. While the Pointers work at a distance, Spaniels work close to the hunter, allowing them to follow closely on foot. The Spaniels’ job in the hunt is two-fold. As they approach game, they crouch down and sneak up on their prey, flushing them out of hiding places and into the open air. Once the game has been shot, the Spaniels retrieve their fallen game.

Spaniels are also bred for a soft mouth, to avoid damaging the prey. Their thick coats and small size allow them to get into areas of thick bush easier and without harm. Traditionally used for hunting upland game birds, they are equally proficient with rabbit and waterfowl. They are well suited to all terrain, able to perform well in open field, woodland and marshland alike.

The enthusiastic and highly affectionate Spaniel breeds are willing to learn and easy to train, making them valuable for use in the field and well as for family companions. Many of the Spaniel breeds, such as the Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniels have become beloved staples in family households.
SPANIELS

* English Springer Spaniel
* Cocker Spaniel
* Clumber Spaniel
* English Cocker & Field Spaniel

* Boykin Spaniel
* Irish Water Spaniel
* Welsh Springer Spaniel

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Incredibly athletic, and dedicated to whatever the job at hand may be, Pointers are the forward scouts of a hunting team, identifying game and allowing for the hunt to proceed. Pointers exude grace and nobility, and combine their powerful physical prowess with courage, intelligence and desire. Selectively bred and renowned for their ability to find a scent, these breeds of dogs will seek out their game rapidly, freezing into position and “pointing” a short distance away to allow the hunter to get into position. Particularly valuable when hunting upland game, the intelligence and good work ethic of the pointer makes them easily adaptable to other types of game as well. Some of the pointer breeds are all-purpose or versatile in their abilities to point, retrieve, or track. These sporting breeds of dogs work on land and in water giving the hunter a variety of opportunities. Despite their enthusiasm and devotion to their hunting work, Pointers are also good family dogs, and they show incredible commitment and loyalty to their families. Even-tempered and well mannered, these breeds of dogs will gladly co-exist with other dogs, cats and children, exemplifying their innate adaptability. In addition to their value as hunting and family dogs, their high level of intelligence makes them an idea partner in field trials, agility and obedience work. Adequate exercise is necessary for even a non-working pointer and will keep these types of dogs happy and healthy. POINTING BREEDS * American Brittany * German Shorthair Pointer * Pudelpointer * Vizsla * Wiredhaired Pointer (Drahthaar) * Spinone Italiano * Weimaraner * Munsterlander * Pointer * Griffon

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Retrievers

Retrievers are easily the most popular of the sporting breeds of dogs in the USA. They are highly valued for their willingness to please, intelligence, and obedience.

The characteristics of the Retriever make them indispensable to waterfowl hunters. Their inherent love of water makes them the ideal dog for retrieving shot birds and upland game, and they known for their “soft mouths”, enabling them to retrieve without damaging the game. They are the best known duck hunting dogs.

RetrieversRetrievers are highly athletic and well-balanced dogs, able to withstand extreme weather conditions, as well as the physical hazards of the brush. The special density and hair type of their coat that allows them to repel water, and their seemingly limitless energy enables them to quickly adapt to working in both the water and on land. They have webbed feet that propels them powerfully through water.

Retriever breeds are highly trainable, with an ability to respond to training pressure without loosing interest in their job. Retrievers are problems solvers, willing to work through a situation in order to complete their task.

In addition to their excellent hunting skills, the versatility and personality of the Labrador and Golden Retrievers has made these breeds of dogs the most common type of family dog, with their friendly and reliable temperament earning them high praise with children and families. These breeds of dogs are easy going, and capable of adapting to different living and family situations. This adaptability and acceptance of the unknown has made the Retriever indispensable for use as guide and service dogs.
RETRIEVING BREEDS

* Chesapeake Bay Retriever
* Curley-coated Retriever
* Golden Retriever

* Labrador Retriever
* Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever
* Flat-Coated Retriever

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There are several types of dogs that can be used for hunting, tracking, and the retrieval of game birds. These dogs have been breed for specific types of hunting, but some dogs are able to perform several hunting activities. It is important to know what type of hunting dog you want before picking a specific breed.

In order to find the perfect dog that is right for your hunting needs I have compiled a list of general characteristics of the different types of dogs that are used for hunting. Dogs of all kinds can be used for some form of hunting, but these breeds excel in hunting because they are breed and trained to refine specific skills.

Retrievers

Retrievers’ are ideally used to fetch game once they have been killed. These dogs also vary among groups. Some retrievers are suited to retrieve waterfowl while others retrieve upland game birds. These dogs have a specialized mouth called a “soft-mouth.” This allows them to retrieve the bird without damaging the body. These dogs are extremely intelligent and they have very good problem solving skills. They actually watch where the birds fall and know exactly where to look for them. Labrador Retrievers and Golden retrievers are the most common types used for hunting. But, there are other breeds that are can be also produce the same results. These are

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly and Flat Coated Retrievers and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

Not all dogs have to be retrievers to be good hunting dogs. The standard poodle and the Portuguese Water Dog have also been used as retrievers, but are not as common.

Flushing Spaniels

Flushing spaniel hunting dogs are used to scare birds in order for them to fly in the air in larger concentrations for the hunter. These dogs have excellent mapping skills and they are able to understand trace patterns. This allows hunters the ability to hunt in locations that have a higher concentration of game and which way the birds will fly once they are spooked. This dog also retrieves game that has been shot by the hunter. These dogs make ideal pets and they are now rarely used as hunting dogs.

Common hunting spaniel breeds include the Cocker Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, American Water Spaniels, Clumber Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel.

Pointers and Setters

The Pointers and Setter breeds are very fun to watch. These animals are able to obtain a solid rigid state and point to where the game is located. These dogs usually assume a stance that requires them to hold up one paw in a bent position, but point with their nose to where the game is located. These animals can also search and bring back game.

The most common hunting dogs that are pointers or setters include the Irish Setter, English Pointer, English Setter, Gordon Setter and the Irish Red and White Setter.

Another excellent breed that needs to be mentioned is hound breeds. Hound breeds can be divided into scent hounds, which hunt by following a sent or trail. Scent hounds include Bloodhounds, Coon Hounds and Bassett Hounds. Sight hounds are dogs that hunt by following their vision and chasing prey. Sight hounds include the Greyhound, Borzoi, Afghan, Irish Wolfhound and the Whippet.

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It can be very tempting to run before you walk, but training a hunting dog needs the same patience needed for training any dog. Start with the basics: sit, stay and whoa, and earn the dog’s respect and obedience before working up to more specific tasks like retrieving and flushing. Keep training sessions short, particularly with young puppies whose enthusiasm is often greater than their physical endurance. It’s better to call an early halt to the session and leave the dog eager for the next one, rather than drag it home tired out and bored from repetition. Even just letting the dog have a supervised ‘explore’ of a safe outdoor environment will work wonders in developing its natural curiosity and confidence.

If you will be working more than one dog, or if you will be hunting with others, train the dog to concentrate on you and your commands. If you regularly work a number of dogs, training using a series of whistles with different pitches will allow you to work them together. However, while you want the dog to be attentive to you when it puts its head up, part of a good working relationship consists of trusting the dog to use its nose.

When training, it is important to keep the training fun and exciting. Hide dummies in different positions, vary the timing and route of walks and make sure training sessions don’t become predictable. Above all, keep the dog guessing while being consistent in terms of control. Also use domestic routine, such as putting out the garbage or meal times to underline commands and don’t forget to reward the dog as much as possible to reinforce good behaviour.

Consistency of approach is crucial, not only to maintain trust, but also to progress together. Keep commands and hand gestures the same and don’t encourage any behaviour which you wouldn’t expect in the hunting field, even if you are only out for a relaxing walk. Set boundaries and stick to them. If the dog is also a family pet, make sure that the whole family understands the boundaries, and why they are necessary. Consistency also comes from insisting that required behaviour is carried out. If a dog shifts when it has been told to stay, gently place it back on the mark.

Ultimately, if you shower your dog with love, set consistent boundaries and earn its trust, your will have a hard working, reliable companion who you can trust in the field.

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Trying to sum up the requirements needed to train a good hunting dog in a few hundred words is almost impossible. There are so many factors to consider. Breed, sex, quarry, type of hunting, the individual temperament of the dog and whether the dog will be working alone or with others, will all have an effect on the relationship and how the animal needs to be managed. However, the secret to bringing up a good hunting dog can actually be summed up in a single word: trust.

The underlying trust between a dog and its handler is crucial to success. A dog that only responds through fear not only deserves pity, but is unlikely to give the extra 10 per cent needed to find that winged bird in particularly rough cover, or to push on when other animals have given up. In contrast, a dog that clearly loves his work will leap willingly into deep water and point to quarry without thinking.

The development of the bond between man and beast is the main reason people choose to train their own dog from a puppy. While it is perfectly possibly to purchase a fully trained adult dog, there is not only the disadvantage of cost, but also the lack of shared experience. Training a dog yourself does not mean that you can’t bring in professional help and advice if you want to, but obtaining a puppy makes it much easier to assert yourself as the pack leader from the outset of your relationship.

Also, while experienced trainers and breeders will admonish one for saying so, most of us have at least one or two bad habits. Having a dog from a pup means that at least it will understand your foibles, although this is no substitute for good training (in some cases of both owner and dog).

Some people swear by the use of an electric collar. They argue that the small shock produced does not harm the dog and that it allows a handler to reprimand the animal from a distance. Electric collars are not designed for young puppies and, if you need one when the dog is old enough to wear one, then you haven’t done your basic training properly. A water pistol is sufficient to have the same chastising effect on a puppy when it is still close enough to you, and backed up with the right combination of tone of voice and reprimanding command, should be more than enough to make your displeasure obvious to the dog. Exclusion, if only for a few minutes, can be another useful tool to underline what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour.

If you get that message across early enough, then by the time the dog is likely to do something serious, such as running away or failing to return, then you should have developed sufficient authority to get your message across. Remember that puppies are like children and that gentle reinforcement of the required behaviour is far better in the long run than telling the poor creature off for every little thing it does wrong.

The best dogs are trained to hunt by scent, although sight plays an important role in the initial stages of a retrieve. It’s often easy to forget that years of breeding have equipped the various breeds of hunting dogs with all the tools they need.

Work to the breed’s (and even the sex’s) strengths. Friends who have worked a number of Labradors, say they adopt a different approach depending on whether the animal is male or female. Females tend to be more biddable in formal training, but may be reluctant to push on through rough terrain. Conversely males may need a stronger tone to keep them on the straight and narrow, but may be better at independent work in the field. A dog that is going to be tracking will need different qualities (and a different training approach) to one that will be picking up and retrieving shot birds.

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If you love the sport of hunting, properly training your hunting dog will make you have a more enjoyable hunting experience.

Training a hunting dog takes a lot of time and a lot of effort from the person training the dog. The training of a hunting dog should start the same way as any dog being trained. It should start right from when the dog is a puppy. A hunting dog should be fully trained before being taken out to hunt and also make sure the dog is fully trained before the actual hunting season.

The hardest part about training a hunting dog is that the owner usually wants to use the dog for hunting and also want the dog to be the family pet.

The dog should be trained using basic obedience commands first such as sit, stay and whoa. The dog should be trained to respect the owner. Getting a dog to respect
and obey you is done through being gentle, kind and using disipline when needed. By using these commands when training your hunting dog will help in your dog looking for the game you’re hunting for rather than you having to end up looking for your hunting dog.

Sometimes in training a hunting dog you may need to use an electric collar. This is a collar that you put around the dog that has electrodes in it and everytime you feel the hunting dog is not following a specific command you gave you can press a button so the dog gets a shock through the collar. This helps in training the hunting dog by that when they get these shocks they began to learn when they’ve done something wrong. You can also use this electrical collar when you are out hunting with your hunting dog. This will help when the hunting dog gets distracted by a sound or when the dog goes chasing after an animal such as a deer. When using the collar the dog doesn’t get hurt: he just gets a little shock that will end up doing no real harm to the dog.

If a hunting dog is trained well they will always keep their eye on you, the owner, which will make the hunting dog able to tell where you are and what you are doing. A hunting dog that is not trained well will go off on his own to hunt.

A hunting dog should be taught to hunt from scent rather than being trained to hunt by their eye sight to hunt for game because a hunting dog may not always be able to see the game but they can always be taught to smell for the game.

Hunting dogs should also be taught to focus on the commands that their owner is giving them.

When you’re not hunting you should keep your hunting dog in good condition by making sure the  dog gets enough exercise. Don’t overfeed the  dog because this could make the dog overweight. Not doing this will prevent the hunting dog from being able to keep up to the game when it’s hunting season.

When a hunting dog is trained right the experience of hunting will be enjoyed by the owner as well as the dog.

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Duck hunting dogs are very popular both as hunters and as pets. Among this group is the king of retrievers, the Labrador. A dominant force in duck hunting circles, these dogs are eager to work in all weather conditions.

While Labradors may reign supreme, there are several other retrievers that do an excellent job on ducks. The Golden retriever is another popular breed.

The ability to get into cold weather and withstand water work is essential with these working breeds.

Other good duck hunting dogs can be found in breeds like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Curly Coated, Flat Coated and Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retrievers.

While bird dogs like Pointers and Setters locate the birds for the hunters, the Retriever’s job is to go get the downed ducks.

It is then up to the hunter to identify and shoot the right ducks. Mallards are common with their green head, reddish body and blue on the wing, although the hen is more drab in head and body color.

Duck hunting dogs

Pintail ducks use all the major flyways but are more common in the west. The way they fly make them appear larger than mallards but they’re actually smaller. Smaller still and among the early migrants is the wood duck, more common in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways.

These are just a few of the types of ducks found in the wild. Conservation and information sites such as Ducks Unlimited have a great deal of specific information.

Over half of our native wetlands are gone and more is drained every year. The National Wetlands Research center offers a great deal of information online as well.

For those willing to brave the cold wet weather, a dinner of roast duck is just one of the possible treats to look forward to. It’s a chance to spend time with your dog and build a bond based on what he was bred to do.

Your duck hunting dog is a willing partner, always wanting to please.

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Retrievers  are one of the most popular dogs in the USA, valued for their willingness to please, intelligence and obedience.
Their love of water and soft mouth make them indispensable to waterfowl hunters.The versatility and personality of the Labrador and Golden Retrievers has made them a popular family dog. Their reliable temperament earns them high praise when employed as service and guide dogs.

Pointers are incredibly athletic, Pointers locate game and freeze into a classic “pointing” position.
When “working” upland game, their pointing and retrieving skills give them needed versatility.Showing loyalty and devotion, Pointers also make good family dogs. Their high level of intelligence makes them an ideal competitor in field trials, agility or obedience work.

The regal Setter has an innate instinct for scenting and flushing game birds.Their distinctive “crouch” or “set” when they find their prey, earned them the Setter name. With intelligence and a sensitive nature, the lively Setter is suitable for both working the fields and the home.

The smallest of the sporting dog breeds, Spaniels were bred to be the ideal field companion, working close and flushing game. Their thick coats and size allow them to get into areas of dense bush.The enthusiastic and highly affectionate Spaniel breeds are willing to learn and are easy to train. This hunting dog is valuable for use in the field and are beloved staples in family households.

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