You can buy special equipment that will make the task of training hunting dogs easier. These may include:

* Electronic collars which are designed to punish the dog when they behave inappropriately. (Most trainers, however, feel these collars are cruel and excessive and prefer better and more humane methods.)
* Retrieving dummies which are designed to be roughly the shape and weight of the animal to be retrieved.
* Long leashes.
* Whistles to which the dog can be trained to respond.
* Dog treats for reward purposes.

Teaching the Dog to Track

One of the best ways to teach your dog to track is by using blood that may be purchased from the butcher. Leave a trail of blood for your dog to follow with a treat at the end. Start with short tracks and gradually make them longer. Supervise your dog at first and then let your dog track unsupervised while you observe from a distance.

Teach the Dog to Point and Retrieve

Teaching the dog to point or retrieve is a fairly complicated and lengthy process. You may need to seek special training courses or materials in order to learn the best way of training your dog to point and retrieve.

One method of teaching a dog to retrieve usually starts at the “wrong” end, getting the dog to spit out the retrieved item. Put something like a wooden dowel in your dog’s mouth and praise him and reward him when he spits it out. Gradually work backwards to the stage where the dog retrieves the item.

Dogs that are bred specifically for pointing will naturally start to point when they have reached the right age. Praise your dog

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If you want to hunt with a dog, then training is important. Whatever type of dog you are hunting with (whether they are coons, bird hunting dogs or other types of hunting dogs); if your dog is not trained properly it will not act in an appropriate manner to help you to locate or to retrieve the object of your hunt.While training hunting dogs, there are a number of factors that you should keep in mind to help guarantee you have the right dog for the right purpose.

Picking the Right Breed
Before you start training, you need to find a dog. Picking the best hunting dogs is your first step towards having a well-trained hunting companion. Look for dogs that have a good sense of smell, are easy to train and are conditioned for the outdoors. There are a large number of dogs that may be used in hunting. Some of the most popular types of hunting dogs include:

* Basset Hound
* Beagle
* Chesapeake Bay Retriever
* English Cocker Spaniel
* English Coonhound
* English Foxhound
* English Setter
* Field Spaniel;
* German Pointer (long and short-haired)
* Golden Retriever
* Greenland Dog
* Irish Red and White Setter
* Labrador
* Mountain Cur
* Otterhound
* Pointer
* Portuguese Water Dog
* Russian Spaniel
* Welsh Corgi
* Welsh Terrier

Different breeds are better for different types of hunting activities. For example, coon dogs (or coonhounds) are good for hunting raccoons. Retrievers are bred mostly for retrieving birds or other prey and giving them to the hunter without damage. When looking at breeds of dogs, find out which dogs will best suit the type of hunting you do.

Keeping Dog Conditioned to Climate
When training a hunting dog, you also need to pay attention to the type of climate in which the dog will be working. Make sure that the animal becomes accustomed to the climate and conditions in which you will be hunting. For example, if you will be hunting in cold conditions, ensure your dog is accustomed to the cold. If your dog will be spending time in the water, make sure they become accustomed to the water. Additionally you will need to fazed by gunfire when you are out hunting.

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A good hunting dog is more than man’s best friend, especially if that dog hunts pheasants. The quality of the pheasant hunting dog will make your pheasant hunting trip one of joy or misery, depending on the dog. But usually the pheasant hunting dog is invaluable for those who enjoy hunting pheasants and upland game birds.

There are many types of bird hunting dogs, such as Labradors, German Short-Hairs, Retrievers, and Spaniels. With a soft mouth and a strong desire to please, these dogs are capable of forming bonds that go beyond the dog-master relationship of most domesticated dogs. The pheasant hunting dog can be any of these breeds of hunting dogs, depending on what type of dog the hunter desires.

Any pheasant hunting dog also is capable of hunting ducks, turkeys, or dove. Choosing a trained hunting and gun dog is not a quickly-made decision, or rather, it should not be, unless it is something that a person grows up with and has some training in the field. Otherwise, it may be best to borrow the hunting dogs when hunting at a pheasant hunting lodge; these dogs are already trained and will make your trip a success. Regardless if the dogs are yours or are borrowed, once the pheasants are close by the tension of the hunting dogs will begin to increase. The scent begins to be picked up by one dog and once the bird is located–the dog will lock firmly in place. If the mate is close by, she also will lock in position simply to honor her mate’s point, even if she has not been able to pick up on the scent herself. After that, the hunt is up to you.

The breed of a pheasant hunting dog is a personal preference, depending on what characteristics are important to you-but the basic commands should be taught to all dogs, especially all hunting dogs. Once that pheasant breaks away and takes off-a dog who takes off and does not understand what it means to stop or come back, may provide an interesting day of hunting indeed, and not in a good way! Teach your hunting dog obedience. Once that is done, teach it again and again. Make it second nature to you and the dog until they almost can read your mind and respond just as quick.

Once the obedience has become second nature, take the dog to a pheasant reserve as opposed to hunting  wild birds out in a field of waist high grass. There are several thoughts on this-with the main one being once that dog hunts in the same area, again and again, it will not be as apt to go off and explore new grounds and territory, instead of exploring on his own for pheasants.

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Numerous  game birds are taken each year with the aid of highly trained hunting and gun dogs.  Hunting is pure pleasure when a well trained gun dog is used.

Gun dogs should be trained in realistic settings that completely imitate  the type of environment they will hunt in.  Hunting dogs should be trained with live birds such as Quail, Chukkar and Pheasants  to further replicate a true hunting environment. Parks and groves are sometimes used  by some trainers.  We recommend consulting with your trainer about what type of environment and conditions your dog will be trained under.

Training facilities are an important decision on how your dog will be treated and taken care of.  Will your dog be kept in a heated and cooled indoor kennel, or will he be kept in a plastic crate out side? Will your dog have his own individual kennel with, his own individual kennel run, or will he have to share?

Exercise is important for hunting and gun dogs, this part of the training program must also be covered before enlisting any dog trainers’ services.  Many quality training facilities are equipped with misters to keep your dog cool and areas to exercise in that keep their acclimation to the outdoors in sync.

There are several different types of Hunting Dogs.  All can be classified in the following, puppies, started dogs, and finished or broke dogs and Field Trial Dogs.  Gun Dogs can be purchased anywhere along their training.  When choosing a gun dog it is important that you choose wisely.  Your new gun dog must be an excellent hunting partner for the species you are hunting as well as a faithful family friend that can fit into your  homelife.

It is important that the hunting dog breeder you choose breed from Quality Field champion lines.  Gun dogs from these lines can be expected to hunt upland game birds as well as be capable of competing in field trials at Local, Regional and National levels.

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If you are into the challenging adventure of bear hunting, you must know your hunting dogs. These hunting dogs vary in breed and type. The basic hunting breeds are hounds, water dogs, and terriers. Whatever their breed or type, hunting dogs have been bred over the years to assist their owners in bringing home food for the family.

Different breeds of dogs have different sets of skills. For example, in bear-hunting dogs, stamina is an important factor but not the primary skill. It is highly important, yes, but the ability to pick up a scent and stay with it is more important in this case. In addition, the ability to see exceptionally well plays an important part in making good bear-hunting dogs.

Hounds are popular bear-hunting dogs because of their superior stamina and sight & scent abilities. The Rhodesian Ridgeback (also known as the African Lion Hound) hunts large game such as bear, deer, elk, and moose. Other breeds used as hunting dogs for bears are the Plott hounds and the Walker hounds.

If you want to use bear traps, know that these traps and the use of bear hunting dogs has become controversial in certain areas with strong animal protectionists. Trappers and hunters, not suprisingly, view this form of political control by such groups as a personal attack on their historical and traditional way of life. They say this is unnecessary chipping away at their individual rights.

These trappers and hunters argue that their method is a safe and effective way of killing bears. This is more so because large numbers of bears can threaten society and human populations. Nonetheless, The Maine bill, Legislative Document 1635, bans recreational bear trapping in Maine. However, it allows the animals to be trapped for scientific research, animal damage control or public safety even though the traps are the same as what hunters use. This ban would remove the use of three types of bear hunting; by baits, hunting hounds, or traps.

If you want to go bear hunting, there are some popular areas such as Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, and North Carolina. These offers professional guides and outfitters for the black bear, brown bear, and the grizzly bear. Professional outfitters can be a money saving option for you, especially if you are hunting big game. Check them out if you decide to go bear hunting in these areas.

Note that bear hunting licenses are required and some states require tags. A 5-day hunt usually cost around $1,250 for you and your hunting dogs.

Bear hunting is indeed a very lucrative business. Just look at Colorado . Hunting business are worth an estimated $180 million annually and rising.

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Hunting dogs are certainly the best possible ally of the hunter, as they sniff and scavenge for prey in the deepest and darkest brush of the woods. There are many different hunting dog types that you can take on your next trip; it should be directly related to the type of hunting you are planning on.

The most common main category of hunting dogs is the hound. Hounds are actually divided into two categories: the sighthound and the scent hound. As their names imply, each sub-category of dog type refers to a certain skill that the dog tends to be more proficient in. Sighthounds, like the Whippet, are adapted to hunting because of their visual acumen. They practice a method that is known as coursing, referring to the notion of spotting the prey from a long distance and following it in a quick pursuit. Scent hounds, like the Coonhound, work by scent rather than sight. They tend to pick up on a trace of the prey from the ground and follow that scent, hopefully to the prey. Scent hounds often work in packs and are regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses of all other dog types.

The next classification of dogs used for hunting is the gun dog. These dogs are used mostly by short range hunters using shotguns. There are three sub-categories of gun dogs: flushing spaniels, pointing breeds and retrievers. Again, their names are reflective of the particular skill that the dog has to offer the hunter. The retrievers, once known as water spaniels, are great for finding and getting shot or killed game for the hunter. If the hunter kills a duck, the retriever heads over to pick it up and brings it back to the hunter. The pointing breed, such as an English setter, tend to “point out” the prey by pointing at upland birds or other upland animals being hunted. The pointing breed of dogs sometimes also help flush the prey out from their hiding spot. The flushing spaniels, such as the English Cocker spaniel, are used to locate and spring the prey for the hunter. They are trained to remain close to the hunter, ensuring an easy kill.

Still another popular type of hunting dog is the terrier. Terriers are used to hunt mammals, for the most part. These animals, such as the Lakeland terrier, are used to locate the actual den of the animal and spring or capture the animal. Some terriers are bred to kill the animal at the animal’s den. A large number of terriers are used to hunt what are known as “pest species”. The pest species refer to groundhogs, hunted by the Jack Russel terriers, or the badger or fox, hunted by the Fell terrier. The legality of some of these hunts is in question, so you may want to check your local regulations before you set upon and hunt a fox.

There are many particulars that make using hunting dogs a popular option for hunting. Whether you choose a sighthound or a scent hound, you can be assured that your companion hound will be working for you at finding your prey. Using a gun dog can not only provide great companionship, but it can bring prey right to your doorstep and literally take the hunt out of hunting. Terriers not only make a vigorous hunting companion, but they also make for a nice domesticated animal. Make sure that you consider the hunting dog type before you go out on the hunt so that you can bring the best possible breed with you and land the best possible kill for this hunting season.

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For every hunter there are many items, tools, equipment and hunting dogs that can be used. Hunting dogs are great companions to take along for the hunt. They will also provide the hunter with the ability to flush out the game, tracking it down and in some cases retrieving the fallen game. For hunters of squirrels there is another type of hunting dog that can be used. These dogs are the squirrel dogs.

In general any type of dog can be used as a squirrel dog. The main purpose of these dogs is to seek out squirrels and corner them so that the hunter can arrive in time to make the kill. While it is possible to train any breed of dog to be a squirrel chasing dog there are some particular dogs that can be used for this branch of hunting.

The real squirrel dogs that have been used for many years are the Terriers, Dachshunds, Feists and  Curs. These dogs have been trained as squirrel hunting dogs for many generations. The best of these dog breeds are the Curs. These dogs have some kind of Terrier genes in their blood lines.

The main types of Curs that are  acceptable for squirrel hunting are those of the American Leopard, Mountain, Blackmouth and the Treeing Tennessee Brindle. They all help the squirrel hunter to bag the squirrel they want by locating the prey. The best and well trained squirrel hunting dogs will be able to locate the whereabouts of a squirrel simply by the noise they make.

As most squirrels can be found in wooded regions where their favorite food source is, this is where you should expect to see your hunting dog heading to. Once the dogs have found the squirrel they will chase the squirrel to a place where the prey will have some difficulty jumping to another tree or even hiding under some rocks. The hunters will be able to shoot the squirrels once they have found the hiding place on the tree and the dogs have been secured.

In addition to helping hunters find small game such as squirrels, there are competitions that the squirrel dogs can be entered in. These contests demonstrate the level of training and skill that a squirrel hunting dog displays. The more well-trained and experienced the dog the higher chances the hunters will have of bagging their game.

While the many different breeds of hunting dogs are excellent for helping hunters, squirrel dogs are great companions for the hunter of squirrels. With these squirrel dogs at your side you will find that you can catch your day’s limit of squirrels with ease and enjoyment.

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As soon as you get your pup, start teaching him how to learn. A seven week old pup is very capable of learning.  It is a very important time frame in the life of your pup. Use it wisely. Puppies cannot learn anything locked in a crate or left in a dog run, so make your pup a part of your family and your life.

Puppy training should be done in small doses with bits of food as rewards- Hold a small piece of cheese over his head and say sit. When he finally accidentally plops his butt down, say good and give him the piece of cheese. This can be done about 10 times in a row or until pup acts bored or distracted. Always stop a lesson before the pup gets bored. If you do this two or three times a day, your pup will know the word “sit” in a couple of days. By then the pup knows “sit” in this setting but does not really know the word thoroughly, such as if he were outside and you did not hold a treat over his head.

Teach “down” using the same principle. With pup in the sitting position, bring your hand to the floor in front of pup and say “down.” He will quickly learn to lie down to get at the tidbit in your hand. It is good for your pup to know the “down” command in order to later lie down quietly in a holding blind or duck blind.

Have your pup wear a soft leather or nylon collar  soon after they are separated from the litter. After a few days, they adjust to having it on. At this point snap a lightweight lead on the collar. Let the pup guide you at first. Do not pull or drag him. Eventually, try to guide the pup or coax him into following you with praise, tidbits and rewards. After several days, the pup should be readily walking on lead. Encourage him with praise and food to stay close to your side. Keep his attention.

Take your pup off leash for walks in the woods or park. This will introduce him to various cover changes, footing, smells and sights. Have him wade thru puddles, navigate ditches and negotiate stairs. This also teaches him to follow you. Since he is in a strange place, he is likely to want to stay close to the only thing that he is familiar with-you. This helps bonding and establishes you as the leader. Sometimes, when your pup gets distracted, hide on him or change your position. When he discovers that you are gone, he will probably get a little worried and start whining or looking for something familiar. Now call and coax him to you and pet and praise him-this can help establish yourself as the leader and the puppy as the follower. You have become his leader and protector.

Have your pup fetch rolled-up socks or other soft, lightweight toys and coax him to you. Kneel to his level, clap, praise and move away from him if he hesitates to come. Most young pups will come when they think you are leaving them. If you have an independent pup, you might start his retrieves by using a hallway in your house to limit his options.If he does not come, you may want to spend a few days on the “come” or “here” command, using the treats as a reward before going back to retrieving.
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If it is warm (water temperature over 50 degrees), pups can swim at an early age. The easiest way is to wade into the water and coax your pup in with you.If he won’t go in, wait and try again in a couple of days. Try playing with him and other dogs in and around the water. He will eventually swim; be patient. He may be 10 or 12 weeks old before he decides to venture in; don’t force the issue.

When your pup is retrieving toys, introduce a thrower to him. Use white or contrasting colored objects. Have the thrower stand 10 or 15 feet away, ’hup, hup’ to get the pup’s attention and toss the object. Release the pup as soon as he wants to go. Only do three or four retrieves at a time, then take a break. Do this once each day or every other day.

Instead of trying to stretch the distance your pup goes on his retrieves, keep them short so as not to tire him. Gradually make the retrieves more complicated. Have a little change of cover, run across a mowed path, angle a safe ditch or cross a large puddle of water. Also try having a person stand short of another person who throws, so he runs past the first person on his way to the object.

Try to get the pup to run at the object and not at the thrower. If he is running at the thrower, then the thrower is too far away. Shorten the distance between you and the thrower and lengthen the actual distance of the throw, so the pup runs at the object and not the thrower.

At some point, a pistol shot can replace the “hup, hup.” It is not that important how you get the pup’s attention. But you don’t want to startle him with the noise of a gun. If you don’t have other dogs that you are working, introduce gunshots at a distance, so as not to startle your pup.

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Flushing spaniels combine hunting, flushing, and retrieving skills.
English Springer Spaniels are popular gundogs for a variety of cover but are
closely followed in popularity by English Cocker Spaniels.
Both breeds are adept at finding and flushing then retrieving game from thick
cover. Clumbers, Sussex, and Field Spaniels are also popular for their slower,
methodical hunting pattern. The American Water Spaniel and the Boykin Spaniel
are noted for their water work.

When trained, Beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars
and brush after rabbits. However, spaniels are also excellent rabbit hunting
dogs. Spaniel field trials in the UK use both game birds as well as rabbits.
Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons.

Sighthounds are different from scenthounds in their methods and adaptations.
The long lean head of the sighthound gives it a greater degree of binocular
vision. Their speed, agility and visual acuity are particularly adapted for
coursing game in open meadows or steppes. They are independent in nature, and
are worked singly or in a “brace” of two or three dogs. Sighthounds are
generally quiet and placid dogs compared to other hunting breeds.

Retrievers are good swimmers so are used for retrieving game shot down over
water. Retrievers skin secretes an oily substance that sheds water.
Retrievers are good at retrieving birds on land or in water.

Hounds have sensitive noses that are used to locate small animals like rabbits
and squirrels. Hound breeds include the bluetick, red tick, walker, and redbone.

Flushers are frequently used for pheasant hunting and can be trained to work
within gun range. Other flushers, like the cocker, the Boykin and several types
of spaniels pursue game until it goes for cover.

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Hunting DogTraining Tips
Even if you are an avid hunter, there would have been many instances of misfiring and even if you have aimed right you would not have brought back the hunt for the obvious reason that you could not find it. Should you be carrying a hunting dog with you, this would not have been the result because a hunting dog would simplify your job whilst not cutting any frills on the thrills you may be experiencing while on a hunting trip .

Whether it is a small game of hunting a lakeside duck or a countryside turkey to a big game of hunting an elk or a buck, a hunting dog can scent blood in a jiffy and would take you to the point. With this snapshot idea of a hunting dog, you need to know that a great hunting dog is not available in a nearby pet shop or even an online store. All you need to know is that you should train your canine to make one great hunting dog. Don’t think, though, that this training is easy but to get desired results, you need to know some tips and probably even you can tame a obstinate canine.

Pick the right breed for hunting

Remember that a show-style breed is far different from a hunting dog. The first and foremost quality is a breed that has a good function of smell. You can look at those that are tamable as well as those that can brave long outdoor activities; in fact, the breed should love to stay more of outdoors.

Time needed to train a hunting dog is far greater than training a canine for other jobs, and it calls for a lot of patience on the part of master.

Condition the canine: train your hunting dog to be tough when faced with adversities of outdoors. This will be perfect priming for your canine before the game of hunting begins.

Take him out more often, say at least once a week and see that you are supplying him with sufficient nutrition for this extra exercise as well as regular growth. Give him good quantities of water so he doesn’t get dehydrated.

Train him to chase a target or follow a trail, using decoy rabbits or fowls to tease the canine and allow him to learn stalking the target and teach him to bring the target to you. Use a whistle as an indication of command and let him get used to your word calls. Teach him to focus even when there are disturbances around. However, this should more likely be done during advanced training and not at pup stage.

Most important is to make your training as enjoyable as possible. Reward your canine for any signs of excelling in the training and he should find it enthralling and exciting.

And, remember that if you have trained your hunting dog properly, he will never like to eat the hunted animal but will love to return it to his master.

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