The question on how to train your dog to hunt has been raised. Many people are interested in training their dog to help them do their own hunting. But how do you go about training your dog? Hunting dogs were originally bred for one purpose; to hunt. Now that you know the purpose, you have to train your dog how to hunt.
There are many dog training tricks you can use while hunting. Some of these tricks are just for show and others are meant to train your dog on what it needs to do in order to get a kill. Repetition commands are one way how you can teach your dog the right way to act while hunting. Repetition commands like “heel” can help your dog get used to the sound of his feet hitting the ground repeatedly. Your dog gets used to this sound each time he goes on his walk.
With the use of a leash, you can train your dog how to act like a dog that is hunting. You start this process by attaching the leash to a dog collar. Once your dog has learned to follow your commands by using the leash, attach the collar with a reward. The reward could be something as simple as a dog treat, a toy or his favorite dog treat. Once your pup has learned to respond to the leash, attach the leash only to the part of the collar that the dog can see.
A whoa board is another great tool to help your dog become accustomed to the idea of hunting. The whoa board is a board that resembles a large puzzle. It is hung from a tree branch and your pup goes on it. He learns how to look around and learns where to find food, water or other items that might be useful while hunting.
Another good training tool is a pretend hunting situation. In pretend hunting situations, you can use your dog to go through various challenges that a real dog would encounter. For instance, you can use him to hunt some rabbits. Pretend that the rabbit is hiding in a rabbit hole, and train your dog to search for it.
You can also take your dog for training on blind-folded. This will allow him to become familiarized with moving around in total darkness. Bring along a variety of goodies and use them as rewards when your dog successfully finds the “marked retrieves”. Over time, your dog will learn to recognize these targets and the difference between them and the live ones.
When you are training your dog how to hunt, you should focus on repeating commands often. Repetition helps develop consistency. For example, when you give a treat to your dog that he has just found, immediately repeat this action with the next target. When a dog has successfully learned to repeat a command, you can slowly change the command to a different one. For example, you can say, “Stay”, instead of “Go”.
When you use treats or simple praise to reward your dog when he succeeds at learning a new trick, you create a strong feeling of success in your pet. It will motivate him to do more of what you want him to do. For example, if you want him to fetch a toy box, offer him the treat, then quickly say, “Now grab it!” This encourages him to continue and do the trick correctly. These dog training tips will help you build a strong bond between your dog and you, which are very important for hunting.