Training a Hunting Puppy

Hunting dogs are bred for the behaviors that make them good hunting companions and working dogs.  Training a hunting puppy is a matter of reinforcing those behaviors and preparing him for formal hunting training when he is old enough.

The most important part of training a hunting puppy is to socialize him.  Puppies need to feel safe and secure, and you are their anchor.  Introducing your puppy to new people, dogs and experiences while you are around is the beginning of training a hunting puppy.  He needs to feel comfortable and relaxed in new situations, and he needs to be able to focus on his work when there are distractions and noise around.  Good socialization is the way to get him started.

Retrievers are bred to chase and return fowl.  When you are training a hunting puppy, you want to reinforce chase and return behavior.  Let him chase a ball and encourage him to bring it back to you.  When he brings the ball back, love him to pieces and give him a lot of positive reinforcement.  You will want your dog to release the bird into your hand, so when your puppy drops the ball into your hand, reinforce that, too.

Remember that chase and return behavior is normal for hunting dogs and that you want to reinforce this behavior.  That means that whenever your puppy retrieves something and brings it to you, you need to give him lots of positive reinforcement for doing it.  He will retrieve and return toys, dirty underwear, toilet paper, magazines and all manner of things that are left lying around.  Do not punish him for this; he needs to be rewarded.  You are training a hunting puppy; retrieve and return is hunting behavior.

One thing to avoid when training a hunting puppy is playing tug of war games.  The puppy must learn to release whatever he has into your hand.  Playing tug of war could encourage him to mangle birds and refuse to release them later.

Hunting dogs have to work around guns, so your puppy has to get used to sudden, loud noises.  When loud noises happen, he will take his cue from you.  If you act as if a loud noise is normal, your puppy will learn to be calm, too.  Part of training a hunting puppy is letting him get used to noisy environments and sudden, loud noises.

If you socialize your puppy and reinforce his normal hunting behavior, you will begin training a hunting puppy and prepare him to be a good hunting dog.