Anyone who has watched a hunter and his dog can sense the deep bond
between them. The hunting dog responds to every command with speed and
precision. It takes time and patience to reach this level, but the
result is well worth the effort. Types of Retrievers: Breeds such as Labrador retrievers and Nova Scotia
Duck Tolling retrievers are excellent gun dogs having been bred over
hundreds of years for just that purpose. However, despite centuries of
breeding, dogs can still be willful.
Basic Commands: Commands such as Whoa, No, Kennel, Sit and Come are
vital. Your dog must know and obey all of these commands before you
take him out to the field. If your dog won’t obey you when he’s on a
leash he certainly won’t obey when he has the freedom to run at will.
Your dog should be taught in a realistic situation in the field and not
at home.
Transition To The Field: When your dog becomes skilled with those
particular orders, and you have taught him not to be afraid of the
noise that a gun makes, then you can begin training in the field. Begin
with dummy training. Your dog must learn that he is meant to retrieve,
and dummy training is the best method for teaching this.
Dummy Training: Pick a dummy that suits your dog. Some resemble game
birds, others are plastic and some are fabric. Once your dog learns to
retrieve the dummy and bring it back without shaking or destroying it
in any way, you can begin to train with real birds.
Sometimes the dog won’t touch the real bird at first, and you will have
to go back to the dummy adding feathers and streamers onto it to
resemble the game bird you will be hunting.The streamers mimic movement
of a bird when it isn’t quite dead so that the real thing won’t scare
your dog off.
Using Decoys: It is important that you transition to the real bird
slowly if your dog seems to be afraid at first when retrieving it. You
can use a stuffed duck or pheasant as a decoy dummy, by getting them
from the taxidermist.
