How To Pick The Right Breed For Hunting Dog Training?
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. Things would be simpler, of course, if you have a good hunting dog by your side. Your hunting dog would track the scent of blood which evaporation won’t be able to get rid off, and your canine companion would lead you straight to the wounded game. However, good hunting dogs are not bought over the counter. They are trained. And simple training is often not enough. You should train them well so that they would provide the best results.
A hunting dog would be mostly used for tracking purposes. Hence, you need a dog from a breed that possesses a good sense of smell. Not only this, but you would want a dog from a breed that is highly trainable and is conditioned for outdoor activities.
In searching for a good hunting dog of a particular breed, you should search for kennels who specify they breed specifically for hunting ability. Additionally, you should also visit the parents of the puppy you intend to purchase and learn as much as possible about these dogs including the hunting abilities of the parents.
When choosing a dog for hunting purposes you may want to evaluate your needs and base the choice on what you want the dog to do, how easily it can be trained, whether it is likely to be “spooked” by the report of a weapon being fired, and how good its nose is.
Various breeds of dog have a natural aptitude for assisting in aspects of hunting. Hounds, for example, make excellent trackers, especially bloodhounds. They have a very acute sense of smell, as compared to other dogs, and have no problem following several scents at once. Retrievers are, not surprisingly, great at retrieving. And they also make excellent bird-dogs.
Hunting breeds fall into four general groups. These are the general hunting dogs, gun dogs, retrievers, and bird dogs. Some dog breeds may fit into more than one category. These categories include :
- Hounds and Trackers
Bloodhounds and other dogs that have a heightened senses of smell are used to track all manner of animals. Whether in their traditional role in the British fox hunt or in tracking down deer, bears, and other such game for hunters in the US, they serve their purpose exceptionally well.
- Retrievers
Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are experts at finding and fetching fallen prey. They are especially useful on duck hunts because their oily coats help them move effortlessly through water to find and retrieve the fallen waterfowl.
- Pointers and Setters
These dogs are useful in hunting because they let the hunter know when prey is nearby. They are most often used in bird hunts and are trained to freeze and point their bodies in the direction of the hunted bird (pointers) or hunker down low to the ground when they locate a bird (setters). Spaniels also make good pointers.
