Hunting Dog Training Tips
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Time to read 3 min
Have you ever hunted with a bird dog? There’s nothing better than watching these dogs work and see the drive they have for their “game” of hunting. The whole thing is a game for these dogs and it’s what they live to do every day. Training these dogs is an entirely different game, as we train our own labs and then watching all the hard work come together makes everything worth it. I’m going to talk in this article about some tips about hunting with dogs.
The Golden Rule: "If You Don’t See Blue Sky, Don’t Shoot"
One of the main things we always tell people that are new to hunting dogs or haven’t had the opportunity to is “if you don’t see blue sky, DON’T SHOOT”. This is very crucial for individuals that lock onto a bird and track it with their gun but aren’t paying attention to where the dog is. This can be very bad if people don’t follow this rule. This is also very critical when individuals attempt to shoot cripples, and the dogs are also attempting to do their job and track them down. Pellets can ricochet off the water very easily and harm dogs. So, make sure you go over instructions with the handler if you’ve never hunted with a dog, the handler will tell you how their dog reacts after the shot and what to expect.
Understanding Your Dog's Role: Why They Only Bring Birds Back to Their Handler
When the dogs are retrieving birds and bringing them back to the blind, they will mostly only bring the birds back to their handlers. This shouldn’t be taken badly by anyone, it’s just the way the dog works and is trained to do. Also don’t try and yell commands to “assist” a handler, they are there to do their thing and listen to their handler, not anyone else.
The Unmatched Loyalty of Hunting Dogs: Watching Them Work
The best part is getting to sit back and watch the show of the dogs in action. This is something that I’ll never get sick of watching and is another reason we push ourselves to hunt more. I have become a little lazy and watching for birds constantly when in the blind because my lab Diesel does it for me. Watching him sit with his eyes looking through the skies and his ears perking up when he sees birds working lets me know it’s game time. This shows you that they are there for one reason and they aren’t going to let you down.
Protecting Your Hunting Dog in Extreme Cold Weather
When hunting with dogs in the extreme cold temps that we do for birds, you must be careful. They will hunt no matter what and it can be dangerous for them. Extreme cold weather comes with extremely cold water and ice. These dogs won’t tell us they’re too cold and will just hunt, so it’s our responsibility to know. I run vest and try and get something on the floor of the boat to keep it from the cold metal floors. It can be very hard on their pads and joints. Try and do your best to know when it’s just too darn right nasty out to put them to their limits. Also hunting with ice can be very dangerous, especially if there is a current in the water. I do everything I can to never have them mess with ice when possible. They are hunting tools but treat them like one of your own and nothing bad will happen to them.
I have trained and hunted with nothing but labs over the years and are by far my favorite dog to hunt with but there are many breeds out there that do an outstanding job. Labs are very versatile dogs and will do upland, waterfowl, law enforcement, search and rescue and many other training aspects. Truly Man’s Best Friend.
Author
Roger Mitchell
Roger Mitchell is a renowned deer hunting specialist with decades of experience. Known for his innovative techniques and deep understanding of deer behavior, he advocates for ethical hunting practices and wildlife conservation, making him a respected figure in the hunting community.
