Once you find the ideal puppy to suit your lifestyle, you will need to turn him into an excellent hunting companion. Training your dog properly is the most important part of bird hunting. Otherwise, you won’t be able to communicate well with him in the field. Nonetheless, it’s not very clear when you should start training your bird dog!
Some people will tell you that hunting training will start as soon as you get your pup. In reality, young puppies are only suitable to learn the basics. You will need to wait for a certain age to start more formal bird dog training. I recently did some research to understand when it’s the best time to begin this process. Let me share with you what I’ve found about this interesting topic!
There’s no magic age to start training your dog for bird hunting. Every companion is different, so his age isn’t accurate to know when he’s ready to learn. Your bird hunting dog could be ready for training anywhere from 6 months to 2 years old or more. Instead of age, you should look at two other elements: 1. Social Skills. 2. Prey Drive.
To make it clear, you should normally start basic obedience between 2 and 4 months of age. Nonetheless, this won’t be specific for bird dog hunting. Socialization, crate training, some basic commands, or other essential phases will prepare your companion to be an awesome pheasant dog. Now, you probably want to know more about these two criteria. At the end of your reading, you will have all the information to understand when it’s the best time (or age) to start training your bird dog!
When (or At What Age) Should You Start Training Your Bird Dog?
Your dog’s age isn’t extremely important for bird dog training but you should still consider it. Before 6 months of age, it will be extremely difficult to teach advanced commands or skills to your young companion. However, some canines won’t be able to get trained even if they are 3 years old or more!
That’s why it’s important to keep in mind that age isn’t the only element to analyze. Your dog’s personality and physical conditions are also essential to consider before training him for bird hunting. More specific characteristics such as his social competence and hunting instinct will determine when he’s ready to start bird dog training, according to this article from the Ronnie Smith Kennels website! [Link Open In a New Tab]
The Two Criterias To Start Bird Dog Training!
Your companion’s social skills are extremely important to ensure that he’s well prepared for training. Without proper socialization, he probably won’t be receptive to the trainer. Even for normal puppies, getting exposed to new things or environments is essential. Therefore, you must socialize your dog if you want him to become an amazing bird hunting partner!
Every bird dog will need to have a high prey drive to get started with hunting training. Like any other type of obedience improvement, your buddy will need the motivation to go through this process. His prey drive will be the best way to make him enjoy bird dog training. Besides, this hunting instinct isn’t only innate, you can also reinforce this desire of chasing. For example, dogs that are exposed to birds at a young age will generally become better hunting companions!
Preparation For Hunting Dogs!
As you probably know, your pup’s first months of life are crucial for their development. Before getting started with bird dog training, he will need to experience some fundamental skills such as socialization or house training. Besides, you might want to take him on the field or introduce him to birds. Therefore, unofficial training can begin sooner than you think!
Puppy Development.
Like any other young pup, your future bird dog will need some preparation during his first months of age. Housebreaking is one of the most important early steps to train puppies to live in your home properly. Then, crate training, vaccinations, and low-impact activities are also essential for their good development. At this point, you should probably familiarize your dog with his collar and leash!
Socialization.
For bird dog training, this phase is crucial to improve their social skills. Your future hunting partner must meet plenty of people, places, and other dogs. He should be exposed to strangers and new environments before starting advanced training. Good socialization will help your pooch to be more courageous and confident. With all this exposure, he will have everything he needs to become an excellent bird dog!
Basic Obedience Training.
Another important thing to consider would be puppy training. Basic obedience commands are very helpful for every dog owner to have more control over his companion. For bird hunters, it’s essential to train your furry partner well to avoid any problem in the field. At the start, you can simply teach him to respond to his name or even try to master the 7 basic commands!
Specific Preparation For Bird Dogs!
Now, let’s talk about some specific ways to start training for bird dogs. For this outdoor sport, some people suggest not teaching two of the basic commands to bird dogs. (“Sit” & “Down”) As Ronnie Smith says on his blog, this could become an automatic position for bird dogs. Therefore, he recommends only teaching these commands after your companion’s formal training is completed!
As I already mentioned in this article, hunting dogs should also be exposed to birds as soon as possible. This will give them an interesting first experience while reinforcing their prey drive. Besides, your dog should have a reliable recall because it’s crucial for this type of outdoor activity. Then, you could slowly introduce him to simple hunting commands such as “Whoa” or simply play fetch to develop his retrieving skills!
In the beginning, you could simply go out in the field to acquaint your hunting partner to this new environment. At the same time, you can expose him to birds if it’s possible. During this introduction, you shouldn’t have any rules in place. Just make sure that your companion enjoys his experience before anything else. Keep in mind that your bird dog can be good if he doesn’t have fun while hunting!
At What Age Can You Teach Your Dog Bird Hunting Commands?
Anywhere between 6-12 months old is an excellent time to start training (or conditioning) your bird dog. Before that, you should probably focus on socialization, basic obedience, and improving his prey drive. Then, you could start to introduce him to bird dog commands or sign up for his first hunting class!
How To Train Your Bird Dog?
Training hunting dogs can be quite difficult. That’s why taking a class is highly recommended. However, you could train your companion to develop his hunting skills without any class if you have some experience in this domain or you feel comfortable with it. The most important thing is to start bird dog training only when he’s ready for it!
Your furball will need to learn many things before becoming a good hunting partner. For example, off-leash training, recall, or nose work will be very useful in the field. More advanced commands such as “Whoa”, “Heel”, “Sit & Stay” or “Fetch” will also be crucial for bird dog hunting!
Thus, training classes could help your pooch to develop essential bird dog skills. Besides, formal training will provide the right environment to give him some experience in the field. It’s not impossible to teach your dog all these things on your own, but it won’t be easy. However, it could be very fun to spend time outdoors together even if your DIY bird dog training isn’t extremely effective!
Hunting Dog Training Timeline!
It’s always better to know what to expect before starting any new activity. Hunting with your furry friend can be extremely fun and useful. On the other hand, it will require some investment in time to help him become an excellent bird dog. That’s why I would like to share with you a timeline about hunting dog training!
Bird Dog Preparation!
Like any other activity, your dog will need some conditioning to become the perfect hunting partner. Whether it’s about socialization, basic training, or proper nutrition, preparation is the key to make good bird dogs. Let’s start with this early stage of your hunting partner’s development!
2 to 4 Months of Age.
At this age, your main focus should be to familiarize your pup with new environments, people, and other dogs. This is also the perfect moment to teach him basic things such as his name, crate or house training, etc. Around 3 months old, he should get used to a collar and leash. Besides, puppies should always be provided with proper nutrition and moderate exercise!
4 to 8 Months of Age.
Once your bird dog is well socialized, it’s time to start with more specific hunting preparation. Obedience should be the priority on your list. Bird dogs should respond to commands more efficiently than most canines. Thus, they should master basic obedience training while learning some advanced hunting techniques or voice cues!
Then, you could stimulate your companion’s prey drive by introducing him to birds. It will also be important to familiarize him with the field environment to make sure he’s still reliable in the wild. At the same time, you could slowly acquaint your hunting partner with gunshots. After this preparation, he will be fully ready to get started with more serious bird dog training!
Bird Dog Training!
Now, it’s time to teach your companion advanced hunting skills. There’s still some preparation to do, but he should be well conditioned to start performing in the field. The right bird dog training method you choose will mainly depend on the hunting type. (Pointing, Retrieving, etc.) However, there are essential skills that every bird dog will need. Here’s the rest of the timeline for your buddy’s development in this outdoor activity!
8 to 12 Months of Age.
At this age, you could start using an electronic collar for bird dog training. However, make sure to use this tool properly to improve your companion’s obedience. Besides, his prey drive should be very well developed now. Around one year is normally a good time to take your dog in a bird hunting training class!
This is the perfect time to improve everything your companion has learned in the last couple of months. He should start to master most hunting commands, be comfortable with guns, and enjoy spending time in the field. For more advanced bird dog training, you should try more specific techniques for pointing, retrieving, flushing, or other hunting types. Besides, you could start to take your buddy in your outdoor trips for very short periods to let him gain some experience!
12 to 16 Months of Age.
In general, this is the right time to start your dog’s career as a hunting partner. With good basic training, social skills, and prey drive, he should be ready to start a bird dog class. Otherwise, you could train him on your own if it’s a better option for you!
The next step is simply to ensure that your companion responds to most commands. Besides, he should also master pointing, retrieving, or other specific techniques of bird hunting. After some training or your hunting class, you should take your buddy chase birds on the field to help him gain some experience!
When Is Your Bird Dog Ready To Go On The Field?
You should take your companion in the wild as soon as he’s well socialized, fairly obedient, and happy to chase animals. Then, you will have to start more specific training in the field to help him to become a good bird dog. Once he’s comfortable and reliable outdoors, you could directly take him out for short hunting sessions. The more hours your buddy spends in action, the better he will become as a hunting partner!
You can find some complementary information about the first year of your hunting dog’s training on this article from Outdoor Life! [Link Open In a New Tab]
Every Bird Dog Will Develop Differently!
Keep in mind that I’m only sharing general guidelines to train your bird dog properly. Every companion will develop his hunting skills at his own pace. Your furry partner could take more or less time to be ready to go hunt in the field than others. That’s why it’s so important to respect your dog’s limits and conditions during this fun process!
Last Thoughts About When To Start Training Your Bird Dog!
Hunting with your dog will certainly make you both more active and happy. However, he will need some training before you can hunt birds together. Everyone knows that your pup’s first months or years of life are extremely important. This is even more true if you want him to become an excellent hunting partner. Thus, proper training is essential to prepare your bird dog to go on outdoor trips with you!
To make it clear, canine training is something that starts very early but never really stops. Therefore, you have all your life to improve your bird dog obedience while having fun. This might take a lot of time, effort, and perseverance before to get satisfying results. Nonetheless, I’m sure that enjoying your favorite activity with your dog will be worth all the hours you spend training him. I hope this article will help you in this process, have fun in the field!
