Every novice hunter is faced with the question – how to choose and educate a real assistant in the fishery. The training of hunting dogs, regardless of the type of their work, is a long, complex process. It is necessary to approach it with responsibility so that the dog becomes a reliable support, and not a burden.
How to avoid risks when buying a puppy
Many breeds, previously considered hunting, today have practically lost their working qualities. This happens when several generations are not used for their intended purpose. The hunting instinct is dulled, it is not transmitted genetically – dogs become unsuitable for hunting.
How to choose a hunting dog:
- Familiarize yourself with the register of hunting breeds.
- Choose a puppy from working parents (presence of field diplomas is obligatory).
- Decide in advance which breed is needed (what type of hunting the beginner is going to do).
- Another important factor is health. The entire litter, like the parents, must be healthy, otherwise you will have to forget about hunting.
- Do not have any illusions, do not buy a puppy of a decorative breed in the hope of a productive hunt.
Puppies of hunting breeding breeds of show class can also disappoint in the fishery. If 4 generations or more have not participated in the hunt, it is unlikely that it will be possible to awaken the instinct of a gambling hunter.
You can contact an experienced specialist who will help you choose parents, evaluate the entire litter, and tell you which puppy is the most promising. Congenital inclinations wake up at the age of 1. 5 – 2 months.
When to start training a hunting dog
It is necessary to educate and train a dog of a hunting breed immediately after it appears in the house. The first 7 months of a puppy's life are called "deep memory time". During this period, the development of conditioned reflexes occurs as quickly as possible, the dog remembers the commands learned at this time for a long time.
Puppy's first days in a new home
The first day after moving a puppy from a breeder is a lot of stress for a dog. To smooth out the puppy's hysterical state a little, it is recommended to bring him to a new home in the morning. The day for the baby will be full of new smells, people, environment, he will get used to the place a little, he will stop being afraid. This will exhaust the puppy, in the evening he will fall asleep soundly until morning, he will not howl from boredom and fear at night.
A day after the move, you can start the first workout – to accustom to the nickname. The dog must know its own name, respond to it in any situation. To do this, you need to associate the nickname with a positive – you can’t scold the pet by calling him by name. Communicating positively with the dog, treating him with treats, stroking – a connection is established between the owner and the pet, which will have a positive effect on learning and obedience.
The main task of the owner at the initial stage is to teach the puppy to listen and understand the intonation of the voice, gestures. Only in this way the preparation for the fishery will be successful.
Upbringing
Initial education begins at home while the puppy is in quarantine. All classes should be held in a playful way, negative reinforcement is not recommended at this stage. The dog may become nervous and intimidated.
Training should not be exhausting for a young dog. No more than 15 minutes are allocated for practicing the exercises. Classes are held from 2 to 4 times a day, before meals. It is better to finish training while the dog still wants to exercise, so the dog will not “burn out”, he will look forward to each training session.
After full immunization, veterinarians are allowed to take pets outside. When the puppy gets used to the yard, you can start preparing for the hunt – to acquaint you with hunting grounds, forests, marshlands. Transfer obedience classes to unfamiliar places.
You can’t scold a puppy if he was afraid of noise, new smells of the street – he refused to follow the learned command. This will only aggravate the situation until the animal is fully socialized, you should not demand a clear execution of the order. Even well-trained dogs, in a stressful situation for them, may refuse to obey the owner.
Teaching basic commands
Regardless of whether the dog will go hunting or not, it should be convenient in everyday life. In addition, many basic commands will be useful in fishing. After the puppy learned the nickname, I got used to the necessary ammunition, you can proceed to the assimilation of the basic commands.
Mandatory commands for each dog:
- Come / Come here;
- Fu (impossible);
- Heel;
- Place;
- Fetch;
- Sit, Down, stand.
For a working assistant, the commands will also come in handy:
After working out voice orders, you can start working on the same commands with gestures – for working dogs this is a need.
An experienced trainer can teach the base commands a puppy up to 5 – 6 months, subject to daily classes. Some, overly independent breeds take more time. Further, the training goes to the next stage – the grinding of already studied orders with distracting factors.
You can’t get hung up only on training commands, in a parallel with obedience classes you need:
- To devote time to good socialization of the puppy – pets growing in conditions of social deprivation, grow cowardly, uncertain. – Also preferably in advance.
- Work out the shutter speed.
- To familiarize the dog with hunting grounds, the areas in which she has to work.
- Give good physical training, teach to swim.
- Pass the stage of passive training – to familiarize the puppy with the smells of wild animals, to accustom the chicken paws or wings of the game.
If by 6 months the owner of a hunting dog has a persistent feeling that his dog does not want to go hunting – he does not sniff to the tracks, does not respond to game. Before going into real fishing, the owner should work on a dog with a vengeance, encouraging even the most insignificant successes. Or turn to an experienced coach who will help to wake up the instinct of the miningler.
During the training of puppies up to a year, any breed, modern zoopsychology does not recommend using corrective ammunition.
Hunting command training
Upon reaching 6-8 months, when the puppy fully mastered the base base and passed socialization, you can proceed to exercises over hunting commands. It is recommended for beginners to completely figure out how to teach to hunt a puppy, it is recommended to seek help from specialists. In the cynological clubs of hunting dog breeding, they will tell the closest instructor-guide in the region.
An experienced Ronda will tell you how to help to arouse the natural instinct of a dog hunter in a pet.
Whistle
An important step is to teach a whistle. It is most rational to use special ultrasonic whistles that are not heard by others.
To accustom the dog to approach the whistle is very simple:
- The command "Come / Come here" is submitted;
- Followed by a signal with a whistle;
- Mandatory praise after execution.
You cannot call a puppy for punishment, otherwise, the dog will be afraid to approach the owner.
The whistle can be used for any order, for example:
- One signal – “Come / Come here”
- Two signals – “stand” or “left”
- Three signals – “Down” or “right”.
Further, it all depends on the desire, experience, fantasy of the hunter.
Fetching
“Serve” or “Fetch” is one of the most difficult, but at the same time the necessary commands for the work dog. It is necessary to teach to be aking objects since childhood, to repeat the exercises every day, gradually complicating.
Classes begin at home, with a fun game:
- Take a toy, tease a puppy with it, attract attention.
- Drop to the side.
- The interested puppy will run after the toy.
- When the baby grabbed the Fetch, you need to call him.
Further there may be the following options:
- The puppy sniffed the toy, not grabbing his teeth, ran to the call – you need to repeat the exercise first, devote more time to the excitement of the pet, flirting and teasing before throwing the Fetch.
- He grabbed the object in the teeth and ran in the other direction inviting to play catch-up – in this case it was necessary to start running away from the dog, in the opposite side of it. 99% of puppies will run after the owner.
- He took the Fetch in his mouth and came to the call with him – the most desirable outcome of the action, then it remains only to “exchange” the toy for the treat. After – the development of the reflex and the grinding of the "correctness" of the performance.
- The puppy was frightened by the toy or call of the owner, ignored the abandoned object, fled or hid – the most undesirable outcome, could not do without the help of a specialist.
When the dog realized what was required of him, it is necessary to gradually proceed to complications. Start using a dichades, throwing diarrhea into the water, tall grass as an Fetching object.
Site Search
To prepare the dog to search in the lands, it is very convenient if the dog knows the commands “left” and “right” – in a voice, gesture or whistle, it does not matter. The wider the search area for the dog, the better for the commissar is more productive hunting.
To teach a wide search, we need a suitable area – most often swampy, about 150 – 200 meters in size. The dog is allowed to search for the "Seek" command. Then they adjust the orders “left” – “to the right” when the dog reaches the edge of the planned area.
It is very important to conduct training in different directions of the wind, otherwise the dog will not look for, but to walk along the trail. Which will certainly affect the amount of production.
Game work
When the future assistant of the fishingman learned the right search in the grounds, you can start working on game. The dog is brought to the land where there is a bird.
For the correct setting of work, the first meetings with game are more convenient to conduct on a leash. The actions are as follows:
- The dog is allowed to search, the hunter moves Heel with a leash in his hands;
- As soon as the dog learns the game (the cop slits a step, the spaniel excitedly waves his tail), the hunter should get as close as possible to the dog without interfering with her work;
- The dog got into the rack – the hunter gives the command "Forward"
- When the bird rose, the dog needs to be kept so that it does not rush after the game without a command.
It is more advisable if 2 people will participate in the first training in game. One walks with a leash and holds the dog from breaking the rack, puts it with a bird with a bird after taking off, the second shoots. A torn stand can affect the amount of a caught game, a premature escape for the game under a shot – the health of the dog (especially dangerous with a collective hunt).
Features of training different breeds
Each hunting breed has its own working purpose and features of training. In the cops and spaniels, this is a shoal, greyhounds, huskies, normal – seal, hounds – a catch. The main task of profile training is to teach hunting skills, the development and improvement of the working qualities of the dog.
Before you transgress to a special training course, it is necessary to study the law on seal. At the moment, there is a forbidden bill on cruel ways to prepare hunting dogs.
Graining greyhounds
The main working qualities for the greyhounds:
- Overgrown;
- Vigilance;
- Greed to the beast;
- Turnovenness on the hijacking.
A dog with good genetics, from working ancestors, these qualities are congenital, but they can be developed using seals.
The main booty of the greyhounds – the hares of Rusaki and the fox, are carried out with the same animals (or with the help of italics). For young greyhounds, you can use experienced dogs as teachers. Or bring the greyhound on the decoy on the decoy on their own, encouraging with exclamations and gestures so that the dog lifts and drives it. If the young dog was frightened by the animal previously previously unknown to him, you need to return to the stage of education and socialization, resume the seal later.
Ronda Laek
They begin to harvest huskies only after training in the basic course. Representatives of spit z-shaped, not only the most universal hunters, but also the most stubborn and independent. Therefore, until the commands have been worked out before automatism – it is impossible to, give me – you should not start a seal (usually by 7-8 months the puppy is ready to work).
Laika, Although it is considered a universal hunter, cannot work equally well both on a duck and a bear. Dogs of this breed are trained in different methods, depending on the type of fishing that the owner is engaged in. The most popular method of placing huskies is imitation (using an experienced dog).
Hound racing
The hounds begin to cook from 8 to 10 months, when the dog has already learned the main commands (for the potter’s minimum set – Come / Come here (or approach to the horn), next Come / Come here, serve). The very procedure for finding a trace and beast race – a fun game for a dog, does not cause problems. It is more difficult to accustom her not to roll off the path, i. E. Quickly find a trace that is lost after a discount.
A big mistake of many hunters in areas where there are a lot of Russaks – they themselves remove the dog from the chip, switching to another hare path. Thus, not allowing the development of viscosity in the hounds. In order to return the potter to the trail, the commissar needs to approach the scene, encouraging the dog with exclamations of “look”, walking with expanding circles trying to frighten the hare.
Training of burrowing dogs
Norny dogs are formed by a skeleton and a psyche before large breeds, so they begin to sprout with them earlier. If by 6 months the pet knows, it clearly performs the base of obedience in voice and gestures, you can start a seal.
To begin with, you can use rats in cells, allow the dog to cut and "attack a box of rods. "Then the cell is covered with a dark cloth and the dog is allowed to strangle the prey.
After they switch to an artificial hole, they are spent on the fox. First, the dog is accustomed directly to the hole, they are taught to Fetching objects from it (pancakes wrapped in skins or stuffed boots). Then, at the end of the impromptu hole drive the fox, lower the lattice. Then the dog is set by means of a fresh fox trace, encouraging “take” with exclamations.
During sealing on rats and wild animals, we must not forget about vaccinations. Since wild animals can be carriers of rabies, leptospirosis and other viral infections and simple parasites.
Ronda cops
After mastering the basic commands and the search in the lands of the cop, they teach to serve Ponuska (both on land and from the water). Get the game directly, they teach only when the dog got used to the bird and a shot to remain motionless.
You can train the cop according to free or decoy game. It is recommended to start a training from the age of 7 – 8 months.
Ronda spaniels
Spaniels are particularly popular among game craftsmen, thanks to their abilities for dressing, small dimensions and excellent instincts.
Spaniel trace is identical to the education of hunting skills of the cops. During training, it is necessary to pay special attention to endurance, Fetching (including from water) and a wide shuttle.
Retrievers
The historical task of the retriever is the supply of game from the water. In the Middle Ages, the cops were considered “elite” breeds and they are not supposed to perform “dirty” work on the mouth of the game. The hunt took place in this way:
- The cop was looking for, raised the bird on the wing.
- After the shot, the retriever looked for the game and served from the water or shrub thickets.
But the excellent flair in conjunction with the ability to teach retrievs proved over time – they can be sought and raised by the bird no worse than the cops. Retriever training is identical to the training of cops and spaniels.
At the moment, it is almost impossible to find a good work line of this breed. Retrievers began to meet more and more often at exhibitions, less and less in hunting grounds.
Hunting dog trials
Verification of the working qualities of hunting dogs and the degree of preparation for fishing (tests) are carried out in natural conditions on a free or lumpy beast (bird).
Tests are based on established standards for groups of hunting dog breeds and approved rules. Each state has its own rules, depending on the established legislation. The standards are one, regardless of the region.
Dogs that have successfully coped with trials (from 60 points and above) receive diplomas of I, II, and III degree. Dogs have reached the age of 8 months, but not older than 10 years, are allowed to check.
Test terms for each group of breeds are set in the rules of verification for various types of game.
Raising a good assistant for fishing is not the simplest task. But the time spent on training will be only a low fee for valuable trophies.
