How To Train A Hunting Dog
By Gray Rollins

The term hunting dog is applied to any dog that is able to assist a human in the act of hunting. There are several different types of breeds of dogs that are quite useful as hunting dogs and each has a particularly unique and useful talented that is used during hunting.

Hounds such as coonhounds are often used for stalking prey either by sight or sound. Sight hounds generally kill what they are stalking for their masters, while scent hounds are very likely to corner prey in some manner so someone in the hunting party may kill it.

We’ve all seen it…the big, brown, imploring puppy eyes. Or, as most people say, the eyes of a begging pup. It’s dinnertime again at your house, and as you prepare the family dinner, your dog diligently stands nearby, hoping to get a morsel of food that has dropped to the floor…a chopped carrot, a tidbit of barbeque roasted chicken, or maybe even a chocolate chip from those cookies you made in the afternoon. Your dog doesn’t care what it is…as long as it is “people” food, they are happy.

I am a professional dog trainer. As such I have a very specific way that I view dogs and how I think about dog training. I refer to this as my ‘dog-sense’. When I encounter new clients I discover them with varying degrees of dog-sense. It is my responsibility as a trainer to inculcate as much dog-sense into my clients as possible.

Throughout my years of training I have found that the majority of dog owners lack dog-sense in one key and critical area. If dog owners everywhere were able to improve in this area it could very well put me out of a job.

So you have an active dog that has taken quite well to obedience training and you are looking for something new to do with them. Dog agility training might be just the thing that you are looking for. Now what exactly is dog agility training you might ask?

The sport of dog agility training is where a dog handler would direct their dog through an obstacle course in an attempt to get the best time and be the most accurate. The dogs that participate in dog agility training must learn to run through these obstacle courses without the handler utilizing treats or dog toys such as squeaky toys as incentives. Signals between the dog and their handler are limited to various body signals as well as select voice commands and movements. This challenging sport requires dedicated training from both the dog in addition to the handler.

What to look for when buying a puppy: When it comes time to buy a puppy, remember the old saying, “you get what you pay for.” Get a quality bred dog with a good pedigree, look for past champions, hunt test qualifiers etc. Be sure to ask breeders if eyes and hips are certified and ask about any other guarantees that may come with the dog. Nothing is ever certain in life but you will eliminate many potential problems by getting a quality bred dog. Though you will pay more for a dog like this, it will pay you dividends down the road in trainability and desire to work (this is one of those life experiences I learned the hard way).

Training your dog is a time-intensive project that requires patience and solid strategy. Most inexperienced dog owners ultimately fail at training their pet because they either lack the knowledge of what to, or they become frustrated when their dog does not respond. This failure leads many to turn to the plethora of dog training books available on the internet. There are a number of excellent resources available, but what exactly makes up a good dog training book? Here are some important things to research before buying any training product.

There are several aspects of training when it comes to owning a dog or a puppy. You of the most important training steps you should undertake is socialization. There are two parts to socialization training: first you have to socialize the dog to be around other pets, second you have to make sure they are friendly around strangers. If you forgo socialization training for your dog you are setting yourself up for a difficult road. Dogs that have not been socialized properly may be aggressive towards strangers and other pets. In most cases around strangers they will be shy and hide in your home. So what does socialization training include?

Your puppy has no concept of where and when he should go to the toilet and until he is about six months old he will have none or very limited control over when he goes, nevermind where. A puppy’s gotta do what a puppy’s got to do. Let’s face it a new home and family, possibly an older pet are just to exciting and interesting to him learn about, so all his concentration is spoken for already! It’s up to you to watch his behaviour and set times during his day to focus what little attention he has on the more basic aspects of fitting into family life. With consistency, patience, lots of praise plus a mop and some Stain and Odour Remover eventually your little puppy will grow into a young dog who has learnt some bladder control and where it is acceptable for him to relieve it.

Today we look at handling your foal and preparing him for training.

Once your foal gets a bit stronger and more independent the new world he finds opening up to him is going to be a little scary at first – so whatever you do, try to take it at his pace, and not yours. Remember that until he is comfortable with the current aspect of his training; don’t move him onto the next part.

Are you satisfied with your dog’s behavior? I think almost everyone, who has one has thought how to house train him. Training is not necessarily a difficult process but it is a process, which requires a lot of patience from your side. This article will tell you some basics of dog training. Dog training is my passion and I want to share it with as many people as possible.

Obedience