Training a dog for hunting
 

Hi everyone, I know what you’re thinking, I did turn away from the idea of having a hunting dog, because it would be a lot of work. However, and interesting opportunity happened. I don’t wanna pass it up now. A few days ago, my father was driving visiting customers for work. He came across a stray German shorthaired pointer. He had a collar, but no identification on it. The dog obviously had not eaten for a few days. Very skinny. After 15 minutes, he was able to gain the dogs trust, and take it to a no kill shelter.
The shelter said that he is not neutered, and he is about seven months old.
Nobody claimed the dog, so the shelter people asked if we could do a foster program to see if we could adopt it. We are doing that right now. The dogs at my house. Not officially adopted, but we’re seeing if he’s a good fit for the family.

I guess you could say he’s on probation. Anyway, his breed is a type of hunting dog. If we do end up adopting him, I might try to train him to be a hunting companion.

I have only one question about doing this. The rest of my questions were answered by a friend who offered to help me train the dog for hunting. Do you think it would be a good idea training this dog to be a hunting dog?

I’m just doing my research, trying to figure out what’s best in case we adopt him.

if you need a picture of him, I will post it. Jared.

Congrats!! It's a great breed with a lot of drive. You can buy books on training a dog. There are online articles as well. You might also check with a local trainer to see what they would charge to train your dog. You have a lot of options. Enjoy the training.

Thank you. I will enjoy it. He’s still in foster care, I’m not certain if we are adopting him or not yet. Will know in about a week. Several friends of mine say that he is not a purebred German shorthaired pointer. It looks like he has some pitbull in him. We’re not sure. Everything about him matches a German shorthaired pointer except for the ears.

I’m having problems uploading a picture from my phone, so I will post a picture from my laptop when I get home.

Ok, my laptop AND my phone won’t let me upload a photo. I don’t know why.

Here is a link to another forum I am a member of, I posted the pictures of the dog there asking for advice.

I hope that’s okay.

Dog photos

The photos are fine. Regardless of whether he is purebred (probably not) or a mix/mutt, it will be fun to see if he has a nose for birds and the drive to hunt. If he does, you will have a hunting companion. If he doesn't you will at leas have a companion who is happy to see you when you get home everyday.

Be careful. if he does have some pitbull in him he may not like other dogs and be a problem the field. get him around other dogs in a controlled situation, perhaps with a toy and see how he reacts. Also, get relatively fresh pheasant or grouse or chukar wing , tie aa string on it, whirl it around over your head and land it about 5 feet from your dog and see if he points it.

I have another dog who is not a hunting dog. His name is Buster, and he is about 12. They haven’t fought since they got together. There has been a growl from Buster once in a while, but nothing from the newcomers side.

We don’t really have that many grouse here. At least in my experience. We do have partridge and chukar. I’ll take your advice and see what he does.

I have to get one first.

Ok, my laptop AND my phone won’t let me upload a photo. I don’t know why.

Here is a link to another forum I am a member of, I posted the pictures of the dog there asking for advice.

Training a dog for hunting can be a rewarding experience for both the dog and the owner. Here are some important steps to follow when training a dog for hunting:

1. Socialize your dog: It's important to socialize your dog from a young age so that they are comfortable around people and other animals. This will help them stay calm and focused during hunting trips.
   
2. Basic obedience training: Before starting hunting training, it's important to ensure that your dog has mastered basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, and heel.
   
3. Introduce your dog to hunting equipment: Introduce your dog to hunting equipment such as guns, decoys, and blinds.
   

I would as stated above introduce to other people and dogs so you don’t have any problems later on. I would take with a leash to a park or somewhere where there is some pigeons to see his reaction. That’s just to see if he will point and hold for you on them. That’s only sight but it’s a start. Then try and get some bird scent for the birds you plan on hunting and put it on something for a drag to drag through a field or some bushes to see how his nose is working. This stuff all takes time but can be rewarding. If he looks like he is going to be doing good get some wings and sent them and drag them or toss them into some bushes and see if he can find them. I will caution you to never introduce him to loud noises like firecrackers or gun shots until he is onto a bird or something. If not you very well could make him gun shy which would be no good to you hunting wise. Good luck..