Hunting Dog Training - Advice from a Spaniel Breeder

Hunting dog training begins for gun dogs, such as spaniels and retrievers, when the dogs are about 4 to 6 months old. Hunter and breeder, John Cleveland, has been breeding English Springer Spaniels for over 15 years and often helps hunters with training the puppies to hunt.

Contrary to what you may believe, Cleveland says that not all dogs are automatically adept at sniffing out fallen birds or catching wild birds. Most dogs will run after birds and yelp when they see birds in the air. A good hunting dog, however, will know when to hunt and retrieve. Gun dogs must be trained, according to Cleveland, from when they are pups. This begins with training the dog to associate the gun fire with the idea of finding a fallen bird.

When you first start firing off a gun with your hunting dog, the dog will be skittish. Eventually, he will get used to the noise and the thrill of the hunt. One of Cleveland’s training techniques is to use pigeons and gun blanks as a way to get the dog to associate the shot with the idea of retrieving the bird.

Cleveland said that spaniels make excellent gun dogs as they are bred to be sturdy and have a keen sense of smell. They are excellent at catching foul, including wild game, according to Cleveland. Although he asserts, not all spaniels are cut out to be hunting dogs. Cleveland says that some dogs are too skittish to be considered good gun dogs and do not train well. Other dogs are "ruined," because they were improperly trained as puppies.

Cleveland says that he will usually begin training his spaniels when they are about 4 months old. In addition to breeding his own dogs, he also trains gun dogs for friends and others who hear about his expertise in this field.

"Firing off blanks ends up saving you ammo and you can start to see how the dog will react to the sound of the gunshots," said Cleveland. "I will usually take the dog to a place where there are quite a few birds and then fire off a shot with a blank. I’ll plant the pigeon close to the direction that I make the shot and allow the dog to find it."

Cleveland said that it takes a lot of patience as well as hard work when you are training hunting dogs. He said that while some dogs pick up on the concept right away, others take a while to get the hang of the idea. According to Cleveland, if the dog is still not understanding the concept of hunting birds by the time he is 6 months old, chances are that he will not make it as a hunting dog.

In addition to training his hunting dogs to be excellent hunters of both domestic and wild birds, Cleveland also trains them in obedience. His grandchildren often play with the dogs when they visit and he boasts that his dogs, although fierce hunters, are still gentle with kids as well as other adults.

Cleveland says that he also uses decoys to train his hunting dogs and depends on whistles as a way to instruct the dog. He uses dog training collars on occasion, especially when he is training labs. He said he also relies on bird launchers after the dog has learned to associate the sound of the shot with the idea of tracking the bird.

"Dogs have amazing instincts and most know what they are supposed to do when it comes to hunting for birds and other prey," said Cleveland. "A good trainer needs to help bring those instincts out in a dog."

Geoffrey A. English is the Founder of GundogsOnline.com, the internet's premiere online magazine dedicated to bird dogs. Visit their site for more information on training bird dogs and hunting dog supplies including a wide variety of dog leads, shooting glasses, and hearing protection.