Bird Dog Training

Dog Training Commands One of the first commands to teach your dog is to "Come". Next you can teach them to "Heel".

People are amazed at watching a well trained bird dog in action. We are often in awe at how well and quickly they obey their owner’s commands. Then we think - How could this be possible? You may wonder if bird dog training will help bring out the best in your dog.

Training them to be a bird dog will bring out the best in your dog if you are willing to work consistently with them.

There are some breeds that have a natural lineage, giving them the ability to becoming a good bird dog. Training them in obeying commands could be a good starting ground. Dog training professionals acknowledge the fact that dogs need to understand what command is being used in order to make them respond. In this type of training, there are main commands that should be mastered by both the owner and the dog.

The "Stay" Command

The most basic command is "Stay"

Dogs that follow their masters command without hesitation will demonstrate obedience and respect to his owner. Complete obedience is shown by obeying the command no matter how far the distance is between the giver of the command and the dog.

The ’Whoa’ or ’Easy’ command is useful for dogs that are going too far ahead, when the dog is flushing the bird and the owner wants him to stop, or when the dog wants to play with the bird. Once they obey your command it would be good to go to him and praise or reward them for a doing a good job.

Teaching them to ’Come’

This command simply suggests that the dog should approach you as commanded. This command is one of the easiest to use. A good reason to teach them to come, would be that when retrieving something, they bring it back to you when instructed to do so. Some dogs can be stubborn and may want to play or even begin to go off in another direction. Giving this command will help cut down on the distance between you and your dog in case he decides to do things his way.

The ’Heel ’Command

If you want your dog to walk by your side, the right command to teach your dog is, ’Heel’.

It is normally matched with another one-word command such as "okay", or "go" to signal his release. This will let him know that he has performed favorably and he is again allowed to hunt for you.

Each and every time your dog performs correctly for you as he was instructed, always reward or praise him generously. Fine dogs are born with the instinct to please their owners. When you begin to reward your dog in this way, let him know he is behaving correctly and that you want him to continue that type of behavior. Over a period of time, he will learn to do the same actions for which he was rewarded and praised.

Bird dog training is not easy. It is because of this, there are few well trained bird dogs today. Always be confident that your dog can become a fine hunter if you do what it takes to make him successful, by showing him patience in teaching him to obey basic commands.