If you are a bird hunter using a bird dog as a hunting partner, you know how important they are to the success of your hunt. They also make the experience more enjoyable. Bird dogs find their prey by smell and it is a very difficult task for them because they are often over a large area of land and look for prey weighing less than five pounds. All dogs like to roam when they are left free on a large expanse of land. They think it’s time to play and explore. Birddogs require training that teaches them how to follow commands to make hunting rewarding.
Collar training is a great way to train your birddog and can be very successful if done correctly. When using a collar for training, there should be an incentive that encourages your dog to perform and gives him the confidence he needs to keep trying. The collar cannot be used only as a punishment for not acting and the dog must understand the purpose of the collar. If used only as a punishment, your dog will respond out of fear and not because the training is working.
Three scenarios will occur when the collar is worn incorrectly. The dog will run as far as possible until it shuts down, freezes, or returns to you. Coming back to you like this is not good. They will believe that being away from you is not safe. Collars are meant to teach confidence and performance and should not make the hunting dog act out of fear.
A pacifier collar should be worn for a few months before using the training collar. This allows the collar to be associated with fun and the freedom to run. By doing this, they will be excited to see the necklace and ready for the challenges that lie ahead. After they have gotten used to the pacifier collar, it is time to put on the training collar. Do not stimulate them the first time they use it. Get acquainted with him.
Start stimulation at a low level and increase until you find the correct level of stimulation. Select a command word to use for the action you want them to perform. If they don’t execute the command, start pacing and continue until they do or you reach the maximum time limit for pacing. Keep working with them until they learn the command and then move on to the next task they need to learn.
Train your bird dog the right way and the results will be positive and valuable. Training can take a bit of time and you need to be patient with your dog. They don’t immediately know or understand what you expect of them on the hunt. Do your research and find the proper training techniques and order of commands that you need to teach them to understand and follow. Your dog will learn what is expected of him and will perform at his best during each hunt, resulting in a pleasant experience every time you go out with your partner.