Aug
30
how to teach my dogs to hunt?
Byi have two dogs they’re both labs one is 9 years old and has caught many animals such as: deer and things of that nature i was wondering if there’s a chance to still teach her to hunt thanks
P.S. I didn’t teach my dog to catch deer or run deer or anything of that nature she got out of my outdoor cage one day and just came back with the deer and she didn’t kill the deer she just picked it up with her teeth and brought it back home
3 Comments
August 30th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Unless you already know how to handle whatever weapons needed to hunt, don’t bother teaching them. Labs are supposed to retrieve- meaning you’ll have to shoot the fowl down (they retrieve birds when hunting) and train your dog to go find it. NOT to kill the animal and bring it to you.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
For the record, hunting deer with dogs is illegal in several states, if not all. And, there are seasons for hunting game. However, training a dog to hunt is something an amateur can’t do alone. If you’re serious, find a hunter who’s willing to train you as well as your dog. Contact your state fish and game commission and get a copy of the laws for hunting with dogs. Also, be aware that breeds of hunting dogs are bred to do certain things: the name for a Lab is Labrador Retriever, and that’s what she did. She brought back the “kill”. I don’t know if it’s possible to “untrain” her for what she did. A lot depends on how trainable she is, how much she wants to please, and how good the training is.
HTH
August 30th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
By the advanced age of nine most hunters are ending their careers not starting one.
This is a pretty old dog to be keeping up the rigors of hunting. Hunting is not easy and by the time a dog gets to the age of nine they are not as able to keep up that type of pace if you are using the dog for upland game birds. They get to sore and stiff. If you are using her as a duck hunter where she is just bringing back ducks off the lake she could be fine but you should be careful that she stays warm enough so she does not get stiff and sore.
Just take it slow with her and make sure she is comfortable and not hurting after you have worked her.
Deer hunting is not done with dogs. That is illegal in most states. Having a hunting dog that will chase deer is not a good thing. A deer can actually run a dog to death. A hunter that catches animals on their own is not desireable for hunting either. The function of a hunting dog is to point out game and bring back game after it has been shot. If they hunt game on their own and kill it they may be getting you into trouble with the game warden for having the wrong or and out of season animal.