Q&A for How to Train Your Dog to Hunt

You will want to start with the young dog approximately eight weeks, with the appropriate genetics of hunting—meaning his parents come from the same training and background.

No. Dogs can be taught at any age, and the younger the better.

Once the dog has been broken from his mother, the training can begin immediately.

You can still try, but make sure that the training is consistent from this point onward.

Give him a treat when he doesn't do it at your feet. When he does, tell him it's bad and turn away. Don't give him any attention for a little while and act as if you're disappointed.

Chihuahuas are not suitable hunting dogs because of their size and their coat thickness. Your dog needs to be able to be in cold water and romp around swamps to retrieve your game.

Yes. Labs are keen to retrieve, so that can be useful. It's best to start early, when the puppy is young, however.

You want to be a breeder, not a dog seller. First off, it's not the best business. There are many other options that are more lucrative and useful, such as caring for dogs in doggy daycare, walking dogs or grooming dogs. But if your heart is set on this, do plentiful research into the dams and sires, to buy a good quality one of each. Ensure that the puppies are properly trained in the specific hunting skill in order to have an advantage when people seek out your puppies. Don't give up your day job -- raising dogs is expensive work (vaccinations, high quality food, vet visits, housing/bedding, toys, training, maintaining memberships with proper breeder's associations, etc.).

Yes it can, but a water dog has many advantages when it comes to hunting over most other dogs.

Always use toys related to what you want your dog to do. If you're training it to hunt waterfowl or small game, always use toys designed for that skill set.

For waterfowl, and small land game such as rabbits, try a beagle. It's also a good idea to read a quality book featuring dog breeds, to see the range of possible breeds suitable for your needs.

Practice, practice, practice. Use a training aid and reward to-the-hand delivery. If he cant manage to-the-hand, wait with your palm up for delivery. Reinforce that, not the run-up-drop and run-off-retrieve.

Dogs do not "hunt". Dogs are all built for different situations, a dog can "point" and locate birds (pointers). There are many breeds, such as the pointer and the retriever, that will retrieve any game you may shoot. Depending on what you're hunting, look into retrievers, spaniels, pointers. These are the most common.

Try a labrador retriever; they love water and are eager to please.

Try slowly introducing your dog to friends and family. Encourage people to come to your house with treats for him. The more he associates people with treats and petting, the more comfortable he'll be.

Yes, they are great hunting dogs and can be easily trained and are eager to please. However, don't get your pups started on caged racoons; set the raccoon free and let the dog simply go under the tree instead of barking at the caged animal, as this is aggressive behavior and may cause problems on a hunt (like a dog fight for instance).

While dogs are easier to train when younger, they can be trained at any age. Water training will be pretty easy since labs love water and pleasing their masters.

Make a lot of loud noises around your puppy, starting off slowly, then gradually getting louder and louder. Buy a fake gun and make it part of the dog's everyday life. Once your puppy is used to all of that, then you want to start firing the gun. Every time you fire the gun, give your puppy a treat; eventually, wean the puppy off the treats.

It depends on what you're hunting; there are specific breeds for different kinds of hunting. Labs are great for duck hunting, fox hounds for fox and rabbit, etc.

Yes, you can. They can be great hunters, but remember to have patience with them when you are training them.

Tell the puppy "no" in a loud, clear voice each time he chews on the dummy and remove it from the area.

Try a store like Atwood's. You can even buy decoys at Wal-Mart or wherever guns and ammunition are sold.

Black lab -- almost certainly. But a pitbull might be a little difficult, if not impossible.

Some dogs seem to have an oral fixation and love to carry things in their mouths. Dogs that don't have that natural ability con be coaxed into holding a toy or training device by placing it in their mouths. Their first reaction may be to spit it out, but just hold the toy in their mouth and praise the dog. Be sure that the tone of your voice is sincere because this will be the tone you will be using throughout his life. Dogs are very receptive and sense your approval. After a short time, take the toy from him and immediately reward him with a treat, again reinforcing with a positive voice. The dog will catch on. Continue this for longer and longer periods of time. He will eventually learn to bring the toy to you.

Tell her "no!" in a loud and stern voice. Take the bird and turn away from her give her. Give her no attention. Do this until she brings the bird back. When she does, reward her with a treat or affection.

Yes, because dogs are breed differently from each other so you should look up the different types of hunting dogs.

They can do it, but it's a bit challenging. If you want one that is precise, you should get a Black Mouth Cur.

No! Three years old is not too late to begin training. It may be a little more difficult than if he were a puppy, but it should work out. Golden retrievers are bred to hunt and retrieve. They are typically soft-mouthed, which means that they won’t try to chew on the game that they retrieve. A good resource for training hunting dogs is the book The Training and Care of the Versatile Hunting Dog by Edward Bailey and Sigbot Winterhelt.

You can hunt small game like rabbits and squirrels, as well as smaller predators like weasels; you can also train her to be a retriever, and you can hunt water birds because of her waterproof coat.

You can try your best, but he/she needs to get used to water, decoys vs real, etc. You really never know how long it will take because, some dogs take months and others can take a few weeks.