Training Supplies For Your Hunting Dog Puppy
Do you have a new puppy who you plan on training as a hunting or gun dog? If so, you will need to know what kind of supplies you will need to get your puppy off and running. To prepare for your new puppy, you’ll need some supplies to get started.
Because puppies don’t come housebroken, you will have to get a crate as a puppy home. This is acceptable practice because puppies aren’t fully potty trained until they are 12 months old. A crate is a great way to leave your puppy safely unsupervised and protect your house and furniture.
Fortunately, regardless of the size of your dog, crates are easy to use, they come in a variety of sizes and some can even be collapsed and put away once you are done using it. Some dog owners only use a crate until a puppy is housebroken and then only for rare occasions.
Most dogs enjoy the crate because their instincts are to “den” in a quiet, comfortable, almost-confined space. It helps them feel protected, secure, and safe. Whether you get an aluminum or metal-wire dog crate, you will want to make sure it’s the right size for your dog. For puppies, get one with a divider to put inside so you can let the crate grow with your puppy. It should be just large enough for the dog to stand up straight, turn around in, and lay down flat.
Dogs don’t train themselves—another sad fact. Luckily, they have us to do it for them and the process is usually fun. Training hunting dogs is even more of a challenge with greater rewards. Training collars can really help with this, especially the long-range electric collars. Whether you choose one of those or a simple choke collar for obedience training, make sure it’s the right one for you and your dog.
You will have to decide if your dog responds best to positive discipline (i.e. give him a treat when he does the right thing) or if electronic stimulation offered through electronic collars are best for him. Many owners of hunting dogs (especially larger ones) find that the electronic stimulus collars work best.
Other Hunting Dog Supplies
Start working with puppy early to begin the training process and to set a schedule of training, play, and down times. The earlier you begin obedience and hunting training, the more effective it will be. There are a lot of products out there to help you accomplish these tasks and they are generally available at all hunting and pet supply stores:
1. Dog whistles to train your dog to listen to you at home and in the field
2. Dog training bumpers for retrieval training
3. Launchers – for sending the dummies into the field or from hidden positions to better train your dog for outdoor hunting and retrieving.
Your puppy will become a part of your hunting and a member of your household for years and years. Getting the proper dog training supplies will ensure that you have everything you need for successful training so that he will listen and remain safe in your care.
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