BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[Night Raider]

I'm wondering what age is ideal to start training a dog for hunting, is 6 or 7 months too old?

thanks

[Night Raider]

I forgot to add, it would be a lab

[Don Fischer]

Glad you said lab. I don't start pointing dogs with much formal training befor a year to year and a half. Lab would be a different story. You need control with a lab. I'd start obedience early and stay on it till you have a very obedient dog. If you don't and your hunting upland game, flushing, an have no control, then you have a dog busting birds out of range. Worry about control control control and the hunting part later. When you bring on the game and the pup is not emotionally up to it, you can turn loose a maniac that now you'll really have to lean on to get under control.

[Widux]

I start them at 7 weeks or 49 days like old school does--6-7 mos not too old but get going- start with OB hen basics of marking and love of retrieving and birds-- don't over do it- 15- 20 minutes- every day--when do good on OB and basics-I'd Force fetch him -if used for upland I'd teach him quatering etc and amazingly he could be ready to hunt in fall.

[ratrivertrapper]

Night Raider wrote: I'm wondering what age is ideal to start training a dog for hunting, is 6 or 7 months too old?

thanks

training a hunting dog starts with obedience when they are a pup keep him with you as much as possible teach him the basics first sit stay etc the hunting part is bred into them labs have a hunting instinct allready installed