If dreams of puppies regularly intertwine with dreams of your adult dog retrieving birds within reach, then these books focused on hunting dog training should be in your library.
I have to admit, I searched for this list of books in a frenzy of excitement for baby birds. My first bird dog is due to arrive in a few weeks, and 7-8 weeks later I will be cradling a Little Brown Boykin Spaniel in my arms.
Hunting birds behind dogs was a rare but exceptional experience each time, so much so that I decided it was both a style of coaching and the hunt I wanted to undertake. But I live in a small town where bird dog trainers are scarce. So I decided to turn the page for more information.
When training my ultra-sensitive border collie, I tailored my training methods to his unique needs using a book called “The beloved dog” by Tamar Geller, and I found it extremely useful. Years later, Butch is a consummate gentleman and he’s setting the bar high.
Now that I will be doing hunting specific training, I will be using a variety of texts to start and finish my hunting dog, and these are the ones I will be building on. Here are books recommended by critics and bird dog lovers.
‘How to Help Hunting Dogs Train Themselves, Taking Advantage of Conditioned Early Learning’ by Joan Bailey
This book is written primarily for dogs in the first 12 months of life. He encourages owners to use socialization, exposure, and classical conditioning to help your pup develop his hunting dog instincts.
With over 130 images and step-by-step instructions, this is less of a wordy rant on training and more of a practical guide on how to set your young dog up for success with positive reinforcement and motivation. affection. How long can I put this in my Amazon cart? So, so fast.
What customers say: “Unlike other ‘training methods’ which rely on negative and sometimes harsh reprimands, this book focuses on establishing a positive and constructive dialogue, between man and dog, based on trust. mutual, love, and affection. Even though the human’s goal is simply to raise a well-behaved family member and companion, this book is a MUST READ. Melissa Allen
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‘Absolutely Positive Hunting Dog Training: Positive Training for Your Retriever Hunting Dog’ by Robert Milner
Robert Milner has long bred British Labradors and trained them for hunting, scent detection, and search and rescue. His perspective also focuses on positive reinforcement and he adds helpful scientific research to his methods.
The only downside is that it’s sharper to hunt dogs like his retrievers rather than your pointing breeds. But, if flushing dogs are your thing, Milner has plenty of great tips on how to get the most out of them while still having a great time together learning. And what could be more fun than having fun with your puppy?
What customers say: “Takes the confusion and coercion out of dog training. It’s the most direct and easy-to-implement training method I’ve ever found. It produces dogs that love to hunt and do it exceptionally well. good with bonus points for making a great family dog as well. I had given up on training because traditional methods just don’t work well and they are SLOW. It’s 3x faster and that makes a dog who loves his job. Foxfire
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‘Game Dog: The Hunter’s Retriever for Upland Birds and Waterfowl’ by Richard A. Wolters
Richard Wolter’s first book on dog training came out in 1961. Re: This guy has been training retrievers for a very long duration. Many publications refer to his training books in a biblical sense. And over 300 reviewers rate her five-star methods on Amazon.
People say to get it before you have your puppy. But older dogs can learn new tricks. And Wolter’s methods are proven to consistently produce well-behaved, happy retrievers.
What customers say: “had to [buy] another copy, probably the 5th one I own as I always end up giving it to new dog owners who want their dog to be as well behaved and disciplined as mine. I have trained 6 Labradors using Wolter’s methods over the years since I was 8 years old. From my 7th. Chocolate Male. It’s off to a good start.” — SSS
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“Training Your Pointer for Hunting and Home” by Richard Weaver
Since a few books focus on rinsing retrievers (which my pup will be), I couldn’t leave out the pointing breeds among us. This book is really popular with pointer trainers and owners.
It takes a lot of space, talking about races, solving problems, pointing out specifics, and more. It’s more informative, which is what I’m looking for as I begin my new training journey. And it seems like a great choice for owners of the fabulous and elegant pointing breeds.
What customers say: “Excellent book for someone looking to train a pointing dog for the first time…I have read several different training books from top trainers looking for a good plan or guide and came up with my own plan using these different methods to suit my style. Later I found and read this book to find that it was a perfect match for my plans to train my new German Shorthair puppy. I will use him as a reference while I train this pup to be a hunting dog. — Tom Gordon
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“Strengthless Hound Training: The Fundamentals of Success” by Jo Laurens
In my work with dogs and horses, I have found operant conditioning to be the fastest and most engaging tool my animal partner enjoys learning with. It is a useful tool for any animal at any time during training. And the more you understand it, the better.
That’s what this book covers, and it does it step by step rather than taking a theoretical advantage.
What customers say: “This is the dog training manual I was looking for. Me and my dog are having a great time on this journey of both training the fundamentals of the sport so I can go to bed in the evening knowing that we are both having a wonderful time. Can’t wait to read Jo’s next book on more advanced hunting dog work!” — Jaime Dan
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