Training A Hunting Dog And Hunting Dog Sports

In the wild, dogs rely on their athletic ability to survive. Speed and agility are necessary to successfully obtain the next meal or to avoid becoming the next meal of a predator that occupies a higher position in the food chain. Canine survival instincts are not essential for domestic dogs living in secure homes with a diet plan, but the inherited survival skills are still deeply embedded in our canine companions.

In ancient times, humans also hunted for survival, and many people still like to hunt for food. Humans and dogs have satisfied their common ancestral tendencies, combining dog instincts with human prowess to hunt more successfully.

In fact, many of our favorite dog breeds were modified to help their owners hunt. The cocker spaniel swarmed out; Labrador retrievers hunt prey in the wild, pointer dogs and setters look for birds or rabbits and notify their owners of the location of the next meal. The field trials focused on this concept of team hunting and allowed humans and their pet dogs to reignite their hunting instincts in a fun, competitive form.

What is a field trial?

Field trials are outdoor competitions designed to highlight the hunting instincts of domestic dogs. These sports, which began in England around 1866, judge a dog's field performance on four aspects related to hunting: pointing, retrieving, trailing, and driving away prey.

Field trials are designed to mimic the actual conditions of hunting in the wild, so guns are used. Dogs are expected to work with animals and birds that are likely to make it to the hunter's table, such as rabbits, partridges and pheasants.

How do we start?

Most dogs have the genetic ability to hunt, but some breeds are better than others. Generations have passed, and many of our pet dogs have lost much of their hunting instinct and are happy to be well-versed in being lovable family members who sit on the couch, snuggle or carry things. Some dogs are athletic and enjoy jogging with their owners or participating in other canine sports, such as agility trials. Others work as sheepdogs or guide dogs.

If you and your dog both want to get back to your roots and participate in a field trial, here's what you should do:

Find a dog with the right pedigree for work. There are several gun dog breeds that are best suited for field trials: Retrievers and Irish Water Spaniels, sport Spaniels, Pointers, Setters, and HPRs(other breeds for hunting, pointing, and retrieval).

Find someone who knows. Talk to the breeder of the working dog. Go to local events to observe working dogs in action and talk to their owners about getting started.

Subscribe to publications like The American Field, a weekly newspaper that publishes open and amateur events, or magazines like The Shooting Times, The Field, and the Shooting Bulletin, which have articles about training your dog and upcoming events. The Kennel Club publishes a field trial newsletter that provides more useful information.

Make sure both you and your dog are in peak physical condition and can withstand rigorous training and competition. Good eyes, good ears, good nose, and good joints are all required! Endurance is a must when dogs are trekking over complex paths and uneven terrain. Vision and hearing must be acute to detect prey and respond to verbal commands and gestures.

Be prepared to invest a lot of time in training your dog and racing. Joining a field trial club or dog club will help you find training opportunities. You can decide to attend group meetings or participate with a personal trainer that can give you and your dog one-on-one attention.

Can we practice before the actual competition?

Most dogs won't be ready for real competition for a few years. Dog job testing is a sport that provides easier competition and training. Unlike the field trials, the Gundog work test does not involve shooting live games. The dog and the dummy cooperate just as in training, but in the form of a competition. The Gundog job test focuses on three Gundog groups: Retrievers, Spaniels, and HPR. The competition dogs were assessed on their ability to find the prey (dummy), retrieve it, and quickly return it to the owner. Setters and Pointers are not included in these events because it is difficult to evaluate pointing with human tests.

What about the actual field tryouts?

Field tests require a higher level of training than on-the-job tests. For example, in retriever field trials, dogs are expected to navigate more complex paths and retrieve over greater distances than dogs in hound hunting trials. Access to field trials is also more restricted. So what do you need to do to get to a real field trial?

First, you should join a local field experiment association. It may take years of hard work, dedication, and persistence to train your dog. The Field Trial Society will encourage you to work with other members and their dogs to gain knowledge through observation. Your dog will be competing in the company of many people and dogs. Working with members of a field trial group can also help train your dog to pay attention when disturbed.

"It can take years of hard work, dedication and persistence to train your dog."

The association can evaluate your dog individually and provide useful training advice to improve his technique.

Finally, you must be a member of an organized club to participate in a field trial competition. More than 600 field trials and hunting dog work trials are held each year, club members are preferred. Most competitions take place in the fall and winter. This time of year is known as "shooting season". Experiments with Pointers and setters are likely to take place in the spring and late summer.

It is wise to take part in a few trials as an observer before actually participating so that you can be prepared for what you and your dog can expect. Then you can decide if a field trial would be a fun way to rekindle your inherited hunting instinct.