Use of hunting dogs - training

[Beardy]

Hey Dudes!

I had a question concerning hunting dogs. I see in a lot of your pics that a lot of you hunt with dogs. The dogs you use, did you train them yourselves? Were they predisposed to hunting? How young does training have to start? I'm asking because I have a 1.5 years old Australian Cattle Dog. She's incredibly smart but just sometimes neurotic. I want to take her hunting with me, but she barks just so damn much that I don't want her to ruin my hunts. Any tips? How did you guys train them, especially at the no barking part?

Thanks for your inputs!

[dukester]

I have a black lab and her natural genetic blood is to, hunt/fetch/be friendly and they a re pretty much a non barking breed. Yoour breed uses its voice to communicate for its job.. herding directing cattle/sheep. trying to train your dog not to bark my be impossible, but you maybe able to train to limit the bark.

[Everett]

My australian cattle dog flushes and retreives grouse we are still working on the pointing. The one problem is if you get a double he will bring back the first bird than go off and try and eat the second.

[Beardy]

Dukester-

Yeah, I have to agree with you. I never thought about that, Cattle Dogs do use their voice lots when working so maybe I could work on trying at least to minimize the barking. Everett - your dog sounds more like mine! Frig, she eats everything she can, from moose shit to rabbit carcasses! How do you train your dog to point though?

[FlyingHigh]

get one of those electronic bark collars. administers a light shock when the barking starts.

[Everett]

Shocking a cattle dog is got to be the dumbest idea I have ever heard. Good way to lose your finger or worse.
Pointing is taking some work in a nut shell it is reward based training. He indicates a bird without flushing it right away he gets praise or a treat.
Is your bitch fixed we have been looking to breed ours.

[porcupine]

We got Tollers because they are not a split breed and they take to hunting naturally. We've done all the training on ourselves and they are good enough for meat hunters like my wife and I , but, they are not as polished as the dogs of other hunting friends who train all the time.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u260/tvaida/Retreiving2Dec04.jpg
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marijuana pictures (http://trichomes.org)

[horshur]

Dukester-

Yeah, I have to agree with you. I never thought about that, Cattle Dogs do use their voice lots when working so maybe I could work on trying at least to minimize the barking. Everett - your dog sounds more like mine! Frig, she eats everything she can, from moose shit to rabbit carcasses! How do you train your dog to point though?

In working stock dogs it is considered a fault to bark....