Nebraskaland

60 Nebraskaland • June 2020 Time to Train By Todd Mills Photos by Jeff Kurrus reparing a dog for hunting season can be a good way to keep yourself engaged during the long off -season, but it can also be time consuming. With the overall shutdown we are experiencing due to COVID-19, it seems most of us have a lot more time on our hands. So now may be the perfect time to start getting your dog prepared for when game day hits in the fall or to help condition him or her to the rigors of hunting season. It may be a good time to purchase that new puppy you've been longing for. Training your own gun dog can be challenging, frustrating and rewarding all at the same time. It takes commitment on your part to fi nish what you start. Whether it's your fi rst or your last dog, watching your dog make that fi rst retrieve or fl ush that fi rst bird is well worth the time you put into it. Training is also important because an out-of-control dog with little discipline can ruin any good hunt. Here are a few tips that I've found helpful when training my own gun dogs. Keep Them in Shape Much like us, a dog who is on a properly structured routine will perform best. Taking your dog for a "walk" will not allow him to get in the kind of condition he needs to be in. Dogs need to be active at a high level to keep them running at top speed during the season. If you're a runner, take them with you. If you have access to a fi eld, then use that area for retrieves and distance marks. Also be cognizant of your dog's calorie intake this time of year. For example, during the season I'll feed my dogs a higher caloric, higher protein dog food. During the off -season, I'll switch to feeding them maintenance food. Come hunting season, an overweight dog can face joint issues and eventually even more serious issues like heat stroke. Back to the Basics Much like in our daily lives, the fi rst thing that will go is the "fundamentals" associated with a fi ne-tuned gun dog if they're not being repeated. A backyard is the perfect place to reinforce the commands of sit, stay, heel and come. Younger dogs, particularly around the adolescent stage, love to break the rules when they can. Take 20 minutes a day to repeat these commands and be stern about your follow up. If you allow your dog to take an inch, they'll take a mile. Ask your family to serve as distractions so you can see how they handle diversion. After all, you'll have plenty of those in the fi eld, the blind and the boat. Research Dog Training Tips Whether you're new to the dog training world, or a seasoned veteran, you can never learn enough about training gun dogs. YouTube is a great resource to reference training techniques. Find a mentor whom you can bounce off ideas and troubleshoot. In this day of electronic media, you can fi nd several sources that can guide you in the right direction. Understanding the dynamics of your dog and the personality P Developing a connection with your dog will allow you to use training techniques more eff ectively.

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