Very useful for their masters, the hunt huntters did not learn their work in a day! The passion of the hunt is not enough, one must also show patience, rigor in the training and coherence in the stages of training. At what age to start ? How to teach safety rules? And to recover unmudged prey, how does it go?

Prerequisites to train a dog to report

The report makes it possible to recover game properly and quickly. The goal is for the dog to be comfortable in a number of natural environments, including wetlands such as marshes or lakesides.

Some breeds are naturally more talented than others, such as the Golden Retriever or the French Spaniel.

However, regardless of breed, all dogs must learn before they can practice with their master hunter. So, to start well, the dog must already be familiar with certain commands, such as "sitting", "lying" and of course, the "stop".

The ideal is that the dog has already been broken, and that he is able, on a hunting ground, the exciting contact of the game, to stay focused on the sound of your voice! The more your dog is able to stay focused and keep control of himself, the better it is to keep him safe.

Indeed, we must not forget that a hunting ground can be dangerous for a dog who is not perfectly obedient!

The teaching of the professions of hunting a dog should not start too young. No need to continue the
 puppy with too many orders he does not understand yet: it is better to teach him the basics and socialize properly, the rest will be easier when he is a young adult!

The commands "gives" and "reports"

First of all, it is important to work for 5 to 6 weeks the two most important orders for a dog reporter: "gives" and "reports". For good results, it is advisable to work in 10-minute sessions two to three times a day, every day. A long session once a week will be less effective and harsh for the dog. The risk of blocking or learning very slowly is high.

To begin, we introduce a dumbbell (not more than 500 g like those presented on this page) or a wooden log wrapped in a cloth in the mouth of the dog stopped by repeating the order: "Report".

At first, a few seconds, then a few minutes. If the dog drops the object, he must immediately say "no" and put it back in place by repeating "Rapporte", while encouraging him to understand that he is not punished.

Then, and this is a very important step, he must not let go of his burden until he tells you "Give it".

The order is correctly taught when you can hold the object with a tension and you have to pronounce: "Give" for the dog to loosen the jaw. Of course, every time the dog does his job properly or better than the previous time, it is essential to flatter, caress and give a treat from time to time.

Then he must learn the same order, but in motion. So wait for him to walk to give him the fake game to keep.

You can then place the object on the ground, always repeating "Rapporte" so that the dog seizes it and comes to you, letting you tell him "Give" before releasing his jaws.

Finally, when these steps are correctly understood, you can move away from the dog and kick off your game with the associated "Report" command.

Introduction of the "va"

It is necessary, to keep control of the comings and goings of the dog, that he does not rush directly on the prey. To do this, wait until he is already comfortable with the previous step and introduce the "Va", so that it starts moving.

Ask the dog to lie down. Throw your fake duck in the air and make sure the dog looks good, but not moving. When the duck has settled down, allow one or two seconds to pass and then say "Va" to trigger the movement.


What you should not do


As I told you, it is important to always be very patient with the dog. For example, it is not wise to confront him from the start with gunshots. It may become scary and you will have more work to complete the next steps.

Finally, do not skip the steps or cross new courses before being certain that the dog has understood what you expect from him. Some dogs are more talented than others, do not be impatient!

If you're curious about how to train dogs for other hunting missions, find Mouss's articles by clicking here!