The training of a bird dog pup is something that is a very time-consuming exercise that if done properly it will bring you as much pride and joy in life as anything you will ever undertake. Many amateur hunters when they see a well-trained bird hunting dog they think that they can’t accomplish this but with a little bit of devotion and time, anything can be accomplished. If you will devote a small amount of time each and every day to work with your small pup on three basic commands, "whoa", "come" and "heel" and work towards getting to the point where the pup will unfailingly obey those three basic commands no matter where he is or what he is doing, you will definitely have a fine bird dog.



"Whoa" is by far the most important of the commands so we recommend that you be very attentive when you teach him this crucial command. It simply means, "stop, don’t move until I release you". The dog must religiously obey this command when it is given ( no matter how far away he is from you or what he is doing at that given moment ). It is useful in the yard, it is crucial when the dog is working birds and it can even save the dog's life in traffic so there are plenty of benefits after the dog has learned this command.

We will continue reviewing the “come" command which is as simple as that. It basically means “stop whatever you are doing and come to me as soon as possible". This technique has very obvious uses, or instance, if the dog will come unfailingly when called, retrieve training is as easy as it can get. If the dog does scoop up a shot bird and starts to dawdle off with it, if you can first use the "whoa" command in order to stop going into the wrong direction and then tell the pup to "come", you will get every bird you shoot delivered right to hand, it isn’t rocket science, isn’t it?

Last but not least, "heel" simply means "walk right along my side until I have another command for you". It uses are also easy to see for the simple fact that anytime you want to go somewhere with the dog under control, this is the way to do it. Trained properly, a dog will heel unfailingly without a lead so that you can have both hands free to carry things like your gun and all the birds he pointed for you. It is also very important to remember to have a release command such as "ok!" for each of these commands as it lets that dog know that he has performed correctly and is now free to hunt for you again, all work and no reward isn’t recommended for dog training.

Always take as much time as you can to stroke and praise the pup in a pleasant and warm voice when he does perform correctly as good dogs are born wanting to please their master and if you can show the pup in crystal clear terms what pleases you and repeat that to him from time to time over months and months, the pup, soon to be a very efficient bird dog, will always try to please you because the most important thing in the world to him is to know that his master is pleased with his services.

All things considered, it takes a great deal of time, patience and love for your dog to train him the right way but the benefits that come afterwards are truly remarkable and you will have not only a rewarding bird hunting experience but also a special bond with your trained bird dog.