A lot of times people who go out and hunt any type of game will enjoy doing so on their own. Nothing better than being out in the wilderness on your own, listening to the calming sounds of nature while trying to bag a deer for dinner. However, there are some hunters who enjoy doing the same things, just with a fellow furry companion. Having a hunting dog is a great attribute to the sport, but training it takes some steps and discipline as well.

You’ll first begin your training process by choosing a Labrador puppy. Selecting one will be based on criteria like the puppy’s background and their overall health. Finding a puppy that comes from a line of active hunters might end up being the best bet when it comes to training it later on as well. Once you’ve analyzed the puppies, and have spoken with the breeder you’ll finalize all documentation and take the puppy home to begin training.

Early training will require you to consistently take your puppy places while teaching and reinforcing basic commands like sit, stay and come to them as well. The importance of these simple commands is that it will lay the foundation for more advanced hunting training down the road.

Once you complete the general obedience training, you’ll want to get your dog accustomed to water as much as possible. Set up a child’s wading or swimming pool, or bring them to a nearby pond and have them acclimate to their surroundings.

Once your dog masters all of the above, you’ll want to start working on teaching them to retrieve. You can do so by training them to retrieve at the sound of one specific word, name or even a sound. Try to make the word or sound different from other commands that the dog might get it confused with like sit or stay. Incorporating animal dummies is a great way to help them recognize what they’ll be hunting a retrieving in the future also.