How to Make a Top Hunting Dog: Practice, Breeding, Endurance and Training Collars

A top hunting dog makes every season more fun and more successful. The best dogs come from a mix of good breeding and good training. No dog is born knowing how to handle a wily rooster or tree a smart old coon; experience is what turns talent into a great gun dog. As the saying goes, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Six keys to a top hunting dog

1. Practice
2. Breeding
3. Endurance
4. Desire
5. Positive reinforcement
6. The right training collar

Notice that breeding isn’t first. Here’s why each one matters.

1. Practice

Dogs need repetition, like kids learning their ABCs, so the job becomes second nature. Short, regular sessions beat long, occasional ones: aim for 20–40 minutes, two or three times a week. One of the most common mistakes is waiting until the week before opening day. Use the off-season to practice pointing, backing, whoa, staying in range, retrieving and socializing. If you don’t have the time, hire a good trainer with references, or buy a started or finished dog.

2. Breeding

You wouldn’t buy a pointing pup from a German shepherd breeder. Choose a breeder whose dogs hunt the game you hunt. Look at the parents, ask for hunting photos and pedigrees, and don’t let a few hundred dollars steer you away from good bloodlines. Over 10+ years, it’s money well spent. See how to choose the right hunting dog.

3. Endurance

Many dogs look great for the first 30 minutes. A top dog can hunt hard for two or three hours. A winded dog breathes through its mouth and smells less: pointing dogs bump more birds, hounds lose tracks, and retrievers miss cripples. Keep your dog fit year-round with roadwork, swimming and retrieving, and watch its diet. If your dog is a big runner, make sure it comes when called; a remote collar helps.

4. Desire

Is it nature or nurture? Probably both. Practice builds experience, experience builds confidence, and confidence plus fitness keeps desire alive at the end of a long day. A buddy of mine had a dog that would go on point beside the truck when we were quitting. That’s desire.

5. Positive reinforcement

Dogs, like people, want to know when they’ve done a good job. Praise good work clearly and right away, correct mistakes fairly, and never leave your dog guessing. A dog that loves pleasing you will keep looking for that next bird all day.

6. The right training collar

Used responsibly, a remote training collar sets clear boundaries: it keeps a dog out of the road, off the wrong game and within range. Ask yourself these questions before you buy:

• How much range do you need: a few hundred yards for upland and waterfowl, or a mile or more for hounds?
• How many stimulation levels, and does it offer tone and vibration?
• Is it waterproof?
• Do you need a built-in beeper, or one you can add? (See remote trainer + beeper combos and beeper collars.)
• Will you run more than one dog? (Check for extra collars.)
• Is it easy to use without the manual? How is it charged, and how long do the batteries last?
• Would GPS tracking help? (See GPS and tracking equipment.)

New to e-collars? Start with our e-collar training guide for hunting dogs.