How to Train Rhodesian Ridgeback Dogs for Birds

The Rhodesian Ridgeback dog is intelligent and quick to learn and can be trained to track, flush and retrieve birds. Choosing a dog with the right blood lines is important when buying a hunting dog. You should purchase your Rhodesian Ridgeback from a breeder whose dogs have a known hunting pedigree. Proper training of a dog for hunting is critical to success and best accomplished with the help of a professional bird dog trainer. But a dog must also be prepared as a bird dog as a very young pup. There are steps you should take with your puppy to ready it for more advanced training when it reaches about six months of age.

Things You'll Need

  • Paint rollers
  • Puppy retrieving bumpers
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start the training process young. Basic training should begin at seven weeks of age. For hunting dogs, beginning basic training early is important.

    • 2

      Spend lots of time with your puppy. Hunting dogs need to have a close bond with their handlers. Make your dog a part of your family and your life. Puppies that are left alone or crated for long periods of time will be more difficult if not impossible to train as hunting dogs.

    • 3

      Teach your puppy the basic commands: "come," "sit," "down," "stay." If you are unfamiliar with how to train a dog on basic commands, enroll the puppy in obedience school or hire a private dog trainer to guide you.

    • 4

      Take your puppy on long walks in the woods or a park. This will introduce the dog to different types of cover it will experience when hunting. The puppy will also experience the smell of wild birds and other game.

    • 5

      Walk the puppy through puddles and ditches. This will introduce him to water and different types of footing.

    • 6

      Let the puppy off the leash to investigate his surroundings. A young puppy will stay close to your side in an unfamiliar environment. This will teach him to follow you and bond him more closely to you.

    • 7

      Hide from the puppy. If the puppy wanders, hide from him. When he realizes you are gone he will whimper and look for you. Make your presence know and call him to you. This will establish you as the "alpha" leader in the relationship and his protector.

    • 8

      Play fetch with the puppy. Paint rollers make excellent bumpers --- tools used to train dogs to retrieve --- because they are lightweight and soft. Use patience, gentle coaxing and treats to train the dog to bring the bumper to you. Once the puppy is trained to retrieve, switch to professional puppy field trial bumpers.

    • 9

      Play fetch with the puppy. Paint rollers make excellent bumpers --- tools used to train dogs to retrieve --- because they are lightweight and soft. Use patience, gentle coaxing and treats to train the dog to bring the bumper to you. Once the puppy is trained to retrieve, switch to professional puppy field trial bumpers.

    • 10

      Use a thrower to help train the puppy. Once the puppy is retrieving consistently, introduce a thrower. Hold the dog at your side. Have the thrower stand 10 to 15 feet away. Have the thrower say "hub, hub" to get the dog's attention and then toss the object. Release the pup to retrieve the object. This will prepare the dog for actual field training.