How to Train German Short Haired Dogs to Hunt

The German Shorthaired Pointer is an adaptive learner and traditionally bred as a bird hunting dog. According to the American Kennel Club, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter and an all-purpose gun dog. Much of what will need to be taught will come as instinct to your dog, but particular commands must be instructed, such as "sit," "stay," "come," "fetch" and "smell."

Things You'll Need

  • Dog Treats
  • 25-foot Dog Leash
  • Retrieving dummy
  • Animal Corpse
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Instructions

  1. Sit

    • 1

      Hold a treat in one hand above your dog̵7;s head and place the other hand on his haunches pressing lightly downwards while giving the command ̶0;sit̶1;. This should encourage your dog to go into a sitting position; if he tries to lie down gently tug him up with the leash and repeat the command again. As soon as your dog is in a sitting position, praise him and give him his treat.

    • 2

      Tell your dog to sit. Now, take one step away from her, giving the command ̶0;stay̶1;. If she tries to follow, tell her firmly ̶0;no̶1; and make her go back to her initial sitting position. When she holds her sitting position for a few seconds, walk back to her and give her a treat. Begin increasing the distance until you can walk a full 25 feet away from her without her moving.

    • 3

      Allow your dog to wander around on his leash. Give the command ̶0;come̶1; and tug on the leash. If he resists, pull him to you with the leash, repeating the command. Once your dog is in front of you, reward him with a treat.

    • 4

      Take the corpse of the type of animal you will be hunting and rub it onto a retrieving dummy to transfer the odor to the dummy. Allow your dog to smell the retrieving dummy and reinforce your dog̵7;s interest with high-pitched inflection. Toss the dummy and tell him to ̶0;fetch.̶1; Your dog will instinctively chase after it and bring it back to you. When he does this, take the dummy away and give him a treat. The retrieving dummy is for training only; never allow your dog to chew on it.

    • 5

      Take the retrieving dummy that you trained your dog to fetch with and reinforce the scent by rubbing it on the appropriate corpse again. Tell your dog to stay while you place the dummy 5 to 20 feet away from him. Return to your dog, and tell him to fetch and point toward the dummy. Once your dog has returned it to you, give him a treat and praise him. This exercise can be elaborated by hiding the dummy from your dog so that he has to use only his sense of smell to retrieve it.