The “Hunt Command” is extremely valuable to be able to do when in the field. This training will allow you as the handler to get your dog to stop and search, or “hunt”, with just one word. This allows the handler to make the retriever search an area where the fallen game, shed antler, or start of a blood trail is expected to be. How do we achieve this? It all starts early with a number of drills and techniques that we will complete on a regular basis. The first thing we will do is take our young pup to an area of cover that is different from the rest of the surrounding area. For example, I will start by leaving a roughly 6 square foot circle of lawn uncut so this area is taller than the rest. We will then take food and sprinkle it into this area, put the pup down, and let nature take its course. The only way this pup is going to be able to find the kibble in the taller grass is going to be to use his nose. All the while he is doing this, the handler will be in the background repeatedly giving the cue “Find it”, and praising the pup when he/she finds a bit of kibble. The progression of this drill will later allow the handler to give that cue from before, and the dog will stop what it is doing and start using his/her nose to search and hunt.
View Orginal Video here.
