The gun dog, otherwise known as the Boston terrier, is a magnificent dog with an exceptional temperament. Most gun dog breeds have been specifically bred to accompany the sporting enthusiast. They’re extremely loyal companions and usually respond favorably to training.
Gun dog breeds originated in England, specifically the English foxhound, and were originally bred for hunting. They are strong, agile, and alert, and have the incredible capability of jumping over fences and hiding just about anywhere. However, the gun dog isn’t just suited to being a hunting dog. They have excellent working skills and can be used in all sorts of dog training classes because of their agility, intelligence, and excellent working abilities.
Gun dog breeders originally bred these miniature dogs to do one thing: retrieve birds. Although there are several different variations of this trait, most gun dogs will possess at least some of the following characteristics: they’re incredibly quick, able to jump high, have an extremely keen sense of smell, and are highly intelligent. These traits make them perfect hunters, which explains why gun dogs are typically sent out with hunters. Their noses to help them track their prey and they are extremely quick at finding and picking up birds. Their intelligence makes them a natural choice to train gun dogs to assist hunters.
A Boston terrier’s job is to guide and direct the hunter while on the trail. This is done via a verbal cue from the handler. One of the key skills required to effectively guide these tiny dogs is hand signals. To teach your dog these hand signals, it’s important to understand what they mean.
The dog handler needs to begin by using the whistle method to communicate with the gun dog. This simple whistle, which is similar to the hunt whistle used by small farmers, is used to signal that the dog should stop and that it should go back. Once the dog returns to the handler, the whistle is repeated, sometimes in a lower tone to reduce the dog’s fear and hesitation. Using the whistle correctly is the best way to communicate with the gun dog.
Gun dogs can also be taught to return with scent hounds by having the handler point the dog in the direction of the scent hounds. The dog then has to follow the hounds and retrieve the birds. Unlike the hunting sight hounds, gun dogs are not allowed to leave the handler’s side; they must remain within a certain area of the handler until the hounds have successfully retrieved a bird. Sight hounds are more effective because they are searching for live birds, but gun dogs are better if the hunt is for a toy or stray animals.
As mentioned above, the dog handler uses the whistle to communicate with the dog. In order to train this skill, it is necessary to find an experienced dog handler to begin. The dog handler will teach the dog to heel after hearing the whistle and to wait patiently while waiting for the bird to come to ground. When the dog returns with the bird, the handler will praise the dog and provide a treat, encouraging it to repeat the behavior.
The Springer method, used by hunters across America to train both the gun dog and the hunt dog is a highly successful training system. To teach this method, the dog is trained to heel after receiving a signal from the handler. The dog is trained to flush by throwing its weight into the air and making a “come here” noise. This method trains the dog to act according to the slightest sign, such as the “come here” movement of the hunter. The springer training is more effective when combined with other flushed training methods, including the “flushing break” and “dry training.”
