Training Dogs to Hunt

Looking for gun dog training in Houston? Shelmar Kennels has years of experience in training dogs to hunt as well as in teaching basic obedience commands.

Shelmar offers a full service kennel with a training program for all breeds of hunting dogs and retrievers. The trainers at Shelmar make every attempt to bring out the natural abilities in all dogs. We tailor our training program to your hunting needs and desires. Client participation and questions on handling techniques are encouraged for a complete training program. Dogs are trained on whistle and voice commands and advanced dogs are also trained to respond to hand signals. During a hunting program dogs also learn basic obedience commands to make them well-behaved canines at home as well as in the field.

We have extensive knowledge of quail hunting in South Texas and wild pheasant hunting in the northern United States. In addition, Martin spends 40+ days a year hunting ducks and geese on the Katy Prairies. All of this experience in the field helps us better understand the mechanics of a successful hunting dog. At Shelmar Kennels we have refined the training of each breed of dog over the past 10 years to suit different hunting situations. Most basic training is the same. We teach sit, heel, here, swimming, retrieving to hand, NO and basic introduction on birds and gunfire to all breeds as a foundation level. You then have 3 distinctly different options. Dogs can ‘crossover’ but we recommend becoming proficient in your primary hunting objective for the first hunting season before attempting additional training. There are three options available for hunting dog training:

WATERFOWL HUNTING

We train retrievers the rudiments of duck and goose hunting. Advanced training includes water training with multiple marks, combination water and land marks, swimming through decoys, stopping on a whistle, advanced blind retrieves, casting right and left on hand signals, taking a line, working out of a duck blind and steadiness to wing and shot.

UPLAND HUNTING

For those who love to go out of state and chase wild Pheasants, Huns, Quail and Sharp-tail, Spaniels, Labradors and Pointers all need specific training to deal with the many situations that arise when hunting these wild birds ‘up north’. Dogs are taught to quarter ahead of the hunters while remaining in control with a nose full of running birds, walk to heel off leash, be a good non slip retriever when blocking, and to remain quiet and steady at all times. Flushing dogs are taught to flush on contact and will have game birds shot over them to teach trailing to enable them to take a runner when the situation arises. Pointers are taught to creep point a running pheasant to give hunters a shot at moving game.

SOUTH TEXAS STYLE

South Texas provides a different set of challenges known all too well to those that have hunted here. If it doesn’t stick you, sting you or bite you it can’t be found in South Texas. The primary use for hunting dogs in South Texas is broken down again by breeds. Pointers are used for Quail hunting and depending on the exact location can run and range far or, in the heavier brush country, remain tight and nearly always in sight. Owners will instruct us to train a foot hunting dog to hunt within 100yards or a truck dog to range as far as 400+ yards. They must both be taught to hold point staunchly.

Retrievers and Spaniels are used for Quail and Dove. For Quail hunting, I expect my dogs to walk to heel without a leash and retrieve fallen quail on command and be proficient at hunting dead. For Dove hunting I want a non slip retriever that can mark well and handle blind if needed. For all dogs that are going to South Texas we recommend snake avoidance training which we do every year in August and September as well as the new snake anti-venom vaccine.

Fee $650/Month Inclusive of Birds
Minimum Training Program – 4 Months
2 Follow-up Lessons Included With 4 Month Program

At Shelmar, we work exclusively on birds and we do not promote the use of electronic collars for training.

(Game birds charged extra based on current market price.)