Luke Kenzik is the operations manager of Tallahassee, Florida-based Southwood Residential Community Association, a residential property managed by Capital Consultants Management Corporation. He will soon serve as a portfolio manager for four developing communities in the Dallas, Texas, area. In his spare time, Luke Kenzik enjoys several outdoor sports and activities, including hunting wild game with the help of his 3-year-old Labrador Retriever.
Labradors are a breed of dog that have been famously bred to hunt waterfowl. They possess a natural ability to retrieve dead or injured birds from water. However, a Labrador should begin training early in its life to become the optimal hunting dog. Choosing the right Labrador puppy can be an important part of the process. Those bred from a line of active hunters as opposed to house pets are generally easier to train for hunting.
A future hunting Lab should be taught basic commands at an early age and should be taken to different outdoor locations often as a puppy. Once the puppy has established general obedience training, it is advisable to introduce the puppy to water so he or she can become comfortable with swimming. The puppy should also be brought to the owner’s target practice to become familiar with the sound of gunfire.
An important step in training a new hunting Labrador is teaching the dog to retrieve upon hearing a specific word or command. Unlike playing a game of fetch with a household pet, it should be emphasized to hunting dogs that retrieval is only allowed when the specific command is given. Scented dummies are available to help dogs find and retrieve the dummies during training hunts on land. Decoys used for hunting should be placed a far distance from the dog, and a dog can be taught to ignore decoys and other animals in the environment by receiving a reward for focusing only on the dummies.
Finally, the Labrador should be introduced to water training. This is as easy as commanding the dog to retrieve scented dummies in water. Practice makes perfect, and going on practice hunts can help the dog improve in any weak areas.
