How to Hunt With a Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels not only make great household pets, but they also are great hunting dogs. Some people cannot imagine the idea of using such a beautiful animal to hunt, but it is a breed that has been used to hunt for centuries.

Cocker Spaniels make great hunting dogs if you take the time to properly train them.

• The dog should be trained to hunt as soon as it is old enough to understand how to be obedient. It is important that the dog can understand the basic obedient commands such as "stay", "sit" and "come." Refrain from trying to teach the dog to do everything in a matter of days. It is recommended that you train the dog for approximately 30 minutes every day. This can be done two to three times per day if desired.


• Once the dog has completed the obedience training take it out in an open field along with some dead birds and a gun.


• Fire the gun to get the dog used to hearing the blasting sound.


• Toss one of the dead birds out into the field and command the dog to retrieve it. Continue to fire off the gun and toss out one of the birds immediately after. This will teach the dog that the shot is associated with retreiving the dead bird. Continue to repeat the process until the dog feels comfortable retreiving.


• Blow a whistle and teach the dog that it needs to return the bird to you when they hear the sound.


• The dog should be trained for at least two years before taking out on a hunting trip.