Coon train your dog with other trained dogs if possible.
Training your dog for coon hunting can take quite some time. Every dog is unique, with some learning faster than others. Dogs that are trained with others that are already coon hunting often learn more quickly, but when you know what things to focus on during training, most dogs will become skilled coon hunters in a relatively short period of time.
Pointing and Retrieving
Of all of the skills to focus on during coon hunting dog training, pointing and retrieving is one of the most important. The reason is that pointing will allow the dog to communicate with you when it sees or hear something. Once the dog has pointed, it will then be free to retrieve and you will know in which direction to follow. There are many books as well as coon hunting classes that you and your dog can use to perfect pointing and retrieving.
Conditioning
Hunting is not for just any dog, but a well-conditioned hunting dog. A good conditioning program starts early on in life and continues through old age. When possible, the dog that you are training for coon hunting should be interacting with other hunting dogs. This interaction will help the dog to learn hunting behaviors much more quickly and will also help do away with tendencies to be possessive or aggressive during a hunt.
Endurance
Endurance is important for a hunting dog. Raccoons are known to put up quite a chase, and the dog needs to be able to keep up. Daily exercise such as running, sprinting and completing obstacles courses will help to build endurance. When hunting, dogs are often dealing with heat, rain, cold, and even snow, so it is a good idea to get them out in these elements while training to help them become accustomed.
Tracking
Tracking is an important part of coon hunting. Tracking requires a dog to focus and to be determined to catch its prey. Tracking can be difficult for dogs that are not allowed to give something their full attention, so this often takes some time to learn. This skill cannot be successfully taught until the dog has endurance because it requires a dog to move over long distances, through obstacles and past the scents of other people and animals. This is often very hard to teach, but perseverance and the right tools usually help make the process easier.
Tools to Teach
There are many tools that help both the dog and the owner learn to coon hunt. Electric collars are used by many trainers because they allow the trainers instantly and effectively correct incorrect behavior or to keep the dog on track. These collars are sold in most pet and hunting supply shops.
Retriever dummies also come in handy when training for coon hunting. The dummies are meant to look, feel and smell like the real thing, so you can give the dog something to track, point and retrieve while training.
Dog whistles are also helpful. If you train your dog with a whistle, you will be able to communicate with it even if you cannot see it. There are many different whistles to choose from for varying needs and budgets.
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