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3 Ways to Prepare Your Dog for a Hunting Trip

As the hunting season fast approaches, there is a lot to prepare. Perhaps you are considering cleaning your favorite hunting gun or making a few adjustments on your bow. But have you considered prepping your dog for the hunting trip?

Whether your dog is a seasoned hunter or a new fledging novice, it is crucial to prepare them before you head into the bushes for your next hunting trip. Proper preparations ensure a successful hunting session and your dog’s safety.

Invest in Safety Gear

When going hunting, you are not the only one that needs safety gear. Since you are heading into the wilderness, your dog needs protective gear to stay safe. One of the things you should buy before hitting the trails is a hiking harness for dogs. A harness is a huge improvement over a collar since it reduces the pressure on the dog’s neck. Its primary purpose is to allow you better control of your dog and prevent it from slipping away.

Besides a harness, you might want to buy a break-away orange reflective vest. Wearing this vest ensures other hunters can easily see your dog, reducing the chances of accidents in the event the two of you get separated.

Training

Unlike your gun or bow, you can’t store your hunting dog in your garage or basement as you wait for the next season. Unfortunately, that means your canine friend won’t be in the best shape when the next hunting season comes. So, it might be a great idea to devote at least 30 minutes of your day to train your dog, 2 weeks before the hunting trip.

Your training sessions should include obedience checks, marking and lining. Obedience is an essential virtue for any hunting dog. While in the bushes, you won’t always have a leash on them, and obedience will be the only way to control them. So, ensure you instill basic obedience commands, such as sit and stay.

Marking and lining drills are essential in ensuring your dog is looking sharp. These training sessions should help your dog identify the prey and easily catch them.

Visit the Vet

Above everything else, your dog’s health is the most important thing to pay attention to before your next hunting trip. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to notice poor health in our canine friends, especially if it is not physical.

Dogs can run all day, but it is crucial to understand what their limitations are. With training sessions, you can identify their strengths and weakness. However, you will never know how they are doing health-wise. That’s where a vet comes in.

Regular visits to a vet are essential for any dog. But when going on a hunt, your aging hunting dog needs a comprehensive check-up and regular vaccinations to ensure they are in the best shape to run around in the wilderness.

Final Thoughts Hunting with your dog is a fun experience. However, you must prepare them properly to ensure their safety and a successful hunting trip. Here are a few ways to prepare your dog for the next hunting session.  

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