German Shepherds are herding dogs and are also known to be a very loyal and intelligent breed. With the many strengths that this breed has, some may be curious about whether their German Shepherd can hunt and potentially retrieve small animals such as ducks.
A German Shepherd can retrieve ducks. They can hunt and retrieve if given proper training and guidance. It’s best to start your German Shepherd young if you plan on using them for hunting ducks and get them outdoors and near potential prey to start training them successfully.
This article will discuss how you can successfully train your German Shepherd to retrieve ducks for you. If you’re interested in learning more, keep on reading.
Are German Shepherds Hunting Dogs?
While your German Shepherd is not naturally a hunting dog, this herding breed is intelligent and eager to please. This makes your German Shepherd a naturally fast learner and an ideal breed to teach how to retrieve.
As briefly mentioned above, it’s ideal to begin training your German Shepherd to retrieve from an early age to ensure the best results. It’s important to remember that hunting and retrieving doesn’t come naturally to this breed, so it’s crucial to be patient when training your dog to retrieve.
The training you put your dog through should be detailed and acted out within a controlled environment for the best results.
Below, we’ll explore the steps you should take in order to train your German Shepherd to hunt and retrieve successfully, as well as other factors you should be mindful of when training this breed.
How To Train Your German Shepherd To Retrieve Ducks
Training your German Shepherd to become a duck retrieving dog will require some patience and a decent amount of practice, but it’s definitely not impossible. Here’s how you can successfully train your German Shepherd to retrieve ducks the right way:
Introduce Your Dog To A Controlled Hunting Environment
The first step of training your German Shepherd to become a duck dog successfully is getting them outdoors within a controlled environment. This will allow you to have full control of what your dog sees and how they’ll react.
It’s ideal to begin this step with a leash on your dog so you can bring them towards their desired target. Encourage your German Shepherd to become curious and get close to their desired target. By showing interest in the prospective target, your dog will, in turn, become curious as well.
Whether you communicate with your dog by using body language or verbal commands, they will eventually understand how you want them to react when that specific target is near. You can easily start training in your backyard, and with the right tools and knowledge, you’ll help your German Shepherd become a duck dog in no time.
Encourage Your Dog To Interact With The Target
Once you have your German Shepherd’s attention when it comes to the target at hand, it’s time to get your dog excited and begin rushing said target.
To properly encourage your dog, it’s ideal to begin rushing the target yourself while also commanding your pet to do the same. With both body language and verbal commands, your German Shepherd will be sure to become excited and interested in the task at hand.
After your German Shepherd has begun to mirror your movements more than once, they will eventually become comfortable enough to act out on this instinct alone.
Once your dog has begun acting on this step on its own, it’s crucial to keep repeating this step in order to reinforce the training they have already learned. It’s ideal to repeat this exercise regularly in order for your dog to become stronger in their abilities.
Invest In Some Decoy Items For Practice
When practicing within the confines of a controlled environment, your German Shepherd may or may not encounter actual ducks. It’s ideal for training purposes to invest in some decoy ducks to help your dog familiarize themselves with the target.
It’s recommended that you use fake ducks while practicing, so your German Shepherd knows exactly what their real-life targets will look like. Repeat this step until you feel your dog is ready to be out in a real-life hunting environment where they’ll encounter real prey.
What To Avoid While Training Your German Shepherd
Now that we’ve gone over how you can successfully train your German Shepherd to become a duck dog, let’s discuss what you should avoid at all costs during training. Avoiding factors such as these will ensure that your dog has a great training experience and learns how to retrieve properly.
Forcing Your Dog Into The Water
One of the best ways to sabotage your dog’s training is by forcing them into the water when they aren’t ready. One of the biggest components of successfully training your dog is patience and ensuring that they are comfortable acting independently.
While encouraging your dog to act is a big part of the training process, you never want to force them to act, as this will have negative effects on your training. This is especially true when you force a dog into icy water without warning.
It’s recommended that you find a shallow area with warm water when you first begin training. This will ensure that your German Shepherd stays comfortable during their training while also allowing them to build their confidence in the water slowly. (Read: Can German Shepherds Swim?)
Introducing Your Dog To Gunfire Too Quickly
Another factor to avoid while training is introducing your dog to gunfire too quickly. This is a gradual process, and when rushed, this can have negative and irreversible effects on your German Shepherd.
If your German Shepherd becomes too anxious around gunfire due to improper training, it will be almost impossible to teach them how to properly retrieve anything after that. Slowly introducing your pup to the sound of gunfire will help them in their training and make them stronger retrievers by the end of their training.
When you first begin training, make sure to shoot an appropriate distance away from your puppy before you begin moving a bit closer. Beginning with shots too close to your dog will negatively affect your dog and their training, so it’s important to be mindful of that.
Having Your Dog Operate Out Of A Boat Without Training
If you plan on having your German Shepherd hunt for prey from the inside of a moving boat, it’s ideal to ensure that they are comfortable when that boat is out on the water.
Many dogs may face some confusion and anxiety when standing on a moving boat, so your dog must be trained beforehand. Have your German Shepherd sit in your boat while it’s on land to get comfortable with the feel of your boat.
While it will be a different sensation when out on the water, at least now, your duck dog will have a better understanding of how it feels to sit and work out of a boat. Keeping all these factors in mind will help keep your German Shepherd’s training as easy as possible.
Final Thoughts
German Shepherds can easily hunt and retrieve ducks with proper training and guidance. However, it might take some time for your dog to become proficient. As longs as you avoid rushing your dog into uncomfortable situations, you and your pup will have a quality and stress-free training experience.