Whether you have been training dogs for a some time and recently decided to add falconry to your repertoire or are a seasoned falconer adding in a dog, training the two animals together takes a slightly different approach than training only one. To create the optimal relationship between your dog and your falcon, you will need to train them separately and together before you start hunting as a team. Here are the main three areas to consider before you even purchase a hunting dog to work with a falcon.
Selecting The Right Dog For Work With A Falcon
When choosing a dog to work with a falcon, you will have to consider what each animal will be doing in the relationship. Usually, prey has to be flushed for a falcon to take it down. Once a bird is in the air, a falcon will bring it to the ground, usually killing or disabling it. At this point, you will need to retrieve the prey and call your bird back to your arm. Retrieving the prey can be done by a dog, but only if the falcon is trained to come off its prey before you approach.
Because of this unique relationship, you will want a dog that has a predisposition to both flushing and retrieving. Your best option will be a dog that is certified as a versatile hunting breed by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. This includes most pointers and setters as well as a few other breeds.
Training Stages For A Falcon-Dog Relationship
Although you can train an older dog to work with a falcon, it is best to start young. Puppies have several critical periods during which they are easier to socialize and train. Usually, the pup can be removed from its mother after seven or eight weeks. However, from 8-11 weeks old, most puppies have what is known as a fear impact period, during which frightening experiences may be imprinted on them. For this reason, you should either wait until your dog is three months old before introducing it to your falcon, or you will want to introduce them in an extremely controlled environment.
During your dog's first year, the most important aspect of training will be socialization. Your dog should be comfortable around you and your falcon and be able to follow basic commands in a variety of situations. You can also begin to get your dog excited about hunting from a young age by playing basic retrieval games and introducing wings or scented toys.
You should kennel your dog within sight of your falcon. This allows them to get used to each other. You should also conduct their separate trainings where the other one can see, so that they will better understand their roles.
Once your dog reliably flushes and retrieves, you can begin training with your falcon. You should start over with basic training as opposed to putting the two together in an advanced situation. For example, use lure training or a dummy launcher before training with live birds.
Equipment Needed To Train A Falconry Dog
To train your dog to work with your falcon, you will need to get duck dog training supplies and equipment for flushing and pointing, such as several dummy toys, duck scent, a stay board, and either a dummy launcher or a live bird launcher. Additionally, you will need basic training equipment such as a whistle and an electric collar, if you choose to use one.
When training a falcon and dog to work together, it is important to have as much control of the various stages of training as possible. For this reason, it is important to train with live birds released from a bird launcher before taking your team to hunt together. Whereas some dogs can go from dead birds to hunting without a problem, this step is imperative for your team.
Training your dog to work with a falcon definitely takes a bit more work than training either animal individual. However, you will find the rewards of a well-trained team outweigh the extra training time you will put in.
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