can pitbulls be bird hunting dogs

If you were given a choice to pick a dog that would help you hunt large game, would you go for a Pitbull? 9 times out of 10, any knowledgeable and experienced hunter would go for a retriever or hound dog. While Pitbulls can be trained as a hunting dog, there are for more suitable breeds out there.

Then again, that’s not to say that the Pitbull is a terrible hunter. They are actually pretty good, just not as good as the retrievers or the hounds. To better understand the point we’re trying to make, we’ll kick this off by looking at the history of the Pitbull as a hunting breed.

How Do Hunters Train Their Pitbulls?

Pitbulls respond really well to positive reinforcement. Additionally, they are trained for all other tasks unrelated to hunting using the same methodology. If you wish to teach your Pitbull to track prey, you will require a training partner, a 20–40 foot leash, a tracking harness, and a distraction-free area.

The training partner’s task is to run and hide while holding a toy or bone that is meant to serve as prey. Your training partner can run and hide 30 yards away because this breed has an excellent sense of smell—as long as they remember to scuff their feet on the ground. The scratches will leave a scent that is strong enough for your pet to follow.

When they are in a good position, the dog will be cued to lead them to the location of the “prey” by the other trainer who is still holding the dog. When the mission is completed successfully, they will show the dog affection, praise, and some treats.

It is recommended to repeat this process five times or more before attempting an alternative approach. For instance, if you let the dog see your partner run and hide the first time, block their view so that your “prey” can run and hide without being noticed. They will eventually learn to rely less on sight and more on their sense of smell as a result.

You should aim to increase the difficulty of the challenges each time in order to refine this skill. Trainers have even gone so far as to create a windy, rainy simulation to observe how the dog behaves in these conditions and compare their performance to other well-rounded breeds.

What Are the Weaknesses of a Pitbull as a Hunting Breed?

Dogs with lengthy, thick coats are frequently bred to survive in bitterly cold climates. That’s something that the Pitbull lacks. They also know that hot weather is their kryptonite because it can cause sunburns, excessive drooling, fast heartbeat, and dizziness.

What Traits Make the Pitbull an Ideal Hunting Dog?

There is something about the Pitbull that hunters like to call the “prey drive.” To put it simply, it’s a dog’s natural desire, drive, or excitement to locate, pursue, and catch prey. When compared to other breeds, all hunting dogs have a comparatively high prey drive.

Hunting a rabbit is not what one would call dangerous. Hunting hogs, however, is a different matter entirely. Their most dangerous physical feature is their razor-sharp tusks, which can cause serious harm to you or any other animal that gets in their crosshairs.

Hogs are also capable of clocking speeds of 25 miles/hr. Meaning that it will likely be too late for you to flee or defend yourself by the time you realize you are being attacked. For a hunting dog to approach and hold an animal until its handler arrives, it must possess a certain level of bravery.

In summary, Pitbulls possess the necessary bravery to pursue hazardous prey.

Hunting breeds love to hunt. For them, it resembles a sport in that it calls for strength, agility, and—above all—durability. Because running, chasing, and retrieving various objects frequently require them to expend more energy than they’re used to, not all dogs are suited for this job.

Pitbulls are naturally suited to handle this type of high-intensity energy activity because of their muscular features and endurance. They almost never get tired, have trouble catching prey, or suffer injuries from brittle bones. Because of their exceptional sense of smell, law enforcement frequently uses them to detect explosives and narcotics.

If a non-standard hunting breed is not intelligent enough, it is nearly impossible to train it. The ability to hunt is one that a dog can only acquire after learning how to obey commands.

Thankfully, the Pitbull performs significantly better than average in this area.

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