If you take the time to train your dog to hunt grouse, the two of you are in for some seriously fun times out in the great outdoors. Of course, you can always try to go it alone and hoping that your movements in the brush end up flushing out few grouse. Or you can train your dog to hunt grouse and flush them out for you, which not only saves you time and effort but also significantly increases your odds of coming home with your bag limit.
Before you go to the effort to train your dog to hunt grouse, you do need to take a look at your state and local laws to make sure hunting with dogs is legal. If they are not, you could end up with a hefty fine or worse, plus it is a black eye for the rest of the hunters in your area.
Grouse are quite small in size and extremely agile. They can go from a standstill to incredibly high speeds almost instantaneously. This makes hunting by yourself very challenging. Training your dog to help you with the hunt is more than worth the time and effort. The good thing about this is that not only will having a well-trained hunting companion make it easier for you to have a successful hunting trip, it also gives your dog plenty of good healthy exercise.
Hunting grouse together is also a great way for the two of you to spend time together bonding and enjoy plenty of good fresh air. Just remember, this is not going to happen overnight, it can take months for your dog to master the basics of hunting and years to perfect the subtleties of being a master hunter.
Long before you start working on training your dog to hunt grouse, he needs to have already learned the four basic commands, including 'sit', 'stay', 'come', and 'down'. You should have also put your pup through gun training so that he doesn't spook when you pull the trigger.
To complete this training, you need a few basic supplies:
And, a few items specific to the task:
Remember, this training can take months or longer to complete, so be sure to have patience and plenty of time. You should continue working with your pup all year long so that he is ready to go when hunting season comes around.