How to Train a Cane Corso to Hunt

Hello Libby, Is pup has the proper natural skills, socialization so pup isn't intimidated by the animals or terrain or gun sounds, and pup has some obedience, pup can probably still be trained - socialization will be the main skill pup might lack starting late that could prevent pup if they aren't comfortable with noises, terrain, or animals. Be aware that training will take at least a year, sometimes two if pup doesn't have a lot of off-leash obedience training yet, so although pup likely could be trained if there is the needed socialization and skills, you will just need to decide if you wish to put in the time and effort for a dog who will have less years working with you than if you had started with a younger dog. It's possible pup wouldn't be fully trained until 7 years of age, which might mean only three years working with you. If you enjoy the training process and not just the end goal, it might be great fun though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Jan. 28, 2022

Hello Titus, That depends on what you want to train her to attack. If you are trying to teach her to attack prey during a hunt, using an animal skin on something like a flirt pole and rewarding her with play and praise can help her learn. Also, right before you show her the flirt pole and start moving it around to entice her, give her a command, such as "Get It" or "Hunt" and praise her when she then tries to play with the pole. This command can later be used during a hunt to encourage her to attack the animal. Allow her to shake, bite and generally be a bit rough with the skin on the pole when she catches it. If you are trying to train her to attack people for protection, that should only be done with the help of a professional protection dog trainer - protection training is all about a high level of control and obedience, as well as confidence and rewards - not fear and punishment. Protection dogs are extremely controlled and highly trained so that they do not simply attack everyone like an aggressive dog would (that type of dog would be a danger to you and those the dog knows also). Obedience takes practice. You first need to spend time teaching your dog what each command means - this is usually done using rewards and positive reinforcement. Once your dog understands the commands, you should practice each command in distracting locations until your dog can do it consistently there as well. Start with very easy distractions, like smells in your yard, first, and gradually work up to harder distractions as your dog improves. It is very important to be consistent about your commands. If you give your dog a command, be ready to enforce the command. That might look like practicing come on a long leash so that you can reel them in if they do not come when called. It might look like not moving forward on a walk until your dog is walking beside you instead of trying to pull, or walking the opposite way when your dog moves to far ahead - so that your dog has to turn around and follow you. It might look like not putting your dog's food down until they obey sit first. There are a number of ways to enforce commands and most of the ways simply require patience and persistence. Wag's training section of the website has several more articles that cover how to teach specific obedience commands. I suggest looking for articles that cover how to train each specific command that you wish to improve. https://wagwalking.com/training Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Feb. 8, 2019