So, you’ve acquired your first pointing dog puppy and are already dreaming of incredible times ahead, whether in the field shooting pheasants and quail, or in the woods in pursuit of grouse and woodcock. You still have a long way to go between now and then, of course, but it’s likely you’re chomping at the bit to get started with your new pup’s training.

Training methods vary, and even those who ascribe to the same “general” methodology of training often have their own variations on the general theme. Instead of talking about training methods, tips, and tricks, let's discuss some tools you may need.

Gun Dog Training Must Haves

Quality Collar: Ditch the flimsy, bedazzled puppy collar, and get a real dog collar for real training. It doesn’t have to be leather, but it needs to be heavy duty enough you can hook a leash or check cord on it and control the pup easily.

Leash: If you don’t have one, a good, top-quality leash will come in handy for the rest of your dog-owning life. Pick a good one and find a consistent place to put it after each use. That’ll keep you from misplacing it and buying leash after leash over the years. Don’t ask me how I know.

Whistle & Lanyard: For many people, one of the worst parts of dog training is the excessive yelling they tend to do when trying to work their young dog. Get a good whistle and learn to use it to give different commands to your dog such as come, turn, or go ahead. Get a neck lanyard along with your whistle, or you’ll likely lose the whistle on your first two or three training outings.

Check Cord: Another critical piece of training gear, a check cord, is simply a sturdy 20- to 30-foot stiff rope (stiffer than a leash) with a durable snap closure on the end. Don’t start with too long a cord, or you won’t have any control over the pup. About 20 feet is good for beginners. Avoid a flimsy cord, that won’t let you utilize your check cord to the fullest. Most first-time trainers skimp on this and buy a cheap check cord, then have to buy another one later when they realize what they got wasn’t actually what they needed.

Gun Dog Training Should Haves

Travel Crate: You might not think you really need a travel crate to transport your dog to and from home or to your training areas, but you should have one. Get a 5-star crash rated kennel to keep your dog safe and secure.

E-Collar: You don’t need one right away, but many training methods use them eventually. When used correctly, they are excellent training tools for a number of different aspects of pointing dog training, from come, to whoa, to stop-to-flush.

Tracking Collar: These are somewhat pricey, but they can help ensure you never lose your dog. Some models are standalone tracking collars, while some offer both GPS tracking and a training function.

Retrieving Bumper: These come in handy as most gun dog owners want their pooch to retrieve game to hand. They’re cheap, easy to take along anywhere, and much better than an old stick.

Gear That is Not Necessary, But May Make Life Easier

Pinch Collar: Some methods use a pinch collar and some don’t. I think they’re super handy for giving a dog the cue to stop or to turn while on a check cord. Just a little jerk does the trick, and it doesn’t harm the dog.

Blank Pistol: These are great for gun introduction as they aren’t as loud as shotguns. They are also very easy to store and transport and can be used in some areas where you wouldn’t be able to use a functional firearm.

Remote Launchers: You won’t need these during early bird introduction, but you will down the road. Along with a check cord, they allow you to have complete control over a training-on-birds situation that you can’t get with any other tool.

Instruction: Before you start acquiring your training equipment, it’s a good idea to decide what general “method” you are going to use to train your dog. Here are a few training books that are very popular and have yielded good results for amateur trainers over the years.

Training with Mo, by Martha H. Greenlee gives step-by-step instructions for the West method and features Maurice “Mo” Lindley, an expert in this silent method of dog training. Training Bird Dogs With Ronnie Smith Kennels, by Reid Bryant with Ronnie Smith and Susanna Love, outlines Smith’s proven methodology for training a pointing dog from start to finish. Gun Dog, by Richard Wolters, has been around so long that I used it 50 years ago to train a pointer pup. The method worked then, and there’s no reason it won’t still work now.

If you prefer videos over books, there are several pointing dog training videos available to help you get your pup trained and ready, including those from Gun Dog. You can find all you need to know on pointing breeds here.

Wrapping It Up

At this point, you might be thinking this whole gun dog ownership thing could get expensive—and you’d be correct. Buying, raising, training, and keeping a gun dog is not cheap, but the reward is great.

Note that you don’t have to immediately jump in with both feet, as I’m prone to do in any new activity I choose to pursue. You don’t have to get online and spend several thousand dollars in one computer session to get started on this fun, often frustrating, but very rewarding journey.

Grab yourself a good collar, a check cord, and maybe a book that you think looks like it would be helpful in your situation. You can pick up the other items a little bit at a time as you gain more experience and need additional equipment.