blood trailing dog

[just_a_hunter]

Nothing wrong with   Choco Labs.  

Todd

[strummer]

i have a cur and a blue lacey. the lacey is an awesome dog .my cur is a big one he is 89 lbs and the lacey is 42lbs.
 http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/dogs/tx_blue_lacy.htm

[Ben Woodring]

Great feedback, than you all so much

[ckruse]

I will say one big factor that helped convince me to lean toward the Wirehaired Dachs. I coon hunted a fair amount in my younger days and have been dragged through the brush by many a big coonhound! The Labs and GSP's as well as many other large breeds often times work out well for tracking. Some are really outstanding. I'm just not enthralled by being pulled through a tangle of briars, downed limbs, and multiflora rose by anything larger than about 23 pounds! And beleive me, when the trail is hot, they will ALL pull. We have had some hellacious tracks in the last two seasons due to tornado and ice storm damage. Now if you live in bad snake country, or you are in Texas where dogs can track off-leash, the larger breed may be the ticket. And thats coming from someone who was always a "Big Dog" guy! I think if I didn't have Fred I would be leaning toward a Jagdterrier or a Jack Russel. But,in my limited experience with them, they don't posess as cold of a nose as the Dachs. In Europe to earn the blood trailing titles they are required to do a 20 hr and 40 hr aged trail. They also do a "scent shoe" trail using only hoof scent. If a dog is capable of that, it makes those overnight 12 hour tracks a cakewalk. The Jeanneaney book also has some great reference into breed selection. Not to offend anyone, but I don't buy too much into the theory that "any old dog will track if trained". If that were the case everyone would have old shep lined out for tracking his deer. There is a tremendous difference in taking the family pet out an hour after a deer is shot, and a dog that can take a track that's half a day old that has been criss crossed by live critters of all type and variety and put a dead deer at the end of it. JMHO- FWIW- CKruse

[pdk25]

"Not to offend anyone, but I don't buy too much into the theory that "any old dog will track if trained". If that were the case everyone would have old shep lined out for tracking his deer. There is a tremendous difference in taking the family pet out an hour after a deer is shot, and a dog that can take a track that's half a day old that has been criss crossed by live critters of all type and variety and put a dead deer at the end of it.

I agree that not necessarily every dog is going to be adequate for the task, but every dog has a good enough nose for it.  They just may not have the drive or understanding.  Our current german shepherd can track a persons track 8 hours old, no blood, over grass and asphalt, with multiple crossing tracks.  That is actually more difficult than almost any tracking job in the woods is going to be.  He actually is even better when it comes to deer.  I doubt that all dogs or all breeds will be this good necessarily but I think that alot of them can be.  I'm only suggesting rather than getting a dog for the sole purpose of tracking(unless you plan to make a business of it), it might be wise to consider a dog that makes a great pet that can also perform tracking.  It doesn't hurt that our dog is attack trained as a protection dog for my wife.(was only 10 months old in the photo).JMHO


PS  I wonder why they don't use bloodhounds?  I think they are generally recogized as having one of the best noses are very dedicated to the track.

[pdk25]

Originally posted by DBerrard:
pdk25, I'd have to agree with you. If you only require a dog to track a deer once a year, if that, I doubt breed matters a whole lot.

Two years ago my dad's Boxer tracked a deer for us..he went through a small patch of woods and went to the deer which was in a huge field with high prairie grass.


With that said, I'd look into a dog that makes a good family member..been desiring a Coonhound for quite some time..perhaps one of these days    

Plus, you've proven even a horse can track..

That is one dead broke mare.  We considered taking her to the game lands during hunting season in PA and charging people to drag their deer out.  She doesn't care much about gunfire and would rather die than let something beat her.  She just digs in harder and will drag logs if need be.  She was my wife's show reining horse before being retired to be bred.

[ckruse]

Now that a good horse! I've got an uncle that raises cutting and reining horses and have always been amazed by their agility and reflexes. I think there are a number of Bloodhounds being used for tracking dogs. Just not as common as some of the other breeds. CKruse

[shot2high]

I would stay clear of the Mountian Cur. I like a good Cur, but do not think the breed is best suited for trailing. I had one that was a good squirrel dog, but he LOVED deer. I left him many times in the woods when he would run a deer. Also most Curs are medium sized dogs, mine was upwards of 50 lbs. Try looking into a Boykin Spaniel. These are small dogs that get along well with kids, other dogs, etc.... They have great noses and are VERY smart and can be trained to do anything. Get a Boykin, when he is not blood trailing you can use him on the dove field or in the duck blind!

God Luck

[BTH]

My rhodesian ridgeback is showing good promise for tracking. He's huge, of course, about 105 lbs, but he's pretty quick, great endurance, and he's a great family dog too. Haven't needed to bloodtrail this year. But he's been cutting pig trail, looks up at me like, "heres pigs dad...can we go after them?" For the amount of times I have to bloodtrail animals he'd be fine for the job.