Shed hunting/Blood trailing dog?

[blazelefty7]

Well, we're finally moving into a house out in the country where we can have a dog.   My first priority is a dog that will be a good companion to both me and my fiance.  

However, I have been thinking it would really be awesome if I could find a dog that could possibly be good at finding sheds, and blood trailing.  

It seems like there are a large variety of dogs that can be trained to shed hunt, but most of the blood trailing dogs are smaller hounds.  Any of you guys have dogs that could do both half-way decent?

[4 point]

You can't go wrong with a lab. A dog is only as good as the time you spend training them. A dog trained to find sheds will follow every deer track they find. Where I live we have about 30"s of snow and the deer beds are so deep you can't see sheds laying in them. My dog checks every bed she finds and has found three sheds laying right in the bed.


Here is my dog Sage last year.  

Good Luck,

Travis
Travis

[Shinken]

Thanks for sharin' Travis!

Sage is a *nice* lookin' chocolate.

And she obviously has a great nose.

Enjoy the trails - and - the sheds!

:~)

Shoot straight, Shinken

[blazelefty7]

4 point -

Thanks for the response.  We've been looking at a lot of labs, and most replies I get echo yours.  I can't wait to finally get one and start training em.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Any dog will follow sheds and blood. Some are better at it that others.  Labs are hard to beat.

[Chris O]

wow 4 point, thats pretty impressive.  I was hoping to train my cur to find sheds but I can't have her running deer due to the small pieces of woods we walk in. I guess that might be why she doesn't do very well. lol

[NDTerminator]

I agree that a lab is the way to go.  

I disagree that a properly trained lab who has shed hunting installed as one of her tasks will chase deer, no more than it will break and try to catch every bird it sees because it's trained to retrieve.

Every task your gundog learns is based on basic OB (obedience training)A good rule of thumb in gundog training is that if your dog has a setback or flaw, go back and re-visit the closest corresponding OB...

4 point, if your good lookin' lab has a undesirable self reinforcing habit like chasing deer it's a training issue, not something you can repair by repeated use of an e-collar (please don't refer to it as a "shock collar"!) in the field.  Best to re-train & fix it.

For the record, both my labby-girls are fully Finished and additionally trained to blood trail, article & shed hunt, and find & retrieve arrows...   :D

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Depends what you want - a specialist or a bit of a "jack of all trades".  If you are as/more interested in the sheds or other aspects than blood tracking then you'll certainly need the larger dog (like the lab).

A blood tracking dog should not, though, indiscriminately chase deer.

A blood tracking dog that likes to chase deer is as worthless, and maybe MORE worthless, than a pheasant dog, duck dog, or German police dog that likes to chase deer.  I suppose it is easier with a leashed tracking dog to break them of following unwounded deer.

R

[Matt_Potter]

I have a lab that I got after years of having pointers and I recommend them to anyone.  Great with kids great with people and great around the house.  I loved my pointers but they weren't great in any of those criteria.  They sure could find birds though.

One thing I haven't read in any of these threads is how well a bird dog works in a grid search.  My lab has found deer, this way,  after the trail was to cold to track.  Just walk your grid and watch how the dog reacts.  This is something that a "bird" dog excels at.  They have been line bred to "cast" in front of you - working a grid within your grid.  

Dogs like Jack Russells or Dachshund aren't bred to do this.  They were bred to go down holes and pull foxes out by the face (might explain their attitude).

Further more you just look better going into the woods with a dog you can't put under your arm.

As far as dogs chasing deer after being put on a trail.  I used my pointers to track deer as well and I promise you they never chased deer while hunting.  A little problem with snakes now and then but, no deer.

I agree with NDTerminator and e-collar isn't the answer it is just a crutch.  You need to be able to turn or stop you dog with your voice or whistle at all times.

That being said my Lab isn't trained near as well as the pointers.  He is a house/kid dog while the pointers were working dogs that got worked on basic OB every day.  I was guiding then and would rather shoot my bow now.

Matt

[2Knives]

NDTerminator: come down to Rapid City and train my dog please!
Seriously, I wish my dog could do this but I need to be trained first I guess.
My Wiem is just my friend and she goes everywhere with me. If I was smarter then she would be smarter.

[Bowmania]

Years ago I had to have a lab put down.  My mother look at the mail said I got a letter from my cousin - could she read it.  A short time after starting the tears started to pour.  She said here, I said I'm not reading that.  Months later I asked what it said.  She said that the first dog my cousin got was a beagle, wonderful dog, but it ran away.  Then they got an Irish SEtter, beautiful, but too high strung.  Then this then that.  Then she said, "And then we got a lab and found out what a dog was supposed to be."

Bridger (after Jim Bridger) has found 11 deer and 4 bear.  Just started working with shed this winter.

Bowmania

[Kyle Lancaster]

Todd,
  I remember your article in TBM about Bridger. Good article!

Kyle

[Bobby Urban]

Rescue a dog from a shelter.  Any dog can be trained to do what you want and there are tons of good dogs that need homes so you will be doing a good thing.  Look on petfinder.com and see what is available in your area.  Just type in Lab and there will be a list of dogs to choose from.  I have 3 rescues and they are all great, great family dogs that can hunt sheds and locate deer with the best of them.  

Take a tennis ball to the shelter with you and find a dog that has a strong ball drive(Labs are a pretty good choice but many breeds have it)  Take that dog home and play fetch with a tennis ball that has a spike antler stuck through it.  Reward the dog like crazy for bringing the antler ball back - not as much for other balls.  Change it up and hide the antler ball in progressively more dificult spots.  Reward for finding and returning it.  In no time you will have an antler hunter no matter what breed.  Also, do not think it has to be a puppy to begin with.  It is a lot easier to start with a dog that is a year old or older.  Puppies are a lot of work and a dog at any age can be trained to do what you want - dogs live to please there alpha.  Have fun
Bob Urban

[Izzy]

I have a pitbull/weimaraner cross that loves chewing on antlers more than anything.I give him sheds and old racks and he spends a 1/2 hour chewing on em.Hasnt found his own yet but he sure loves antlers.Havent been able to put him on a real bloodtrail yet but hopefully this fall we'll get some tracking time.He was a rescue from Out Of The Pits, a pitbull organization and will be a year old next week.

[blazelefty7]

I appreciate all of your responses guys, and I think that our minds are made up...we're getting a lab.  Seems like the best option for a "jack-of-all-trades."

Bobby Urban -

We're definitely on the same page.  We didn't even consider buying a dog, we always had the intent to adopt a dog from the shelter, preferably one that is at least 6 months old, but not more than two years old. We've been scanning petfinder to find possible dogs in our area for the last few weeks now. Definitely a lot of choices, and I'd feel much better about bringing one of those dogs home with me.

Also, I might try that antler-ball idea.  That sounds like a easy but effective training technique.

Anyway, thanks for all your input, it's much appreciated.

[wapiti792]

I have a lab/mountain curr mix. Something about the play, retrieve drive with labs that makes it fun for us and them! She has found 4 sheds in 2 years BY HERSELF on our 40 at home. Last one I heard her rolling across the back deck and I thought it was a bone. When I looked out she was tossing it in the air...now she is my buddy and gets better meals. I hope to get her some work this weekend!

[blazelefty7]

Well, we finally got a pup.  He's about 4 months old (we think).  Got him from a shelter.  Dropped him off, and are not sure what breed he is.  Definitely has beagle in him...possible weimeraner or german short-hair.  What do ya guys think?

 
 

[chanumpa]

sOME GREAT DIALOGE HERE GUYS.i ENJOYED ALL OPINIONS AND POINTERS.i GOT A NEW DOG LAST SUMMER THAT i RESCUED ANDWAS A REAL BASKET CASE WHEN i GOT HIM.hE IS A CATAHULA AND i THINK PART LAB ASWLL.hE HAS COME FAR FAST AND I TOO AM WORKING HIM INTO A BLOOD TRACKER HORN HUNTER AND MY BUDDY.i AM IN AGREEMENT ON IT BEING HARD TO BEAT A LAB OF ANY COLOR,AND THEY ARE SO TOLLERANT TO COLD AND WET.sOMETIMES MY BEST DOGS IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN HEINZ 57S{MUTTS}SO BEST OF LUCK.dONT BE AFRAID OF RESCUEING ONE AS YOU ARE DOING A GOOD THING AND SOMETIMES THEY JUST KNOW THAT YOU SAVED THEM AND ARE SUPER LOYAL.

[chanumpa]

aW,HE IS AWESOME!yOU DID GREAT AND HES GOING TO HAVE A GREAT NOSE.gOOD JOB.

[Bunny buster]

good lookin dog