Training dogs to find sheds

[Boar]

I have read about this along time ago an with a new pup figured I give it a try any expereience in this, actually I should ask first is it recomended? "Find the Bone" What are your guy's thoughts on it. Thanks boar

[psepuncher]

Heck yeah,

easier for them to nose up some antlers than me.

Just like scouting, look for buck sign....big tracks with split toes,

and what they leave behind around food sources.

Most times I find sheds, I will accidently step on them under the snow.

A deer tracking dog VS a blood trailing dog is what you'll need to train them for. And during training you'll need some bone for their reward.

It's all about repitition.

Get the dog trained on tracking some deer hide, at the end of the trail have a bone with lots of praise and reward.

Just a word of caution though, dogs eat deer droppings like candy.

I still havn't broke mine from that.

I'm not an expert nor have I trained in awhile

so I'd like to see what others say as well....

I might learn something new.

[Boar]

Thanks for the in put pse, not sure about the deer tracking part tho, just kinda figured I train her to fetch up antlers in the same manner I traind my lab to retrieve ducks. I see your point tho that associate the antler with the deer. Once i teach her to retrieve the antler, no balls allowed mind you, I trained my lab at 8 months to retrieve ducks an then in the off season we played with a ball an it was over, the ball was forever worshiped as her GOD an I couldnt break her of it. if it wasnt a ball she wasnt interested.Once antler trained, I figured I just run the deer trails in the riverbottom with her to find the bone. Certainly would like to hear also wat others have to say, Thanks pse. Boar

[Boar]

Ahh re read your posr an the deer hide trailing makes sense, good idea. Boar

[JayinMN]

I would not train the dog to trail deer scent, but instead encourage it to air scent. By the time the deer drop their sheds and you go looking the deers scent trail is going to be very old. Most pointers and retrievers are not cold noses trackers. Having them track a hot scent and you could be following your dog running deer instead of shed hunting. I started with my puppy by playing fetch with the antlers and letting her chew on some old ones. Then I started throwing them out in a field and a few hours later bringing her out to look for them. I call them "bones" so the command I used is "get the bones" and she will look for them. Your dog will also bring you old bones so reward for that as well, they can't tell the difference. It is easier for a dog to find fresh sheds then the old bleached ones because they will have blood on them. Some people will put a little blood on the antlers when training. For a reward, I toss the antler a few times and that worked for my dog. If you plan on using your dog for hunting as well, your success will be limited unless you can keep it focused on sheds and not birds. Birds are going to be far more exciting for dogs so usually once you go the live animal route it is harder to get them to go back to bones.

Here is a short video of me starting training with my puppy.

Puppy shed hunting

[Boar]

Thanks for the input jay, I ageree with the fetching antlers, no balls allowed even with the kids they can throw antlers as well as balls. I wont be bird hunting with her, I dont bird hunt , just an occasional grouse in the river bottom, I think I get her at a good time cause with winter hee teaching her to find the bone in snow by throwing antlers in the deep yard snow an having her hunt them up should be fun. Thanks again. boar

[psepuncher]

good vid!

I gues my girl is different as far as cold tracking.

I mean if I buy bird scent off the shelf {and they sell tons of it}

she has no problem tracking it.

For bone tracking since it was brought up about the blood on it...

may try a fresh butcher soup bone from the deli?

But my guess is ....doing that, they'll learn blood tracking instead.

[DHost21]

Thats an awesome video my little pup looks identical where did you get her jay? Im hoping to train mine soon i hope she ends up as good as that

[psepuncher]

well I'll second guess myself,

what if you only find one side of the antlers?

Probably will want the best blood/ bone hound you could have

with you then.

good call Jay

[Boar]

Thats an awsome vid, thanks for sharin. Boar

[caseymcq]

... Just a word of caution though, dogs eat deer droppings like candy.

I still havn't broke mine from that....

You would think the stuff was flavored like a porterhouse. I let mine out one day and when he came back and licked my arm I had a streak of fudge running from my wrist to elbow