Shed hunting

[jahwarrior1423]

Any of you handlers train their dogs or have a specific dog for shed hunting? How do you go about training a dog for shed hunting?...side question, which breed would be better to shed hunt with?...lab, GSP or other?

[MGIII]

I would assume a lab would be best suited for shed hunting. http://sheddogtrainer.com

[crackerd]

That would be a poor assumption. Labs (and all non-slip retrievers) operate on the precept of sight over scent - i.e., "marking" over hunting. For pointing dogs and spaniels, that's reversed. Though for some spaniels, if so trained, it's interchangeable. Thus



Shed hunting's done with the nose not the eyes - any gundog (or dog period with a hint of retrieving in its DNA) can do it, and will do just fine.

MG

[cjhills]

I have seen a lot of shed hunting dogs and know a bunch of people who train them. All were labs except for two goldens.....................Cj

[jahwarrior1423]

I guessed labs because they're used for narcotic/explosive detection which is based strictly on scent. My wife and I have been talking about getting another dog for our family and I was interested in a lab and was wanting to train him for sheds.

[MGIII]

All the shed hunters I've seen have been labs

[gundogguy]

Shed hunting's done with the nose not the eyes - any gundog (or dog period with a hint of retrieving in its DNA) can do it, and will do just fine.

MG

Well if this one of those Ford VS Chevy Vs Dodge, thread, then one of the best Blood tracker and shed finder is a Wire haired Dachshund. Found dead and wounded deer during the season stay in shape finding sheds in the late winter early spring and summer finding sheds Dachsunds are great built close to ground, tenacious trackers, they can go places bigger dogs cannot.

[crackerd]

Well if this one of those Ford VS Chevy Vs Dodge, thread, then one of the best Blood tracker and shed finder is a Wire haired Dachshund. Found dead and wounded deer during the season stay in shape finding sheds in the late winter early spring and summer finding sheds Dachsunds are great built close to ground, tenacious trackers, they can go places bigger dogs cannot.

Teckels uber alles, gdg - could ask your buddy over at Sunrise Kennels about this bunch http://deersearch.org/the-dachshunds-of-deer-search/

And Labs are the predominate shed hunting dogs because Labs are the predominate gundogs out there in number. But doesn't make them more suited for locating - and retrieving - sheds.

MG

[gundogguy]

[
Teckels uber alles, gdg - could ask your buddy over at Sunrise Kennels about this bunch http://deersearch.org/the-dachshunds-of-deer-search/

And Labs are the predominate shed hunting dogs because Labs are the predominate gundogs out there in number. But doesn't make them more suited for locating - and retrieving - sheds.

MG[/quote]


Yes, I know about the New York Testing program. A good friend with Dratharr went to NY, just outside of Poughkeepsie and blood track there for his license. when he got there, he could not believe how he and his Dratt were out number by many "Rough Coated Dachshunds" He was just amazed at the drive and talent for the work these little dogs had.
The Wire coated dogs made Gary feel right home.

[CDN_Cocker]

I didn't want to have to do it, but you've forced my hand - another vote for spaniels shed hunting:



I will say though I am also partial to teckels as I have a "kaninchenteckel" LOL. I don't hunt with her really but I would be so bold as to say she has a better nose than the spaniel does. She gives tongue on rabbits too.

[jahwarrior1423]

How would the smaller dogs handle with long hikes?...coues deer here in AZ are at high elevations and mule deer cover large areas. Our deer here aren't like what is in other parts of the country. And our elk are in rough parts of the state with high elevation.

[gundogguy]

[quote="CDN_Cocker"]

I will say though I am also partial to teckels as I have a "kaninchenteckel" LOL. I don't hunt with her really but I would be so bold as to say she has a better nose than the spaniel does. She gives tongue on rabbits too.

Now Cass on what basis do you judge your Dachsie nose to be better than your Cocker? Foot scent or body scent? How many birds/rabbits has your Cocker produced properly wild or in training how many birds/rabbits has the Dachsie produced?
These are the factors needed to compare noses between 2 dogs regardless of breed.

[ezzy333]

I will say though I am also partial to teckels as I have a "kaninchenteckel" LOL. I don't hunt with her really but I would be so bold as to say she has a better nose than the spaniel does. She gives tongue on rabbits too.

Now Cass on what basis do you judge your Dachsie nose to be better than your Cocker? Foot scent or body scent? How many birds/rabbits has your Cocker produced properly wild or in training how many birds/rabbits has the Dachsie produced?
These are the factors needed to compare noses between 2 dogs regardless of breed.

Sounds to me to be more the results of how many hours have they spent in the field. I do agree though that we can not judge nose by what they do in the field. It would take a much more controlled test to even have a clue.

[GSP4ME]

My avatar was purchased as primarily as a pet and a shed hunter. It wasn't until I got him that I became interested in upland hunting. He will be used extensively next spring to find antlers.

That said, got to throw another mention out there for the spaniels. Specifically the Boykin. My brothers Boykin duck/dove/turkey dog is also a shed finding machine.

[crackerd]

...got to throw another mention out there for the spaniels. Specifically the Boykin. My brothers Boykin duck/dove/turkey dog is also a shed finding machine.

Such has been my experience -



with Labs bringing up the rear. But the shed-dog training marketing wizards know their audience - and the demographics therein (Labs, Labs, Labs).

MG

[CDN_Cocker]

No scientific basis Hal, just when playing she usually finds things quicker than the cocker. He is obviously a better bird dog as that's what he's bred for and has also put out more rabbits but both those things are because he's the one i hunt. The dachshund does a bit of blood tracking ( quite well i might add) but that's it. She's mainly a pet and my fiancé's dog. I'm more partial to the cocker for obvious reasons lol