Can you teach a retreiver to track deer

chiron

Well-Known Member
I have two labs which I shoot over and do a lot of picking up with.The younger one is 4 and has won a field trial albeit not with me. Lovely dog really intelligent with a super temperament After searching for a roe doe for 30 minutes last night ( which I eventually found 30 m from the point of shot- no visible blood trail despite heart lung shot) I am wondering if I could train him to track deer and if I did would he be ruined as a picking /shooting dog . He already ground scents and follows wounded birds as well as air scenting.However he ignores deer if he flushes them when picking up. Does any one use their labs in dual roles? If i decide to proceed what book or training manual would you recommend.
 
Yes you can!...and I know several guys who have dogs that multi task and retrieve and blood scent. There is no rocket science , the dog will do the work, just make the training fun and build it up in stages, if the dog screws up on a trail...so what...the next trail might be superb. Your a team , simple as that...by that I mean you might think the dog has messed up but most likely it will be you....I learnt that one pretty soon! ...I was told that my dog ( border terrier ) wouldnt be good at blood scenting................yeah right!....she is fantastic and lives for finding the end of a trail. Do not believe anyone who says you dog wont do this, should do that, you should be using this method , telling the dog this command , wearing this gear etc etc......as I said...your a team ....make it fun and you will reap the rewards.
 
Absolutely. My picking up lab of 8 years took to it after 2 tracks and a spot of liver at the end (like all labs she's a food whore). First 'live' track was on a fallow doe that ran into very deep cover UP a hill then expired and rolled down into dense bracken...would never have found that beast without the dog and she tracked straight to it. I'm certain she wouldn't hold an injured deer which is why I now have a gwp which erm would!
 
I use my lab for rough shooting. Started taking mine stalking at four. Fortunately I haven't needed him for tracking.
Indicates deer incredibly well. Sits at the high seat, never moves if deer come through. Shot quite a few deer which I wouldn't have
If he hadn't been with me. Two weeks ago I shot a muntjac which ran twenty yards. I could see it but but him on
The line and he went to it no problem. When I let him see a dead roe buck he had a good sniff then I picked the bucks head he grabbed it by the throat. He has gone stalking with me since then.
 
I will give it a go. I got Niels Sondergaard's book today from BDS and will put together a program of lessons for the dog and my self . Should be fun but I think I will have a problem getting him to walk in front of me on a lead as he sticks to heel like glue. I said he had been a trialing dog!
 
Yes you can!...and I know several guys who have dogs that multi task and retrieve and blood scent. There is no rocket science , the dog will do the work, just make the training fun and build it up in stages, if the dog screws up on a trail...so what...the next trail might be superb. Your a team , simple as that...by that I mean you might think the dog has messed up but most likely it will be you....I learnt that one pretty soon! ...I was told that my dog ( border terrier ) wouldnt be good at blood scenting................yeah right!....she is fantastic and lives for finding the end of a trail. Do not believe anyone who says you dog wont do this, should do that, you should be using this method , telling the dog this command , wearing this gear etc etc......as I said...your a team ....make it fun and you will reap the rewards.

Take on board this lads advice .............. It`s spot on !!

Bob
 
I have two labs which I shoot over and do a lot of picking up with.The younger one is 4 and has won a field trial albeit not with me. Lovely dog really intelligent with a super temperament After searching for a roe doe for 30 minutes last night ( which I eventually found 30 m from the point of shot- no visible blood trail despite heart lung shot) I am wondering if I could train him to track deer and if I did would he be ruined as a picking /shooting dog . He already ground scents and follows wounded birds as well as air scenting.However he ignores deer if he flushes them when picking up. Does any one use their labs in dual roles? If i decide to proceed what book or training manual would you recommend.

If you can teach a springer to herd sheep, then anything is possible.
 
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