Getting started

nell

Well-Known Member
Both my mate and i have tried and tested deer dogs (both labs), and are now in the thows of training the next generation, they are black labs litter brother and sister.They are almost 7mths and doing well with general obedience, so yesterday decided to check their reaction to blood...

Went out first thing with a litre of blood, as planned i laid two trails approx 30 yrds long in a clean winter barley field,placing a deers hoof at either end of both trails then retreated home for breakfast...

We returned after lunch so the blood had been out for 6 hrs, Kim and i would go first, so walked her quietly up the road for a few hundred yrds towards the field,i had marked both trails halfway with a rock, plan being cross the trail with dog on lead and hope for the best, with a hoof at either end it shouldnt matter which way she went she would find a prize.

As she came to the trail her head went down and off she went, i kept quiet and let the pup work it out, she soon had a hoof in her mouth and time for a big fuss,not sure who was most proud me or the pup :lol:

Now its Rook's turn, tom's been watching from a distance and the presure is on :lol: ,we walked back to the truck and swapped pups,

Tom had no need to worry Rook walked onto the trail and was soon bouncing around with hoof in his mouth...

Will post some pics soon...

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Nell
 
nice one mate,im keeping a bitch back from this litter and will be training her up as the 2nd generation of tracking dogs.
 
nice one!

I'd like to give mine a try on deer at some point as he has a fantastic nose on him (also a black lab) - never failed to find a shot bird yet (he's only been out twice...still....i'm very impressed with him, he's found birds other, more experianced dogs haven't).

Guess i need to hang onto some deer hoofs and some blood (guess i need to bag myself a deer first :lol: )

fantastic shots by the way...love the close up shot! loads of character.

ATB

Jim
 
DD i agree,my daughter is responsible for the pics trying out the new camera purchased for a fast approaching holiday (another thread :) )

Nell
 
Nell,

just read your other post re the camera....Kenya is amazing. i spent four weeks there about 7 years ago, we did Mt. Kenya and then Killi a couple of weeks later. We finished the trip off with a day and a half safari...its amazing!!!!

I was gutted i had a crappy camera at the time with no zoom :cry: i did still manage a couple of good shots but a zoom helps.

All the best for your trip, if you do get out on safari its amazing how close you can get to some of these animals...more close up character shots in store for you daughter....and hopefully the rest of us to see when you get back :)

have a good trip, look forward to seeing the shots.

Jim
 
Why place feet at both ends? Why not place a small piece of meat at the start and the foot at the end as a reward? This will teach it that there is a prize only at the end of the trail at it should make it track harder.
 
Deer man thanks for that, but as i stated this was thier first sniff of blood,i didnt give her any encouragement,just crossed the trail in the middle so in theory there was a prize at either end if indeed she was to track.
Cant remember where i heard about this method,but without encouragement i know for sure that the pups are tracking.
They will have a couple more tracks as described, then move onto upwind trails with a start and finish as you desribe.
Always good to hear methods that others use..

Nell
 
A good start. When you lay a trail like that put the hoof at only one end. When the dog finds the trail and if it go's the wrong way just stand and wait for the dog to go in the right direction. Also pays to drag the hoof on a bit of string as you lay out the blood trail. Don't go to heavy with the blood. The dog has plenty of scent with the blood the hoof and yours.
allways lay the trail with the wind to your back this keeps the dogs nose on the ground and not tracking on air scent.
Now lay a 50 mtr trail with more blood for the first couple of mtrs and then a couple of drops every mtr dragging a hoof as you go. Only talk to and praise the dog when it finds the hoof that way it trains the dog to not get stressed or over excited when tracking.
Once the dog is tracking well come into a track at a angle so the dog must find the track. Good training for when you can't find the shot place.
 
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