Ding! Have I finally gotten why Teckles are good deer hounds…. ?

Marnie M

Active Member
I aint no shooter, or hunter, but got myself a teckle 4years ago, was told he was a deer dog and had observed his almost quivering ifdeer came into view through a car window. I’ve seen him bark across fields in chase, with confidence he wouldn’tcatch them and with no one following he’d come bound back before too long.
I’ve taken him on tracking courses to learn that any dog cantrack and had noticed his scenting skills weren’t immensely impressive and kindof wondered what the connection and occasional excitement of deer hunting andteckles was. Until yesterday morning…
In the pouring rain, dogs and I venture on our walk; a goodday to practise ‘heel’ training which had gone a little awry since getting the secondteckle. We’re 15 seconds into himgetting into the zone of walking well and being off the lead when a little deersteps out 30ft in front of us. I see it first but those few moments ofhesitation had the dog notice it too and in a calm and controlled way, with thelook back of “hey Mrs I’m listening but gotta just go sort this out” he ran.
In the eternity of the 20 seconds it took to run and catch upto the scene of horror depicted in the myriad of thoughts;throats being ripped out, legs a flailing and teeth a snapping, pandemonium, asituation I’ve no experience in dealing with, I just knew calm was the wayforth and deal with it. On arrival I spot the deer sat on all fourlegs in the undergrowth making an unholy racket. It was seated between the I was on path andsome complicated-to-negotiate looking barbed wire. I could see my dog on thefar side, behind the fence and on the far side of the deer and at a safe distance. No blood, no teeth, no dog wildness. The tecklewas quiet. He had the behaviour of asheep dog that had control of its flock. He was keeping the deer in place until I arrived! Still mildly panicked, I call him to me andwithout hesitation, he nips carefully around the deer and sits by my side withthe look of: ‘tis up to you now Mrs, I’vedone my job.
Frankly, without phone, means of despatching and generalinexperience I ran the 3 minutes back to base, told all to phone the recruitsto despatch a howling deer to be told it was probably a baby calling for itsma. I think they were right the deer wasgone when he raced back and no sign of injury.
But anyways, seeing how the little teckle was cool, calm,collected and totally knew how to handle the “single deer situation” astoundedme. And someone is now going to blow mybubble tell me this is what all dogs would do! If so, can anyone say whyteckles are associated with deer? ? I alwaysfelt the wee lad had some innateness and breeding, and he is way too smart forme, but he’s a keeper.
If anyone has a classy teckle bitch, I’d be interested inmeeting her!

 
Some people will tell you that any dog (physical ability allowing) can be trained for a given task. They might be right, but a dog that comes from generations of ancestors that were selected for their ability in that task will come with all the hardest work already done. Instincts or "behavioral predispositions" are definitely passed on in dog breeding as much as physical traits.
 
I aint no shooter, or hunter, but got myself a teckle 4years ago, was told he was a deer dog and had observed his almost quivering ifdeer came into view through a car window.I’ve seen him bark across fields in chase, with confidence he wouldn’tcatch them and with no one following he’d come bound back before too long.
I’ve taken him on tracking courses to learn that any dog cantrack and had noticed his scenting skills weren’t immensely impressive and kindof wondered what the connection and occasional excitement of deer hunting andteckles was. Until yesterday morning…
In the pouring rain, dogs and I venture on our walk; a goodday to practise ‘heel’ training which had gone a little awry since getting the secondteckle.We’re 15 seconds into himgetting into the zone of walking well and being off the lead when a little deersteps out 30ft in front of us.I see it first but those few moments ofhesitation had the dog notice it too and in a calm and controlled way, with thelook back of “hey Mrs I’m listening but gotta just go sort this out” he ran.
In the eternity of the 20 seconds it took to run and catch upto the scene of horror depicted in the myriad of thoughts;throats being ripped out, legs a flailing and teeth a snapping, pandemonium, asituation I’ve no experience in dealing with, I just knew calm was the wayforthand deal with it.On arrival I spot the deer sat on all fourlegs in the undergrowth making an unholy racket.It was seated between the I was on path andsome complicated-to-negotiate looking barbed wire. I could see my dog on thefar side, behind the fence and on the far side of the deer and at a safe distance. No blood, no teeth, no dog wildness.The tecklewas quiet.He had the behaviour of asheep dog that had control of its flock.He was keeping the deer in place until I arrived! Still mildly panicked, I call him to me andwithout hesitation, he nips carefully around the deer and sits by my side withthe look of: ‘tis up to you now Mrs, I’vedone my job.
Frankly, without phone, means of despatching and generalinexperience I ran the 3 minutes back to base, told all to phone the recruitsto despatch a howling deer to be told it was probably a baby calling for itsma.I think they were right the deer wasgone when he raced back and no sign of injury.
But anyways, seeing how the little teckle was cool, calm,collected and totally knew how to handle the “single deer situation” astoundedme.And someone is now going to blow mybubble tell me this is what all dogs would do! If so, can anyone say whyteckles are associated with deer? ?I alwaysfelt the wee lad had some innateness and breeding, and he is way too smart forme, but he’s a keeper.
If anyone has a classy teckle bitch, I’d be interested inmeeting her!

Scent hounds are genetically predisposed to 'want' to track, retrievers are genetically predisposed to 'want' to retrieve etc.. etc... this is through generations of breeding by very patient people to hone those genetic traits as much as possible.. Teckels fall into the scent hound category, they were never bred to bring down a deer or hold one at bay as something like a GWP or Lurcher was. Teckels will naturally want to follow a blood trail for the most part but wont just do it automatically, there still needs to be lots of hard work and training put in..

What makes teckels particularly good scent hounds? Their proximity to the ground!!! their nose is constantly close to the ground rather than it having to stoop meaning it will hold on to a scent trail naturally without having to keep lifting its head
 
Scent hounds are genetically predisposed to 'want' to track, retrievers are genetically predisposed to 'want' to retrieve etc.. etc... this is through generations of breeding by very patient people to hone those genetic traits as much as possible.. Teckels fall into the scent hound category, they were never bred to bring down a deer or hold one at bay as something like a GWP or Lurcher was. Teckels will naturally want to follow a blood trail for the most part but wont just do it automatically, there still needs to be lots of hard work and training put in..

What makes teckels particularly good scent hounds? Their proximity to the ground!!! their nose is constantly close to the ground rather than it having to stoop meaning it will hold on to a scent trail naturally without having to keep lifting its head
A teckel isn't a good scent hound because it's nose is near to the ground, that is silly talk. How does a foxhound hunt then?, does it lay down whilst hunting?
 
A teckel isn't a good scent hound because it's nose is near to the ground, that is silly talk. How does a foxhound hunt then?, does it lay down whilst hunting?

In exactly the same way as a teckel... not silly at all.. if a dog lifts its head it momentarily loses the scent and has to re-establish it again.. being lower to the ground makes the whole process more efficient. Foxhounds with short legs would be useless, they need to run and cover vast distances... cant do that with stumpy legs!

If that weren't the case there would be no reason to have such a short dog which is impractical in many ways in the bush... look at a thouroughbred basset hound...what do you notioce... yep, that's right, silly short legs!!!! Also makes it easier to follow on foot as they cant go that fast!
 
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In exactly the same way as a teckel... not silly at all.. if a dog lifts its head it momentarily loses the scent and has to re-establish it again.. being lower to the ground makes the whole process more efficient. Foxhounds with short legs would be useless, they need to run and cover vast distances... cant do that with stumpy legs!

If that weren't the case there would be no reason to have such a short dog which is impractical in many ways in the bush... look at a thouroughbred basset hound...what do you notioce... yep, that's right, silly short legs!!!! Also makes it easier to follow on foot as they cant go that fast!

Ok, more concisely; Do deer dogs normally lay into deer when they are in proximity? This tale was of the teckle merely kept the deer in one place (at bay) and itself at a safe distance til I turned up (to do whatever a teckle owner does) and was not about scenting.
 
Ok, more concisely; Do deer dogs normally lay into deer when they are in proximity? This tale was of the teckle merely kept the deer in one place (at bay) and itself at a safe distance til I turned up (to do whatever a teckle owner does) and was not about scenting.

no, not unless that's what they are trained to do.. a good gwp will take down a moving wounded deer or hold it at bay if it is stationary... although all the tracking dogs I have been out with do seem to try to eat the deer once they have found a dead one! lol
 
Its what teckles do. Supprised he got the deer to bay. Hunting and whatching a teckle hunt is a good way to see how roe behave and how close they are to you when out in the woods. I hunt roe with a teckle. If my teckle is hunting roe he's normaly at least 30 seconds behind the deer. If your dog hunts deer again, don't panic just wait for teckle to come back.
Teach him to track on a long lead. Fun for the dog and you learn alot about how a dogs nose works and how scent works.
 
Depending on what kennel association but they are not classified as hounds.

True, they are a class of their own. Some call them terriers. In Sweden they are looked on as hounds more than terriers but they have a class of their own with 3 coat types, Short,wire and long plus 3 different size classifications.
 
that's what I thought, that dog and deer combo would be carnage. But maybe a well bred teckle not only tracks, but has the innateness to know how to handle the deer in a less volatile situation and with a live deer.? It was this learning and others' experience of this situation I look for knowledge from. I'm sure you can believe me, if your a teckle man, that he would rudely rip a piece of deer out of my hand if it were dead. Feisty little critters as they can be. But the way he was focussed and in control til summoned and he immediately came to my side was extraordinary. Certainly not trained, cos we only meet deer on walks. So back to the forum with, is this an aspect of what teckles are bred for? and thank you 80)
 
I aint no shooter, or hunter, but got myself a teckle 4years ago, was told he was a deer dog and had observed his almost quivering ifdeer came into view through a car window.I’ve seen him bark across fields in chase, with confidence he wouldn’tcatch them and with no one following he’d come bound back before too long.
I’ve taken him on tracking courses to learn that any dog cantrack and had noticed his scenting skills weren’t immensely impressive and kindof wondered what the connection and occasional excitement of deer hunting andteckles was. Until yesterday morning…
In the pouring rain, dogs and I venture on our walk; a goodday to practise ‘heel’ training which had gone a little awry since getting the secondteckle.We’re 15 seconds into himgetting into the zone of walking well and being off the lead when a little deersteps out 30ft in front of us.I see it first but those few moments ofhesitation had the dog notice it too and in a calm and controlled way, with thelook back of “hey Mrs I’m listening but gotta just go sort this out” he ran.
In the eternity of the 20 seconds it took to run and catch upto the scene of horror depicted in the myriad of thoughts;throats being ripped out, legs a flailing and teeth a snapping, pandemonium, asituation I’ve no experience in dealing with, I just knew calm was the wayforthand deal with it.On arrival I spot the deer sat on all fourlegs in the undergrowth making an unholy racket.It was seated between the I was on path andsome complicated-to-negotiate looking barbed wire. I could see my dog on thefar side, behind the fence and on the far side of the deer and at a safe distance. No blood, no teeth, no dog wildness.The tecklewas quiet.He had the behaviour of asheep dog that had control of its flock.He was keeping the deer in place until I arrived! Still mildly panicked, I call him to me andwithout hesitation, he nips carefully around the deer and sits by my side withthe look of: ‘tis up to you now Mrs, I’vedone my job.
Frankly, without phone, means of despatching and generalinexperience I ran the 3 minutes back to base, told all to phone the recruitsto despatch a howling deer to be told it was probably a baby calling for itsma.I think they were right the deer wasgone when he raced back and no sign of injury.
But anyways, seeing how the little teckle was cool, calm,collected and totally knew how to handle the “single deer situation” astoundedme.And someone is now going to blow mybubble tell me this is what all dogs would do! If so, can anyone say whyteckles are associated with deer? ?I alwaysfelt the wee lad had some innateness and breeding, and he is way too smart forme, but he’s a keeper.
If anyone has a classy teckle bitch, I’d be interested inmeeting her!


So had ur dog corned a deer next to a fence?
Would say its quite unusual for any dog to bay a unijured deer up in the open.

U might find the dog was confused and didnae know wot to do if this was its first time up close to a deer, u might find next time it behaves differently. Even some gundogs will not automatically chase a rabbit/bird the first time they see 1 but that soon changes.

Usually teckels can be quite independent and surprised it came back to u so well with the distraction there, just watch in future as i have heard off them bogging of for long periods on a scent which is just asking for trouble.
If u dinae stalk and have no intention of training it as a tracking dog i'd be trying to nip it in the bud quickly before it learns the 'fun' of chasing deer and following scent and ignoring any commands
 
Usually teckels can be quite independent and surprised it came back to u so well with the distraction there, just watch in future as i have heard off them bogging of for long periods on a scent which is just asking for trouble.
If u dinae stalk and have no intention of training it as a tracking dog i'd be trying to nip it in the bud quickly before it learns the 'fun' of chasing deer and following scent and ignoring any commands

That is correct. Elma my youngest is pretty much lead bound only now. To many pheasants and rabbits etc near me. She seen a pheasant other week and bang gone. Must of been gone five minutes chasing bloody thing. But I stayed I'm the position I was in when she bolted. Blowing the whistle which she is used to and she came back. I didn't bullock her as she came back to the whistle and gave her a treat. Even when both are on a scent they just instantly switch characters it's amazing. It's like their hearing switches off and nose work is driving them
 
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