advice from the experts please

[bogwelly]

I have a quandry
I have just started training my 2.5 yr old lab to blood trail, she is rock steady on game and if I had the same problem on game I would know the answer (it would be no!)
She has done 3 trails ,BUT I have the chance to take her with me stalking next weekend
Do I take her and use it as a training exercise , I can stalk with a freind and let him shoot
As we are there for the weekend it would present the chance to lay numerous trails with actual deer (provided we shoot one!!)
Or is it too early and will cause problems
As I say to introduce a pup to game at this stage would ruin it forever, but on deer I have no idea
Advice please

 

[doghound]

Less is more, training your dog should get harder not easier otherwise like kids they stop trying when things get tricky. Fresh deer can be useful to jazz up a dog that wont pull you down a trail, sort of "this is what its all about". Once they will follow a trail it should only get harder as lost deer run fast, leave little sign and are hard to track and you dont want your dog thinking its a peice of cake.

I would also say that once a dog is keen to track dont do too many trails, say one per week or they get a bit blase, keep em "mad for it".

If you take your dog what about all the other training, heeling without being told, sitting when you give a hand signal, not running in to scent or shot etc etc all useful stuff so dont leave him at home.

 

[Roedinator]

doghound tou have a pm

 

[bogwelly]

good advice doghound

glad I took the dog now, she found 2 deer both ran about 30 yds so good experience, she went loopy when she found them savaging the throat the whole nine yards .
I was really encouraged did 2 trails as well and she followed both really well, i now have a freezer full of bits of deer to use on the trails
I am as keen to ytrain her as she is to do it so we should be ok
cheers for the advice

 

[MarkH]

Hi Brno

Well done with the tracking. My advice is to hold the dog back from ragging at the deer. That means take control and stop the dog then command it to sit otherwise there is a chance the dog will develope a habit of running in and might get injured on a wounded bucks antlers.
If a dog goes in too fast it can cause an injured deer to run so control the speed with a long line.
Smooth and slow tracking is faster.

Mark