When it comes to scenting ability, what kind of experiences have people had? Have you noticed any differences between breeds/types, or is it more down to individuals (regardless of breed/type)? Do dogs tend to stick with a preference for either ground or air scenting, or can they learn to do both as needed? Can practice or training improve scenting ability, or is a good nose something a dog either has or has not? Has anyone noticed any difference in scenting ability with different types of feed? I would love to hear about literally anything to do with noses.
Nose
- Thread starter Dogs
- Start date
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Different dogs and different breeds have their own preferences, some take naturally to ground or air scent .
Some do both.
I don’t think that you can teach a dog to hunt or to scent, they’re either born with it or they’re not, what you definitely can do is channel natural talent to your own needs.
It helps if you work with them, don’t expect a hound to use air scent as effectively as a pointer or setter will, don’t expect a pointer or setter to put its nose on the ground for a prolonged tracking session.
The different breeds are selectively bred for different purposes, the first question is always “what do you want”?
Some do both.
I don’t think that you can teach a dog to hunt or to scent, they’re either born with it or they’re not, what you definitely can do is channel natural talent to your own needs.
It helps if you work with them, don’t expect a hound to use air scent as effectively as a pointer or setter will, don’t expect a pointer or setter to put its nose on the ground for a prolonged tracking session.
The different breeds are selectively bred for different purposes, the first question is always “what do you want”?
Thank you very much for the reply! I was watching dogs search for dummies, taking completely different approaches - some all over the place, nose glued to the ground, covering every square metre in person; others being super economic with their movements, nose in the air (at least initially), no movement wasted.
So it would be rare to come across a dog which likes to both quarter and track?
Also I get the impression that some dogs could do the same thing over and over and over quite happily, with others getting bored quite quickly and needing novelty/challenge?
Thank you for your reply! From what I've heard about pointers, it seems like they tend to get bored fairly easily, and stop cooperating unless the entertainment value is high and things are not too repetitive?
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Scent is one of the most contentious topics in dog work because we have no real comprehension of how scent behaves or is interpreted.
Example, a pheasant is shot and cleanly killed, it lands in an area of tussocks on a mild wet morning. We can see it clearly, but 3 good dogs can’t find it, 2 of them literally run over it.
Why?
Similar conditions, my dog locks on point, when I ask her to produce the bird, she roads in for over 100M, locks up again and produces a snipe.
Dogs and scent have always been a mystery and long may it continue.
Beaters day shoot, I was presented with the first' opportunity of the day at a high' mallard drake. It would seem my shot was a single pellet to the head and the result was a killed bird dropping into some high ever green trees, the resultant search with Spaniels and Labs, and people was fruitless, that was until the afternoon and after some more searching a fresh dog handler came on the scene I explained the situation and he entered his dog a Black Labrador, into the cover of evergreen branches ect of my Fall area, (every one that believed me had searched and put their dogs in earlier) My new handler called me in! with head down as there was little head room he pointed UP! to where his dog had indicated. MY Mallard Drake was caught up in the branches over head?
BC.
BC.
Mostly all Dogs have the ability to use air or ground scent ( i only use Mostly because there are dogs that can hardly breathe due to what breeders have done ) . Dogs in general have the ability way beyond Humans can even comprehend !
Have you noticed differences in ability between dogs you have worked with? Given identical levels of experience and drive?
I have had that kind of thing searching for dummies - picking up on it long, long distance and zeroing in on it in a straight line one time, walking right over it another time. The mystery makes it interesting, but what are possible explanations? Does it happen less often with experienced dogs?
How high up was it?
With in an arms length, the trouble for humans was having to bow/lean down looking at your feet?
BC.
BC.
Unsure how to answer that one , how do you measure equal experience and drive ? I had a GWP he had a lot of drive but his temperament was terrible . I would not have another personally.
Every dog I have ever owned had different abilities at certain things
Curious! Mine is the opposite. Very much air scent only.
My GWP certainly puts a premium on entertainment!
That could be due to climate and amount of blood , mine would only put his head up and run if the blood wasn't minimum. Try some blood from a pump spray ( just a tiny bit) just here and there and see what occurs ? Likewise a trail set and left overnight.
If the dog finds it easy why might it put its nose down and work carefully ?
McKenzie
Well-Known Member
Yes, I realise that a sample of one is less than ideal.
Mine is also frequently just a giant pain in the ass…
Watching the different approaches, would say a springer or cocker maybe have a tendency to bulldoze right over a dummy/bird that a lab might pick up on from a distance and then methodically work towards? Then again I guess the spaniel might do a 180 a few feet on and double back? If the cover is thick enough though, the lab might not be too happy in the first place?
I feel that thing of a lab not going into cover, is generally the owner not putting in the training . Mine have all gone boldly into cover ( but i put the time in from a young age ) - indeed my old now passed yellow lab was an absolute blighter for pegging stuff in the super heavy cover . Dont ask an experienced Lab to go into cover that's got nowt in the way of Scent in there though because they know they far more than we do after a while LOL!
If we dont train any dog for something and it doesn't get the time on game rich ground to train itself dummies and cold game ? Dont expect it to know the score . Spaniels are different but then few of them will go hundreds of yards for a blind on the handlers say so
Similar threads
