When is too late to train a deer dog

[Ged_GRS]

I am introducing deer to my Irish Water Spaniel. He is 4 years old, walks to heel, is trained to my whistle, retrieves anything I throw or point at. Some people would say that I have left it too late! They say a deer tracking dog should be introduced to deer blood at three months. and 4 years old is way past it. Talking to gun dog training specialist they advise basic training only until a dog reaches two, then specific more complex work can be done. I do not know what to believe.
What I can say is that Irish Water Spaniels are in the top 3% of trainable dogs but they are stubborn and slow to mature. With this in mind I do not think it is too late. (I am going to try anyway regardless)

I have a bottle of fresh deer blood which I intend to water down by 5 parts water to one part blood. I will use deer skin and blood to lay easy trails, building up to 1/4 mile extended trails once our confidence builds. Irish Water Spaniels are capable of remembering and acting on commands with as few as 5-6 repetitions. even less if its something they really like. My dog is devoted. willing. and very playful.

Do you think I can train a professional deer dog using these methods. All criticism welcome as I intend to try anyway. What are your thoughts, waste of time? Or doable with time and patience?

I have duplicated this as it deserves its own thread.

 

[Alex88]

No problem at all, tracking is one of the simplest disciplines to train and master.

 

[Heym SR20]

Plenty of adult rescue dogs are trained as working animals - sniffer dogs etc with new handlers.

Train with blood trails and rewards and they soon learn what’s at the end of a blood trail.

Biggest challenge of a stalking dog is getting a dog to be with you at normal stalking speeds and that is prepared to sit and wait. My BMHxLab is enthusiastic and tends to be a bit chatty, especially when using a buttalo. I have had more than one buck responding to buttolo and her wimpering.

 

[Ged_GRS]

I agree with the slow walking and control which is why I am taking him out on the rabbits but he is tied to me at all times. I need to improve my control of him otherwise he might run and try to bring a deer down. One good thing is that he is silent when out with me but only without other dogs being present.

 

[Ged_GRS]

Byron IWS

 

[Malxwal]

Bear in mind your own scent as you lay trails

 

[Ged_GRS]

Oo that,s a good tip. Not sure how i can get around it though.

 

[Leec6.5]

I am introducing deer to my Irish Water Spaniel. He is 4 years old, walks to heel, is trained to my whistle, retrieves anything I throw or point at. Some people would say that I have left it too late! They say a deer tracking dog should be introduced to deer blood at three months. and 4 years old is way past it. Talking to gun dog training specialist they advise basic training only until a dog reaches two, then specific more complex work can be done. I do not know what to believe.
What I can say is that Irish Water Spaniels are in the top 3% of trainable dogs but they are stubborn and slow to mature. With this in mind I do not think it is too late. (I am going to try anyway regardless)

I have a bottle of fresh deer blood which I intend to water down by 5 parts water to one part blood. I will use deer skin and blood to lay easy trails, building up to 1/4 mile extended trails once our confidence builds. Irish Water Spaniels are capable of remembering and acting on commands with as few as 5-6 repetitions. even less if its something they really like. My dog is devoted. willing. and very playful.

Do you think I can train a professional deer dog using these methods. All criticism welcome as I intend to try anyway. What are your thoughts, waste of time? Or doable with time and patience?

I have duplicated this as it deserves its own thread.

Don’t water it down, keep it pure!

When I trained my last dog, I used 20ml and scent shoes for 50m and progressed from there, in the end I used 20 mil of blood at a km at over 20 hours

What you have to remember is a wounded deer doesn’t always bleed, your dog should be able to track with or without blood

But then again, my last dog was trained to deal with the extreme.

 

[Ged_GRS]

What are sent shoes? Is this shoes with blood applied. Or are they shoes without sent.

 

[Leec6.5]

What are sent shoes? Is this shoes with blood applied. Or are they shoes without sent.

They are shoes where cleaves can be attached to lay a track, personally I always used the same blood that matched the animal the cleaves came from, but that also depends on how far you want do go with training your dog.