Resources for training a shed hunting dog?

[T-Dozzer]

Will be getting an upland pup this spring and was curious what (if any) resources are out there on how to teach them to find/retrieve sheds. I know next to nothing about a shed hunting dog.

[cougforester]

https://www.dogbonehunter.com/shed-antler-retrieving-system/shed-dog-training/

I followed some of this guy's stuff when I first got my dog. Basically all I did when teaching my dog to retrieve was swapped out some antlers instead of the duck dummy for a month when he was young, and now he probably finds 8-12 a year for me while I'm working. If your dog has a good nose and drive to please it'll figure it out.

My dog is a lab and brings them right to me. My boss's dog is a French Brittney and will find a bunch but won't bring them to him. He covers a lot more ground than my dog, but I get 100% of what mine finds, my boss only gets them if he sees the dog playing with them.

[KFhunter]

Clicker train your dog.

Toss shed in box with pup
Pups nose touches shed *click* treat!

be instant, let it associate that click, the shed and a treat together.

Do that a few times until dog understands that touching a shed gets him a *click!* treat! 

Do it a lot of times actually, but over multiple days. Really gotta get that drive to touch shed*click * treat

When its solid dont *click* until dog is really nosing around the shed trying to get you to click, let it work it over for awhile wondering why no click?   

Hopefully it'll bite it *click!* treat.  Good boy!

Now you're on to dog working tbe shed and biting at it, now hold the click until it picks it up *click!* treat!

Now move on to dog bringing it to you, somewhere close is good for now *click!* treat!

Toss shed, when it retrieves *click!* Treat!

Work up until until dog wants you to grab that freaking shed already so it can get a *click!* treat!!

Now hide the shed, make it work to find it so it can give it to you and get that freaking treat 

Now you got a shed dog

[jrebel]

Am currently training our new Brittany pup for this reason.  She is 7 months old now and loves deer and elk antlers.  Right now I just let her chew on some of the old ones.  She has a nose for them and will seek them out when hidden.  The retrieve part will come later.   She loves playing fetch so I don’t see this being a problem.   Next spring will be the real test.   

[KFhunter]

Pics!

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[T-Dozzer]

Thank you everyone. Sounds like I will have a busy spring.

[pianoman9701]

Truffle dogs are sometimes trained by rubbing truffles on the mom's teets. Maybe some ground antler in the food would produce a desire to follow that aroma. 

[bchighlander]

what's everyone's opinion on teaching an old dog these new tricks?

[KFhunter]

Worth a try!

What's the worst can happen?

Spend more time with your dog?

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[blackveltbowhunter]

I have tried two different methods. Both labs,  no pro but here are my observations.....

   The first I worked with ALOT on obedience initially as a puppy and she was extremely well behaved. I read dokkens books and started with his method. I never coaxed a high retrieve drive out of her, she was a bit aloof, and not food motivated at all. Loved small amounts of attention but didn't dig it like many labs. She did have a good nose and would retrieve, but had to drill often and we went all the time in those days, so she found some, including a few blind ones.  I had a crazy good bond with that one, and there was no doubt she was MY dog. Tough when I lost her tragically.
   Started looking right away to get over that. Decided to go a different route, and went with a breeder, researched and wanted another lab but thought maybe if I looked for good lines I would have better odds of getting higher drive. It worked.
  She did a basic boot camp obedience class, and she did well. Worked with her at home for more obedience training. Till she was about 6-8 months. Put her in formal retriever program due to time constraints and to get some idea of working with dog for myself. It worked, she is a retrieving machine. Anything she can associate with you throwing it for for her she will bring back. The first year out she found more bone than my other did in three. And I barely worked with her after the formal training program, I introduced basic bumper drills and began substituting antlers for the bumpers. Then multiple antlers and hiding them, whenever she would bring them back I would throw a ball, or even toss the antler for her. I was working in the woods cruising and she would pick antlers often, and when we were actually shed hunting she did great. She is also obedient, fairly well behaved, though not the soldier the first one was. And this one can't control the licker. But she is a sweetheart with the family and a great dog.

   What I have learned.....
   You need control.  They need to come immediately when called or whistled. Rule one for me. If my dog breaks, I halt them. Lots of exciting things in the woods, including deer and elk that don't need chased, swollen rivers and creeks etc... finding sheds is secondary to maintaining control IMO. Basic obedience, heel, and leash control are priority 1 to me.

   I am not handling my dog the way most dog handlers/upland/birdhunters do. This probably holds back from a true shed HUNTING dog. A dog your relying on to find sheds for you. Sure she brings back sheds, but i'm not stopping to send her into every thicket. She is along for the ride. I think many folks have this idea that they will double or triple they're shed take. In heavy cover you might. But you have to work the wind for the dog, and that may not be the most direct way for you to get through the area. That's where formal shed training really stands out. You have to let the dog do the work, and cater to them. Like hunting over an upland dog. I have little experience here as its not been my style so far.

  I also believe if your serious about a true shed dog, get a big running dog. My lab is small and lean and can cover country but she gets whooped in big country and I can certainly walk her into the ground over multiple days if she hasn't been training with me especially.

   If your training, take the dog with you. Runs, hikes, etc.... they aren't indestructible.

   If traveling to new different terrain, take foot care for them.

   Use Bravecto tick treatment.

   Sorry for rambling....

   

 

   

[blackveltbowhunter]

Some pics.... Dog 2.

[blackveltbowhunter]

More...

[T-Dozzer]

I have tried two different methods. Both labs,  no pro but here are my observations.....

   The first I worked with ALOT on obedience initially as a puppy and she was extremely well behaved. I read dokkens books and started with his method. I never coaxed a high retrieve drive out of her, she was a bit aloof, and not food motivated at all. Loved small amounts of attention but didn't dig it like many labs. She did have a good nose and would retrieve, but had to drill often and we went all the time in those days, so she found some, including a few blind ones.  I had a crazy good bond with that one, and there was no doubt she was MY dog. Tough when I lost her tragically.
   Started looking right away to get over that. Decided to go a different route, and went with a breeder, researched and wanted another lab but thought maybe if I looked for good lines I would have better odds of getting higher drive. It worked.
  She did a basic boot camp obedience class, and she did well. Worked with her at home for more obedience training. Till she was about 6-8 months. Put her in formal retriever program due to time constraints and to get some idea of working with dog for myself. It worked, she is a retrieving machine. Anything she can associate with you throwing it for for her she will bring back. The first year out she found more bone than my other did in three. And I barely worked with her after the formal training program, I introduced basic bumper drills and began substituting antlers for the bumpers. Then multiple antlers and hiding them, whenever she would bring them back I would throw a ball, or even toss the antler for her. I was working in the woods cruising and she would pick antlers often, and when we were actually shed hunting she did great. She is also obedient, fairly well behaved, though not the soldier the first one was. And this one can't control the licker. But she is a sweetheart with the family and a great dog.

   What I have learned.....
   You need control.  They need to come immediately when called or whistled. Rule one for me. If my dog breaks, I halt them. Lots of exciting things in the woods, including deer and elk that don't need chased, swollen rivers and creeks etc... finding sheds is secondary to maintaining control IMO. Basic obedience, heel, and leash control are priority 1 to me.

   I am not handling my dog the way most dog handlers/upland/birdhunters do. This probably holds back from a true shed HUNTING dog. A dog your relying on to find sheds for you. Sure she brings back sheds, but i'm not stopping to send her into every thicket. She is along for the ride. I think many folks have this idea that they will double or triple they're shed take. In heavy cover you might. But you have to work the wind for the dog, and that may not be the most direct way for you to get through the area. That's where formal shed training really stands out. You have to let the dog do the work, and cater to them. Like hunting over an upland dog. I have little experience here as its not been my style so far.

  I also believe if your serious about a true shed dog, get a big running dog. My lab is small and lean and can cover country but she gets whooped in big country and I can certainly walk her into the ground over multiple days if she hasn't been training with me especially.

   If your training, take the dog with you. Runs, hikes, etc.... they aren't indestructible.

   If traveling to new different terrain, take foot care for them.

   Use Bravecto tick treatment.

   Sorry for rambling....

   

 

 

Good info. Thx. Shed hunting won't be a priority. Family & upland first. I do love sheds though.

[bchighlander]

@blackveltbowhunter great pics!