Labs and just about any dog can be incredible shed hunters. I know a guy in N. Idaho that kicks ass and takes names with his big black lab on moose sheds... this dog will dig 2 feet down through spring snow to get a moose antler!!
I'm training my springer to help me with sheds right now. He's 14 weeks now and I started when he was 7 weeks. Get a good fresh brown, smaller antler. You will want a little assortment of antlers eventually, whites and such, but start with a fresh brown as I think they likely have the most distinctive smell.
Just play with the pup with that antler and call it "shed" or "horn" or "antler" or whatever you choose. Everytime you play with the pup with it, use those words. toss it a few feet after they get riled up about it and tell them to "get the horn" or "find the horn"...
If you just keep doing this day in and day out the dog will know what horns are.... Then you put the horn out in the back yard and go out with the pup and say "find the horn"...walk along till they stumble upon it. When they find it, encourage them to pick it up and bring it to ya. Praise them for all you are worth if they do. If not, pick it up yourself...excitedly....
Over time (6 months or so) you should be able to tell them to "find the horn" and they'll go find it in the yard or whatever. I know this will work because with my past lab I could say, "go find a stick" and she'd go find me a stick to throw for her. I could also say, "wheres your dummy" and she'd go nuts looking for it. And, when we went hiking or hunting, Id say, "wheres the birds" and she'd hunt her ass off for a bit, then I'd have to tell her again.
I have zero doubt that my springer pup will find sheds.
I like finding them myself too Big Tine, but I also love to hike with my dog/s and if they can find me more horns.... sweet. And you wont here me calling to my dog... I dont hang around with crowds of other people when I'm hunting or shedding...
