bird/shed dog ????

[blacktailcrzy]

dose this work? i am planning on getting a lab pup and i want him to be a shed dog and a flushing upland bird dog. i live on the west side so i hunt drop sites and when i can make a trip to the east side for pheasant mainly. but i also want him to be a good west side elk/deer shed finding machine? i was thinking that a shed dog would have a bigger radius while walking the woods for sheds and with a flushing dog i would not want him to get out to far from me while hunting so that i can insher a good shot at a flushing bird plz any help is welcome

[blacktailcrzy]

nothing 

[Stilly bay]

as long as you don't bring the shotgun shed hunting your lab will be able to figure out the difference between hunting sheds and birds really quick. just don't put up with him ranging far when you hunt.

[Happy Gilmore]

There are some books on search/tracking training that might be helpful. Check out amazon. Just remember, if you plant your own sheds you've handled, you're just teaching him to find your own scent. Helped a person one day working on that and quickly figured out the dog had no clue what a shed was that didn't have his owners scent on it.

[Stilly bay]

Just remember, if you plant your own sheds you've handled, you're just teaching him to find your own scent. Helped a person one day working on that and quickly figured out the dog had no clue what a shed was that didn't have his owners scent on it.

 :yeah:this will also happen frequently with bumpers, wings, pigeons, or even pen raised game birds.

maybe keep your test antlers outside, and only handle them with rubber gloves. or better yet hide the antler a week or two before you take the dog out, that way all your scent pollution will mostly be gone.

[ladyelkslayer]

I have a lab I use for both bird and shed hunting. The only reason I decided to use him for both was because he doesn't like to stray to far from my side, no matter where we are.  It doesn't work the best for shed hunting, but works great when it comes to bird hunting.  I've always been told not to train them for both, as you will not have a dog that excells in either (and I have found that to be true--he's not the best at finding sheds since he stays so close, and he's okay at flushing).  I think to have a dog that really excells at one or the other, you need to train for one or the other, but if you're just looking for a dog to do a little bit of both, then try to train a little of both.

[blacktailcrzy]

ya this all sounds good i dont need the best bird dog or shed dog just on that is ok at both

[DaveBTS]

I've had 2 shed dogs. You will find 3x as many using a dog. I used a process called forced fetching to train my dogs. It took awhile to train them; the first spring was the hardest. If you work at it 1-2 week, by the time the elk drop, you should be having more success.

[Arteman]

I've had 2 shed dogs. You will find 3x as many using a dog. I used a process called forced fetching to train my dogs. It took awhile to train them; the first spring was the hardest. If you work at it 1-2 week, by the time the elk drop, you should be having more success.

What is forced fetching, how do you do it?

[Happy Gilmore]

I've had 2 shed dogs. You will find 3x as many using a dog. I used a process called forced fetching to train my dogs. It took awhile to train them; the first spring was the hardest. If you work at it 1-2 week, by the time the elk drop, you should be having more success.

What is forced fetching, how do you do it?

Force fetch should be done by or with someone who knows what they are doing. It shouldn't take more than two weeks and no more than 5-10 minutes once or, if the dog is ok with it, twice a day.

Here's your reading on the subject... post after reading through it. The last 2-3 pages got off topic so, don't worry about that stuff.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=92280.0

[Arteman]

Oh ok thanks HG, had a feeling it was with a e-collar.  I hunted hounds a lot and know a lot of the proper methods in certain situations for using the e-collar with that style of hunt and dogs.  I wouldn't try it with my lab tell I trained myself right, she is doing fine retrieving sheds that I hide, and fetching just fine so far, but her downside is the lack of drive to hunt for them when we go out, which giving her the benefit of the doubt is lack of proper training on my behalf.  She's got a little timidness to her and cowards in some situations, a e-collar in the wrong hands would ruin her, I've seen it with hounds.

[Happy Gilmore]

Oh ok thanks HG, had a feeling it was with a e-collar.  I hunted hounds a lot and know a lot of the proper methods in certain situations for using the e-collar with that style of hunt and dogs.  I wouldn't try it with my lab tell I trained myself right, she is doing fine retrieving sheds that I hide, and fetching just fine so far, but her downside is the lack of drive to hunt for them when we go out, which giving her the benefit of the doubt is lack of proper training on my behalf.  She's got a little timidness to her and cowards in some situations, a e-collar in the wrong hands would ruin her, I've seen it with hounds.

without starting another force fetch debate... Force fetch can take a timid dog who is uncertain of the world around them and give them their purpose and help them understand life.

be reminded about the scent on your sheds too. If you keep them around your house or you touch them, you're only training your dog to find your scent or a familiar smell.

[Arteman]

Oh ok thanks HG, had a feeling it was with a e-collar.  I hunted hounds a lot and know a lot of the proper methods in certain situations for using the e-collar with that style of hunt and dogs.  I wouldn't try it with my lab tell I trained myself right, she is doing fine retrieving sheds that I hide, and fetching just fine so far, but her downside is the lack of drive to hunt for them when we go out, which giving her the benefit of the doubt is lack of proper training on my behalf.  She's got a little timidness to her and cowards in some situations, a e-collar in the wrong hands would ruin her, I've seen it with hounds.

without starting another force fetch debate... Force fetch can take a timid dog who is uncertain of the world around them and give them their purpose and help them understand life.

be reminded about the scent on your sheds too. If you keep them around your house or you touch them, you're only training your dog to find your scent or a familiar smell.

Thanks for the tips, can't wait tell the bulls drop so I can consistently introduce her to sheds that have never been touched ever by a human.  Can't find deer sheds frequent enough in the field for her to really get triggered on the scent I want her to pick up on.  She will be around a lot of fresh elk sheds this spring, so as I find them ill pet her up on them, and treat her.  I have a big field I plan to hide them in and work with her a lot in the next few months.  She's 9 months old, hope shes still young enough to train well.