Hunting Washington Forum
Other Activities => Shed Hunting => Topic started by: sklopp93 on July 30, 2013, 05:53:20 PM
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Hello i just added a new part to my life a german shorthair. He is only 8 weeks old. I was just starting to think it would be cool to try an teach him to shed hunt. And i was curious if anyone had good advice on how to teach a dog to be good at finding sheds. Im not even sure if german short hairs are a good kind of dog to teach that to? Ive only heard and seen pics of labs beeing shed dogs. And is it bad to teach him to find shed if im going to using him to pheasant hunt as well?
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i have a german wire hair and was thinking about doing the same thing every other shed dog that buddies have are labs. best way is to start with just letting them chew on sheds, also if you soak the base of the horn in water the otter of the horn will be stronger for them. start with deer sheds just around the yard so you know where they are and the dog doesnt and make sure they know the word horn/antler ect, just like they know the word ball from playing fetch
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Repetition repetition repetition. Start out playing fetch with small antler or chunk of antler, preferably in a hallway so puppy has no other choice than to bring it back to you. Do not allow them to chew on the antler it is not a toy or treat if you do they will become habitual and when you take them out into the brush you'll find them laying there chewing on there newly discovered antler. When they can retrieve the antler and bring to you with no assistance. Began having them retrieve the antler outside with boundaries. After that sets in and they aren't running off with the antler begin throwing in some brush. This way they can see where it goes but have to hunt to find it this so they don't get discourage. Be sure to use a command when you sent them after the antler like "hunt em up" this way they know its go time. After success sets in on this step begin hiding the antlers, in brush or partly covered in needles. Walk the puppy through the area and give it you command. When training in the last two steps be sure to take the puppy to 2-3 different training areas. Bird dogs are memory dogs so if you stick with only the back yard and they start doing great it may not reflect out in the woods. They'll know "the back yard" as there their hunting ground and will most likely just want to run and play when you take them out for real business. So be sure to mix it up some. Make sure your puppy knows when it's doing good give them a treat or pet them and tell them excitedly what a good dog they are. Try to work with them daily and be sure to reward them when they're doing good and they'll hunt hard for you. Good luck!
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We just started working with our Lab pup on sheds and are having a ball. I did quite a bit of training research and watched several training clips on youtube before breaking down and buying the Dokken Shed Dog DVD. His program really lays it all out there from start to finish in a very easy to understand and progressive format. For me, it was well worth the $20. He also emphasizes that bird dogs CAN be shed hunters and it won't mess them up. It should be a fun thing for both you and the dog and a great way to work together during the "off" season.
