TBH BLOOD DOG TRACKING, TRAINING, & RECOVERY Thread

[dustinm]

I have Remi's sister Harli. Great dog! Parents are great trackers!


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[Msgreenga]

I have Remi's sister Harli. Great dog! Parents are great trackers!


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She been on some good finds pretty cool man

[dustinm]

I sent you pm Kyle


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[bowaddict40]

So I finally read through the whole 51 pages and I have a couple of questions for you guys running JRT's. 1) Are you afraid that she will get taken by coyotes, birds of prey, or pigs? We have lots of big birds where I hunt. We see owls and Mexican Eagles all the time during the day. Also have lots of coyotes. 2) do you guys also use a GPS collar? I am going to start with a lead and see how that goes.

[bowaddict40]

Anyone


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[BrokenJ]

So I finally read through the whole 51 pages and I have a couple of questions for you guys running JRT's. 1) Are you afraid that she will get taken by coyotes, birds of prey, or pigs? We have lots of big birds where I hunt. We see owls and Mexican Eagles all the time during the day. Also have lots of coyotes. 2) do you guys also use a GPS collar? I am going to start with a lead and see how that goes.

I don't have a JRT but the few I have been around could hold their own. Tough little dogs a lot of heart

[Top Of Texas]

Anyone


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I didn't respond because I don't have terriers. Knowing coyotes however, I would be concerned. The only similarities I can qoute from first hand experience, was a pointer pup I was training. He was about 4 months old one day when we were out walking. 2 coyotes spotted him and they immediately split up and rushed him. One coming straight at pup while the other swung around to flank. I ran to pup shouting and coyotes took off. That was only 1 episode out of thousands of days I've been out with bird dog pups (small and white).

A tracking dog, off lead, works much more independently than a bird dog, and will definitely encounter coyotes at some point. In the Panhandle, I would estimate that around 80-90% of the deer we track that laid overnight were scavenged by coyotes.

Even though I use a tracking collar, my dogs still wear a bell. My impression is that it helps plow a clear path immediately ahead of the dog, including nontarget deer as well as coyotes.

In TX, we're fortunate to get to work off lead. There are plenty of states that can't, and I believe their success rate suffers because of it. It would seem to me to greatly reduce dog's effectiveness, plus be a giant pain in the butt. On a deer that was still mobile, it would seem a pointless endeavor as dog can't bay with the handler attached to the dog.

[bowaddict40]

I didn't respond because I don't have terriers. Knowing coyotes however, I would be concerned. The only similarities I can qoute from first hand experience, was a pointer pup I was training. He was about 4 months old one day when we were out walking. 2 coyotes spotted him and they immediately split up and rushed him. One coming straight at pup while the other swung around to flank. I ran to pup shouting and coyotes took off. That was only 1 episode out of thousands of days I've been out with bird dog pups (small and white).



A tracking dog, off lead, works much more independently than a bird dog, and will definitely encounter coyotes at some point. In the Panhandle, I would estimate that around 80-90% of the deer we track that laid overnight were scavenged by coyotes.



Even though I use a tracking collar, my dogs still wear a bell. My impression is that it helps plow a clear path immediately ahead of the dog, including nontarget deer as well as coyotes.



In TX, we're fortunate to get to work off lead. There are plenty of states that can't, and I believe their success rate suffers because of it. It would seem to me to greatly reduce dog's effectiveness, plus be a giant pain in the butt. On a deer that was still mobile, it would seem a pointless endeavor as dog can't bay with the handler attached to the dog.

That's what kinda scares me and my daughter would never forgive me.


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[texashunter]

I have just started trying to train my lab to track deer so I can use him when I bow hunt. I have a lab that just turned 6, he is a good bird dog, will retrieve my doves and ducks.

When we went out today I took a bottle of deer blood, a small piece of deer hide and a leg that I would leave at the end of the trail for him to find and get to chew on for a second as his reward. I had him follow 3 blood tracks that I made.

1) was about 40 yards, down wind. Squirted blood about every 10 yards and had the leg at the end. He didn't put his nose down to the blood trail like I assumed he would, instead he started running side to side of the blood line as if he was tring to pick up the scent of a bird like he does when hes bird hunting. He found the deer leg pretty quickly though. I kenneled him in the truck and set up #2

2) This one was again down wind, about 50 yard straight line then at the end a 90 degree left turn. Another 30-40 straight line with the leg at the end. He worked it the same way and found the leg pretty quickly. Kenneled him when he was done.
3) this one we worked up wind. it was a 40-50 yard straight line, 90 deg left turn, straight for about 30 yards, a 90 degree rt turn another 30-40 straight line and the leg at the end. This time I drug the deer hide the whole way and only squirted blood about every 20-30 yards. He worked it the same way and found the leg.

Here are my questions:
1. Should I let him keep working off of the lead or should he be made to track on a lead?
2. Should I worry about him working it like he does a bird, or should I try to keep him on a lead so he can follow the bloodline more?

He seemed to do well today, I'm not sure if we got lucky or if we are off to a good start? I would like to think he did a good job today.
I am open to any advice or constructive criticism, thank you for your help.

[Top Of Texas]

TxHunter,
Dog is paralleling line because it's really fresh, so he doesn't have to have his nose right over it to smell it. Lay a line after work, then run it the next morning. Then, as dog succeeds, and depending on daytime humidity (stays above 35% RH), lay one in the morning and run it after work.

When starting new dog, I start easy (blood drop every other step) for 100 yd, wanting dog to get hooked before raising difficulty. Increase distance, age, and difficulty as dog succeeds. Make him work for it, if he's a tracker he'll love it. Reach point where dog succeeds on 1 mi with less than 1/4 bottle of blood, 24 hr age. I dip and drip with a straw. One drop is way plenty. Distance between is largest factor. If dog still works super fast, I just touch straw to ground or vegetation and increase distance and age.

I don't do harsh turns in training trails unless I've been laying blood down cattle/game trail. In that scenario, I'll jump trail 90 degrees by 10-20 yds and continue blood. Be careful to not get blood on pant legs or shoes. Dogs like to work worn trails, so they have to leave it and cast. I like to mark turn so I can observe distance dog is willing to go with no scent before checking back to last scent. When they start using their brain along with their noses is when a good tracking dog will really shine.

Once dog savvys job and you savvy dog's behavior, then experience on real deer is best training.

I don't do leads. Impedes dog's ability.

[texashunter]

TxHunter,
Dog is paralleling line because it's really fresh, so he doesn't have to have his nose right over it to smell it. Lay a line after work, then run it the next morning. Then, as dog succeeds, and depending on daytime humidity (stays above 35% RH), lay one in the morning and run it after work.

When starting new dog, I start easy (blood drop every other step) for 100 yd, wanting dog to get hooked before raising difficulty. Increase distance, age, and difficulty as dog succeeds. Make him work for it, if he's a tracker he'll love it. Reach point where dog succeeds on 1 mi with less than 1/4 bottle of blood, 24 hr age. I dip and drip with a straw. One drop is way plenty. Distance between is largest factor. If dog still works super fast, I just touch straw to ground or vegetation and increase distance and age.

I don't do harsh turns in training trails unless I've been laying blood down cattle/game trail. In that scenario, I'll jump trail 90 degrees by 10-20 yds and continue blood. Be careful to not get blood on pant legs or shoes. Dogs like to work worn trails, so they have to leave it and cast. I like to mark turn so I can observe distance dog is willing to go with no scent before checking back to last scent. When they start using their brain along with their noses is when a good tracking dog will really shine.

Once dog savvys job and you savvy dog's behavior, then experience on real deer is best training.

I don't do leads. Impedes dog's ability.

Thank you for your advice.

[Msgreenga]

Did remi on a ubt-1 practice line yesterday she knocked it out of the park made her 2 90 turns with. No problem we gonna test her ubt-1 on Sunday with tldga and then gonna go to Coleman the following weekend with tbt look forward to meeting everyone from tldga and tbt. Wish us luck hope she stays focused. this has been all new and a lot of fun

[Randy Madden]

Here's a question, I have a Drahthaar that is 8 months old. I've been working him on trails since he was about 8 weeks old. He has done some impressive tracks out to around 600 yrds and 15-24 hrs old. I've had to work him from a long lead because the properties I have access to aren't that large. Over the last couple months all he wants to do is run!! And this sucker could run the legs off of just about anything. I ran him for several miles before the last couple tracks and it seemed to help but they have been pretty frustrating to say the least.
Any ideas on how to get him to slow down and focus? Is this something he'll grow out of? When he's focused he is awesome!

[Top Of Texas]

Sorry man, I wouldn't know a drahthaar if it were bitting me on the knee-cap.

If you make the trail more difficult, does he work it out, or decide to "chase squirrels"? If he works it out, I would suggest using way less blood scattered farther apart. If he chases squirrels, I'd keep it easier and ensure grand reward at end of track until he's hooked and knows that's his job.

What is his reward at end of track? Does it speak his "love language"? Make the reward more "rewarding" than chasing squirrels.

How many training tracks has he done?

Also 8 month old dog is about like a 5-6 yr old kid. I don't know your breed, but very possible to grow out of some it. Just keep expectations relative.

[Randy Madden]

It may be that my expectations are to high.
Not sure how many mock tracks he's done so far. Quite a few.
I have been using about 3-4 oz of blood for a 400+ yrd track. I started using tracking shoes a few months back and use about half as much blood. I use Blood feet and hide from the same deer. When he gets off line he will usually work it out If bring him back to a previous point in the line and tell him to track it.
For a reward I usually give him a little bit of heart from the deer and let him chase the hide and play a little tug of war. He tracked a deer for me this season. Not a spectacular track, and has tracked 2 hogs as well. He did ok on those.