TBH BLOOD DOG TRACKING, TRAINING, & RECOVERY Thread

[AggieArcher]

This is my JRT, Bullet, he was 11 for 11 on deer trails this year, and we pushed him hard!

[MOY]

If your pup will track on a lead I would recommend it, at least at first. Mine is much more effective off lead so thats how he runs. Definitely use a deer hide and some blood(deer blood, beef blood, doesnt seem to matter what kind). Start with a short trail, 20 foot maybe, fresh, lots of scent and leave that deer hide and maybe food at the end. Its all about discovering what your dog is motivated most by. Mine couldn't care less about food if hes got a deer, he just likes to attack the hide, but some dogs respond well to food. Make it a big deal when he finds it, and don't expect too much right away! My dog just kind of wandered around on his first trail and I felt like he didn't solve anything. Took him out a week later and he ran straight down the trail 20 yards to the hide. Made another one 50 yards and he found it in a matter of seconds too. Once they know what you want and they see that its fun for them too they're hooked!

Thanks for the info, anybody else have some stuff that can get me started on the right foot

[MOY]

Anybody have a some extra deer hide they can throw my way? I'll $$ money for shipping if need be...will be getting my pup this weekend

[Grayson]

Where are u located?

[MOY]

Pasadena, tx...near Houston

[Leftridge]

My brother gave me his GSP about 4 weeks ago because he didn't have time to really work with him and he killed a chicken making his wife mad.

So, I've been working on basic obedience for almost 3 weeks.

Today I decided to do something different and take him to the woods and run his first hide drags. I gave him a 30 yard L shape for his first run. That dog never took his nose off the ground and followed the exact trail straight to the hide.

I ran him twice more, one 50 yard, one 100 yard. The 50 yard, same thing.. He went straight to it in seconds nose down the whole way.

The 100 yard was interesting and I learned something. The dog, off lead, ran that trail in seconds, nose down, and he shot straight past it, he missed the turn. I brought him back with the come command and till he was this side of it, and then he caught the track again and this time made it right to the hide.

I think if I'd had him on a lead and slowed him down he would have never overshot it. Lesson to me.

I've never put in this much time with a dog, nor seen one just follow a trail like that with no training. I thought I'd have to put treats every 5 yards to keep him going in the beginning and it was nothing like that.

I'm super happy and hope the training goes well. I'm trying to keep it slow, because he is not a dog who seems to want to please me specifically. He learns and is smart but it's take a lot of repetition for him. Stubborn is not the right word, just immature maybe. I think his brain is working 100mph.

[AggieArcher]

Good deal Leftridge! The more you work with him the more you'll learn about him. Every dog has their own personality and motivations for working. If he doesn't care about pleasing you try food or playing with the hide at the end of the trail. My dog couldn't care less if I'm happy, he just likes to attack the dead animal at the end of the trail. But they're all different! Good luck with your GSP

[Grayson]

Just FYI in case anyone needs a tracking harness for a smaller dog and doesn't read the classifieds....

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521063

[Bowhunter10]

Jax went on his first live bloodtrail over the weekend. I shot a hog early saturday morning in the drizziling rain and he piled up after 50 yrds or so. I went back to camp to get Jax as quick as possible with the fear that the rain would wash away the blood trail. When we first got to the feeder Jaxs nose was picking up all kinds of smells that he was not familiar with so he was pretty tense and timid. I took him to the first sign of blood and like a switch he started going to work. He followed the trail slowly at first and then picked up the pace till he got the the hog at the end. Instantly after seeing the hog he tensed up and kept his distance while circiling him. It was not until i got there and showed him that the hog was dead that he started barking and biting him. All in all im very pleased with his first ever live trail and believe the nervousness will go away with more practice. Here is a LDP.

[bloodtrailer28]

Jax we.nt on his first live bloodtrail over the weekend. I shot a hog early saturday morning in the drizziling rain and he piled up after 50 yrds or so. I went back to camp to get Jax as quick as possible with the fear that the rain would wash away the blood trail. When we first got to the feeder Jaxs nose was picking up all kinds of smells that he was not familiar with so he was pretty tense and timid. I took him to the first sign of blood and like a switch he started going to work. He followed the trail slowly at first and then picked up the pace till he got the the hog at the end. Instantly after seeing the hog he tensed up and kept his distance while circiling him. It was not until i got there and showed him that the hog was dead that he started barking and biting him. All in all im very pleased with his first ever live trail and believe the nervousness will go away with more practice. Here is a LDP.

Thats awesome man and congrats on the first of many! That's a good looking pup you got.

[Bowhunter10]

Thanks BT28. I'm really excited with his progress at only 5 months old.

[salth2o]

I'm in need of a piece of hide, ear, or something from a deer. Anybody have something they can spare?

[Bowhunter10]

If u were you salh20 I would not worry so much about the deer hide. In my experience the hide really did not make that big of a difference. If your training your dog for blood trailing then the most important thing you can have is blood. You don't want to start training them to track the smell of animal because when on a live track there is animal scent everywhere and they could go off on the wrong ttrail. If you use something like treats or something like that. Even a hide won't prepare them for the first time they come up on an actual dead animal.

[bloodtrailer28]

I'm in need of a piece of hide, ear, or something from a deer. Anybody have something they can spare?

I got a piece of hide if you ever come through the Liberty Hill Bertram area...about 30 miles north of Austin. I know there are several teams on here who used hides to train and get the prey drive going. I think Aggie Archer (and Bullet) and Shock Value(Jesse I think?) utilized a hide during training.

[salth2o]

If u were you salh20 I would not worry so much about the deer hide. In my experience the hide really did not make that big of a difference. If your training your dog for blood trailing then the most important thing you can have is blood. You don't want to start training them to track the smell of animal because when on a live track there is animal scent everywhere and they could go off on the wrong ttrail. If you use something like treats or something like that. Even a hide won't prepare them for the first time they come up on an actual dead animal.

Gotcha. She is going to be a blood tracker for sure. Can I just use beef blood?

I got a piece of hide if you ever come through the Liberty Hill Bertram area...about 30 miles north of Austin. I know there are several teams on here who used hides to train and get the prey drive going. I think Aggie Archer (and Bullet) and Shock Value(Jesse I think?) utilized a hide during training.

Dang. I was just in Austin last week. Thanks!