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Shed hunting with a dog

Southern Elk

Southern Elk

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Our lab is always dragging up deer sheds and skulls. I’m thinking about taking him shed hunting with me in the spring. Is there anything that I could do before then to help train him? Or at least get him to thinking about looking for them?
 
We got a golden retriever pup at like 8 weeks old and we decided to buy some of this. Put it on a few old sheds and played fetch. Then moved onto hiding them around the corner and saying find the antler or whatever term you want to use, and sending him off. It was very fast, now i salt a shed (without him seeing obviously) a lot when we go out looking and aren’t having any luck.. he finds them immediately when we pass by and gets very excited. One big mistake we made however, is letting him keep and chew on one.. now he is less inclined to bring them, rather keep his new treat for himself. Don’t do this. Good luck!
 

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I have been training Ruby to hunt shed moose antlers. We use them as dog chews. The base has the best scent as that's where the blood vessel n fat tissue is. As far as chewing, well she's a Chesapeake Retriever. She is always trying to find something for someone to throw.
This provides a great opportunity to get out in the spring before the undergrowth takes off.
 

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I've tried to train our GSP and last year she sort of found one (I saw it the same time she walked up and started sniffing it). So I've been playing hide and seek using sheds with her around home in the off-season. Finding them isn't a problem for her, but she struggles with the concept that I want her to bring them to me. She gets distracted easily

Oh hey look, a bird *30 mph beeline from trained course of action 🤦‍♂️
 
My lab had antlers for chews from the time I got her. We hike a lot in the spring looking for sheds but the reality is she’s only found a couple on her own. Regardless I love hiking with her and don’t mind that I’m doing most of the finding
 
I’ve only seen one legit shed dog. It kicked my ass a few years ago in some thick sagebrush. I watched it pick up multiple elk sheds while it worked 50 yards each way from his owner. All the others I’ve been around would maybe find them but seemed more interested in just smelling them than bringing them back.
 
Try using the search button. There a few threads covering this subject that are informative. I’ve taught my Draht & GSP. I’m glad I purchased a rubber antler, you don’t want any negative associations with an antler in the beginning stages. I’ve heard of a few dogs getting an antler to the eye..

Some tips

1) keep it fun with high praise.
2) use a rubber or smaller antler with rounded off tips in the beginning stages.
3) keep sessions short. I like to stop with the dog wanting more.
4) I don’t let my dog chew on sheds whether there in the house or in the field.






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What’s the solution/ training tip for a dog that likes to retrieve and find antlers but doesn’t want to always bring them to you ? Working with my sons lab that is doing good on waterfowl I think but I’m not a great judge of bird dogs. I have run hounds for decades and they are a different animal. Anyways my son takes the lab hiking every day now that waterfowl season is over. Trying to get tips on the antler training. This is first thread that popped up. I could start another thread if that makes more sense.
 
802flyfish said:
Try using the search button. There a few threads covering this subject that are informative. I’ve taught my Draht & GSP. I’m glad I purchased a rubber antler, you don’t want any negative associations with an antler in the beginning stages. I’ve heard of a few dogs getting an antler to the eye..

Some tips

1) keep it fun with high praise.
2) use a rubber or smaller antler with rounded off tips in the beginning stages.
3) keep sessions short. I like to stop with the dog wanting more.
4) I don’t let my dog chew on sheds whether there in the house or in the field.






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Thanks for posting. Why don’t you let the dog chew sheds? Newbie to shed training open to any tips👍
 
I would suggest that you train her in a narrow run. Hallway or put up a fence 5' away from another fence for an outside enclosed run. Make it so the dog can't bolt or play games. Couple things here. Demonstrate your the boss. If the dog doesn't want to work correctly reduce the space your in so dog has no choice.
All this has to be done daily. When feeding. Sit, back, wait. Then look away n make them wait a bit. Bit longer each day. Hunt it up. Stay on several words with dog learning each one. When I see Ruby successful in finding the toy I whistle sharply 5 times. This is her return command.
My point being. You have a great retrieve that demonstrates an eagerness to learn. I'd suggest the best way to get her to return the tossed or hidden toy is working daily. Each command. Even if you don't have time for fetch. You have to feed. Your chance to hold the high card. Now it's up to you to play the cards right. Don't get upset at a critter that has no idea what your communicating or why. And doesn't care to know. And they can sense those flames coming out of your body. Self protection mode kicks in. Job just got harder.
Praise after all work is done. Working n playing don't mix. And work comes before the pleasure food brings. Dog sits, back, wait hunt it up. Twice every day. And as much tossing a rubber toy and keeping dog under command.
I can say this. There just isn't anything much better than chilling out on the deck with a cold beer. And watching a good dog hunt. As soon as she is successful be ready for you both to go back to work. Sit, back, wait, hunt er up
Dog isn't going to just find antlers successfully and bring them to you. Unless dog thinks that it's having fun along with its boss. Hey just what I do and I'm not an expert
And am excited to take Ruby out moose antler hunting
 
I have attempted to train two dogs to be shed dogs with limited success. The first dog was our family dog while I was at college so I didn’t have as much time with him as I should have. I currently have a two year old lab that I am working with. With both dogs I would hide sheds in areas around the house and they would find them likes pros. Then when I would take them out for real deal they always seemed more interested in other things. Both dogs would occasionally bring sheds back to me but not nearly as many as you would think they should. Just yesterday my dog brought me a shed out of some tall grass that I would have never seen. It’s only his second shed season so hopefully he will keep getting better.

I think it’s real important to get your dog in different environments for training so they don’t get accustomed to the same thing. I probably screwed up by hiding too many sheds for them. I’d lean towards only putting one out at a time, maybe two. If they are used to finding a lot of sheds in a short amount of time wherever you train them then they might lose interest easier when you are shed hunting and they aren’t finding sheds right away.
 
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