Shed Dogs

[zekers]

I am kicking around getting another dog since Zeke passed this summer, and a shed hunting partner sounds good. I am a heeler guy, and I still have a 7 year old red heeler. Can these breeds be trained to shed hunt? Are there better, yet similar, breeds? I know labs are popular, but I'd rather stick with a heeler/austrailian shepherd type dog. Suggestions?

 

[bonepicker]

I'm not an expert but I've been able to get my dog to find a few sheds. In my opinion, any smart dog that wants to please can be trained to find sheds. It seems that sight is pretty important for most of the sheds that my dog finds, there is some scent on fresh sheds and probably a little scent on older sheds, but he uses his eyes the most. So you don't have to have a good nose on your dog just good eyes. I have a lab/german shorthair and his retrieving is helpful I think but not essential. The deal breaker is whether your new dog wants to please and is smart enough to understand what you want him to do.

 

[WildAntlerMan]

I have some pups on the classifieds. The mother is a chocolate lab, father is Australian Shepard/blue Heller and collie. 4 weeks old I am starting them around antlers. If your interested.

 

[trophymuley]

labs are the best for shed hunting. my dog is awesome
here's a video clip i took when i found an antler to show him picking it up and he found the other side

"I've hunted almost every day of my life, The rest have been wasted"

 

[wybighorn]

Sweet video! loved it!

 

[fatrooster]

I've wondered about blue heelers as shed hunters myself. They have plenty of energy to run around all day. And although my lab finds some antlers through smell, she finds most by site.
Blue heelers are very good at playing fetch and I feel that if a dog can learn to fetch then he can learn to find sheds.
I think, as stated above, it is more important to find the right individual. A dog that puts pleasing his master as his soul purpose in life. fatrooster.

 

[zekers]

Thanks for the input guys. My old heeler found 2 sheds on his own, one I watched him spot from about 50 yds and head right to it. It was just luck while we were out hiking. I've been checking out sites that train pups and have videos. I'm in no hurry, so I'll keep researching.

 

[6ptbones]

My horndog Blitz, a wolf-shepheard-husky, had pups out of a border collie. My parents kept the 2 males... Boomer and Blitzson. My nephew takes them horn hunting regularly. They can hardly get camp up before those 2 have horns in camp already!!They must use sight and smell because they are in southern Oregon hunting Blacktail sheds. Very brushy country! Those two LIVE for hunting antler like their dad. This is Blitz sleeping by his blacktail sheds for the day...

 

[6ptbones]

Check out canyon creek kennels in Oregon... good dogs for hornhuntin'!!

 

[zekers]

That pic is way cool 6pt!

 

[6ptbones]

Thanks Zekers, Blitz is a way cool dog and my best friend. Been hornhunting together 13 yrs now!

 

[trophymuley]

Based on what I've learned watching my dog shed hunting is a good mix of teaching the dog to spot antlers and their sense of smell. Old bone is harder for a dog to scent out. They usually have to be within a few feet to catch a scent whereas a fresh shed I have seen my dog catch a scent on from a good 40 yards. The trick is for them to learn to start looking more intently when they smell it, and as well for you to pay attention to the dogs body language. Sometimes they will catch a scent of one stuck in a bush, look around, get anxious and walk off looking for another. I have found some simply from watching what my dog does. learning when he's getting "horny" so to speak. Kind of like a pheasant dog getting birdy. the key to it is getting a dog that's soul purpose in life is to do whatever it can to make you happy. Another good attribute is a dog that is easy to please and one that loves to fetch. (All of these attributes almost always come standard in a lab)For example, my dog loves treats and they work great but sometimes treats aren't the best motivation. When I pull out a tennis ball in front of my dog jagger it's as if I'm holding a bag of crack in front of a crack addict. Simply throwing or showing him the ball is enough motivation for him to do anything he can to find an antler so he can chew on its fuzzy goodness as a reward.
"I've hunted almost every day of my life, The rest have been wasted"

 

[bern]

my labs are incredible shed hunters,i started hiding a few antlers in the yard and would say get the bone within a month they were ready for the real thing they have found 150 antlers to make my antler arch,and a huge stack that i keep the best in,i had some kids down the street stop by and they did not believe me that my labs had found all these antlers,so i told them to tell the dogs to get a bone within 5 minutes they had brang the kids all the antlers and dead heads that were laying around my yard,must have been 30 plus,they were amazed how quick and excited the dogs were.