Trying to get a new shed hunting partner
 

I just got a new dog thats a 6 month old German shepherd and im hoping to train her into a shed finder. never tried training a dog before so i need all the help i can get like your knowledge, good books, websites, and whatever else that can tell me how to train her. thanks for your time and help.

NYHunter89, PM sent

Don't send a personal message! I want to know also! :) Thanks

There is a lot to it but it is not difficult. It takes TIME and REPETITION. The first thing that needs to be done is to get the dog to WANT to find that scent and get it to associate the scent with a reward. Using a rolled up rag about 10-12 inches long,tied with twine in a couple of places andloaded with the scent for a play toy is the best way to start him. Only play with the dog with a scent loaded toy and nothing else. The rag should be loaded for a couple days at least before you use it. You can shave old antlers and put them in a sealed container with rags in with it to soak up scent. Rags can be washed after training to get dog drool and other scent off it ,dried and "reloaded". Use white rags ONLY.
Throw it and having him go after it and allways give the command to SEARCH every time you throw it!. Play tug of war (never with a retriever)and let them win giving them praise for doing what you want and winning at tug of war. Taking it when he is not looking and teasing him getting him excited then throwing it again. Try to get the dog to the point it LOVES the game and associates the scent with fun and reward. After they know the game and the scent, start throwing it into high weeds and grass so they have to use their nose to find it. When they are good at finding it by the scent then it is time to start serious training and teaching the dog to "indicate" a find. Now you need to decide if you want the dog to bring it back to you or scratch at it and whine(aggressive alert) or sit down and look at it (passive alert)? Using an antler as a toy/training aid for a shepherd is not a good idea. They would ruin the antler IMHO. The idea is to get the shed in hand in prestine condition. Hopefully porcupines and mice dont get to it before you do. This is where things get technical and would take many a long phone conversation or multiple emails to hammer out details. The key to begin with is to get the dog to want that scent !
This is my dog luke at about 6 months old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHW23e5tYoo

Below is a link to a thread about how I trained my pup thru out it last winter . Throwing an antler and having the dog retrieve it without using rubber gloves is a big mistake, because the dog will key in on your scent to find it and not the antlers and as you know the shed laying in the woods does not have your scent on them. Its far better to start out by planting the antlers prior to training and give them enough time out in the elements for your scent to break down.
Also as I found out last year while training using treats as rewards was a big mistake. Also after every training session run the antlers thru the dishwasher without any detergent and store them in a tupperware containter. No need to put a rag with scent on it etc. in the container with the antlers, You will understand why after you store them in a container for a couple of days. Pike

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whit...hed-hunts.html

Great videos here...

Hello
 

Hi Everybody,
This is Stevan here... Very happy to be here.... Great forum site.

Thanks!

Welcome to the family

Good Luck!

Bass pro had a book that came with a scent bottle for training to find sheds.