Reuben
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1903 |
quote: Originally posted by River Birch Run
So there is a lot of info missing here on the question the should be addressed 1st. How old is the dog and how much time in the woods has it had ALONE? I dedicate a yr to hunting a dog alone through all four seasons. The most important thing is to fine a nice log to sit on by a tree for witch to lean you back on. Sit back a listen, use your garmin mark areas the dog throws interesting barks at. Once the dog moves out of the area check those marked area's. See what was there it don't take long to learn what every bark the dog makes mean. I like to sneak in on a dog where I can watch it work too. There are so many factors as to why a dog is standing on its head. Tree tops, dry leaves, tracking off game, jumping tracks, water, frost, tall vegetation, thick cover, the list goes on and on. The trick is to learn what is holding the dog up and keeping the shocker in the pocket and letting the dog finish. Once you are pretty certain what slows the dog down, try to set the dog up to succeed, to build its confidence. Sprinkle in what it struggles with and the dog should get better at it as it's confidence builds. You can speed this along if you have a good dog you can toss in with it every now and again to show it to how to better work an area it struggles in. I.E. working a track threw thick tree tops with briers. I good dog will take track to that point then circle it and pick it up on the back side rather than work through it. A young dog will pick up on that rather fast if it trust the dog it's in the woods with. It's all about reps and positive renforcement.
I like how you think...good post
I have a friend that has hunted dogs I have given him in years past...his style of hunting the dogs is way different than mine...his dogs don’t cast out far...they appear to be hotter nosed because of how they are hunted...they don’t wind much unless it is smoking hot and if they wind off the buggy he just keeps going to where he has decided where to hunt...he doesn’t use the wind to his advantage...
I don’t train the dogs much but I am very careful how I hunt my dogs...I try to start from downwind and work into the wind if possible...When I cast my dogs I won’t move until the pups are in the woods hunting...
If I am roading them I move slowly so they can be thorough when working a scent...if they get interested in something I stop and wait on them...if they come back we move on...if it looks like a good track I will walk into the woods at least 100 yards just to help them out...
if the dogs get a little interested in the wind currents and they go in but circle back and try again and come out...I will see the likely spot where the game is likely located based on wind currents...sometimes the scent is channeling...I will head into the wind until the dogs pick up on the scent...
If the dogs are in the buggy and they blow up I will turn them out...
There is a reason on why I do all these different things for the different hunting situations for my dogs...
I want my dogs to be thorough and at the same time focus the on task at hand and not on keeping up with me...it’s all about the dogs and not me...
My buddies dogs appear to not have a colder nose and don’t range far and it is due to how the dogs are hunted...
River Birch Run...your idea of training is similar to mine...
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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...
Last edited by Reuben on 11-26-2020 at 03:33 AM
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