Just picked up our newest member of the family yesterday, he is another Catahoula Leapord. About 2 1/2 years old. Wondering what the odds of training him to find sheds at this age, and if theres a chance how would you guys go about starting to train him? Ive never trained one before but my gut tells me that starting at a puppy would be easier than at this age. Thanks for any tips. Luke
Shed Hunting Tips (for dog training)
- Thread starter mustang8
- Start date
There has to be a better way to start than playing fetch with an antler right? Let him chew on one in his kennel during the day?
wy-tex
Veteran member
Sounds like a great way to get him started. Fetch will train him to bring you the antler and giving him one to chew will make him crave or want one. Just make sure he knows which "bones" are his to chew. I would start with a nice fresh shed.
Take him out after he learns antlers are great chews and hide some antlers for him in the grass. Make sure to reward him after every find.
Good luck with the dog.
badgerbob
Active Member
I wouldn't let him chew on one. I have a lab/border collie cross that loves to hunt horns. I always make it very special when she brings one in, the horn needs to be what brings the rewards,. Another thing, when you hide one at home make sure the dog can't see it easily. Made that mistake and she wanted to find it by sight and not trust her nose. Was hard to get her over that. I've heard that you should not handle the training horn (use latex gloves) because they learn to go to your scent and not that of the horn. Can't say that that made much of a difference for my dog, but possibly something to consider. I always have her bring me the horn and put it away once she delivers it, then the reward. I don't use treats, mainly praise and sometimes a tennis ball. She will do almost anything for that dang ball......
yep . if you want to make something out of the antlers or sell them, I wouldn't let him chew them. they won't be worth anything if you do.
I would start with fetch , then move up to setting one out aways and making him wait to fetch till you tell him to. then eventually hide them for him to find as he would when out hiking and give him a treat when he brings one to you.
you wouldn't want a retriever chewing up all the birds you shoot , would you???? same is so with the antlers.
I would start with fetch , then move up to setting one out aways and making him wait to fetch till you tell him to. then eventually hide them for him to find as he would when out hiking and give him a treat when he brings one to you.
you wouldn't want a retriever chewing up all the birds you shoot , would you???? same is so with the antlers.
Check out Dog Bone Hunter on youtube or his website, Dogbonehunter.com. He does a great job breaking down every step and explaining it. I bought his shed training DVD a few weeks ago and have been implementing a lot of those things into my training. I have an 18 month old golden/lab mix that I've been training for a few months now using his techniques and I think it's really been paying off, as long as I put the time in with my dog.
CrimsonArrow
Very Active Member
I’ve always let my dogs chew on sheds and a couple days ago my 1 1/2 year old Jax brought a small shed back to the house after I let him out to chase squirrels.
Have plenty of sheds laying around for him to chew on. Hide them around a field and have him find them and give him treats when he does. At the end of the day training give him a new shed to chew on he hasn?t had before as a reward.
CrimsonArrow
Very Active Member
My 2 dogs will have 3 or 4 sheds laying on the floor, and they’re always nosing the bigger ones on the hearth. You’re absolutely correct that they always want a new one.