Shed dog training anyone?

Is anyone doing or done any work with their dog in locating shed antlers. I've been doing a bit of hide & go seek with my lab using an old shed, but I wonder if this a potentially a detrimental element to introduce to primarily a bird dog?

I do it. nothing detrimental other than you may get the bonus of him bringing you a shed while you're beating bush. A shed will never be as exciting as birds to a bird dog. If it is.... It's broken and you need a new one lol

Thanks Cass. She goes bonkers over feathers but not antlers and does not pick up antlers unless we are doing a fetch drill. She found a shed for me last year; but it was pause, sniff and move on. Same thing in our antler training exercises.

would imagine you will have to associate the find and retrieval of sheds with some sort of treat/reward on return. Feathers generally are exciting enough to generate their own reward however an antler not much more than a stick.

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

would imagine you will have to associate the find and retrieval of sheds with some sort of treat/reward on return. Feathers generally are exciting enough to generate their own reward however an antler not much more than a stick.

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Well said and that is why I only work my dogs on birds not antlers. That's all I need is a freezer full on antlers. lol

If you have FF your dog you substitute an antler for a bumper.
deb

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Originally Posted by Cass

I do it. nothing detrimental other than you may get the bonus of him bringing you a shed while you're beating bush. A shed will never be as exciting as birds to a bird dog. If it is.... It's broken and you need a new one lol

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LOL .. too funny.

Throw an antler around the yard, have dog fetch. Hide antlers in the yard, have dogs find and retrieve. Hide antlers in the bush.....repeat.

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Originally Posted by ninepointer

Thanks Cass. She goes bonkers over feathers but not antlers and does not pick up antlers unless we are doing a fetch drill. She found a shed for me last year; but it was pause, sniff and move on. Same thing in our antler training exercises.

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Just remember the way to a Labs brain is through it's stomach :D TC

bit off topic but my neighbour last year had a bunch of wood in his back, and when he would see my dog he would play fetch with her with his wood, well then everytime my dog went over there she picked up wood and brought it back to my place... so labs can be trained to do almost anything LOL could probably train her to find antlers in the same way but firewood is more usefull to me LOL