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

I used a different collar with my yellow for shed hunting. Let's the dog know that there are different expectations when the shed collar is on as opposed to the hunting collar. Very effective. She will still bring me a shed when we are hunting from time to time but it's only if she can't find feathers lol.

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Originally Posted by Thibby

I used a different collar with my yellow for shed hunting. Let's the dog know that there are different expectations when the shed collar is on as opposed to the hunting collar. Very effective. She will still bring me a shed when we are hunting from time to time but it's only if she can't find feathers lol.

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That is the main reason why I haven't shed trained my dog.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

That is the main reason why I haven't shed trained my dog.

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And why exactly is that?

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Originally Posted by Thibby

I used a different collar with my yellow for shed hunting. Let's the dog know that there are different expectations when the shed collar is on as opposed to the hunting collar. Very effective. She will still bring me a shed when we are hunting from time to time but it's only if she can't find feathers lol.

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Now isn't that creative. :) Dogs are amazing.

(Welcome to the forum. )

All my dogs got sheds as chew toys when they were pups. They had a new toy when ever they found one. I always told them what to find.

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Originally Posted by Sharon

Now isn't that creative. :) Dogs are amazing.

(Welcome to the forum. )

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We do the same thing with police K9s

This helps them look for them with vigor if you use them as chew toys first

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Originally Posted by Thibby

I used a different collar with my yellow for shed hunting. Let's the dog know that there are different expectations when the shed collar is on as opposed to the hunting collar. Very effective. She will still bring me a shed when we are hunting from time to time but it's only if she can't find feathers lol.

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I have a different collar for my invisible fence and another one when I am out bird hunting with my Springer. Her chew toys are mainly sheds that have been donated by a couple of buddies that deer hunt. I have no desire to train her for sheds and my main focus is bird hunting. More power to you for training your dog on sheds.

To be clear my lab has never dropped a retrieve to bring back an antler. She is a smart dog and enjoys challenges. When we are beating brush for grouse she has brought me a shed or two if there are no grouse in the area. When she has the hunting collar on she is all about birds. But as cass has earlier pointed out the collar switch is a widly used technique to have a multi disiplined dog. I haven't found it to be a detriment in any way. And it gets me and the dog out in the bush in the spring. Lots of ways to enjoy a good hunting dog.

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Originally Posted by Thibby

To be clear my lab has never dropped a retrieve to bring back an antler. She is a smart dog and enjoys challenges. When we are beating brush for grouse she has brought me a shed or two if there are no grouse in the area. When she has the hunting collar on she is all about birds. But as cass has earlier pointed out the collar switch is a widly used technique to have a multi disiplined dog. I haven't found it to be a detriment in any way. And it gets me and the dog out in the bush in the spring. Lots of ways to enjoy a good hunting dog.

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Thibby, how does your dog understand the difference in collars, not sure I understand this? Are we talking wide collar to narrow collar, leather to vinyl....what.
My guys have always been multi disciplined to be sure but they wear the same collar regardless of the game being played.

By the way, how cold is it there tonight??

Regards,

It's a totally different collar. Her hunting collar is plastic and the shed collar is fabric. Also has different connector. As for the temp I don't know. I moved to Ontario in October but can't figure out how to change my profile. But I'm sure it's colder than here!😉