# Deer antler/shed hunting with dog question



## bnew17 (Oct 16, 2016)

Does anybody have any info on this?  I have a lab with a great nose who i believe could find some sheds. There was a very informative thread on here years ago on this i remember but i can't seem to find it. Thanks


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## rvick (Oct 22, 2016)

Try to find the training manual from Jerry Thoms. I did a segment about shed dogs with my Drahthaar for the Mossy Oaks Gamekeepers show. It airs on the Pursuit channel from time to time.


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## bnew17 (Nov 27, 2016)

Is there a forum? The main one i found looks like its closed. NASHC forum?

My dog, a 4 year old male chocolate lab, has no formal training, but i worked with him a lot when he was a puppy and younger. He has an extremely good nose. 5 days ago i introduced him to a shed. He loved it. Just to see what he would do. I put some around the yard in plain site and told him to " find the bone". After i had shown him the connection between that phrase and the antler obviously. He breezed through that. Next i hid some under some leaves and behind objects etc. Did this blind to him. He found them no problem. Few days later i placed 10 sheds, blind to him, in various places in a 5 acre pine stand. He again found them all with ease. Even found one i lost that fell out of my bag. We then went to another pine stand where i had not placed any sheds.  I just wanted to see how he would do. I brought a small shed with me in cade he didnt find any i could throw it out when he wasnt looking. I wanted to make sure he suceeded, in his mind. Picked that up from one of Dokkens seminar videos on youtube. He didnt find any so i did put out the shed for him. We only looked for 10-15 mun but he lost interest. Could have been bc he was so tired snd thirsty. Or maybe i am putting out too many to practice with and he is expecting to find them much more frequently? Not sure. But it seems like he is on the right path? We have alot of time to practice until March.


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## Georgia Hard Hunter (Nov 28, 2016)

good luck with the training, I think you should put the sheds out a day or 2 before to make sure he isnt keying on your smell on the ground or on the sheds


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## OptimumShine (Nov 28, 2016)

Subscribing, as this could be a fun activity with my Golden and daughter in the off season.

Rvick, PM me your info incase I or someone else needs your services in Thomasville.

Thanks!


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## Ugahunter2013 (Nov 29, 2016)

Georgia Hard Hunter said:


> good luck with the training, I think you should put the sheds out a day or 2 before to make sure he isnt keying on your smell on the ground or on the sheds




Yea im curious to HOW much that is playing into the "easy" sucess. I wanted him to feel a high level of success before i started making it hard. I wish some trainers or more experienced handlers would chime in. My main concern is setting him up to think its "this easy" or to expect to find sheds every few minutes. Im not sure how many i need to be putting out.


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