Tips on training a blood tracking dog

I taught a dachshund to blood trail with a tennis ball soaked in blood. after it got used to smelling the blood i switched to hiding a clean tennis ball and dripping a blood trail to it. Ended up being a good little blood dog that couldn't drag you around the woods. It belonged to my ex so i screwed that up lol

interested in this as well. My dad got a lab puppy back in november and he is currently at a training school. Whe, he gets back next month, this is definitely something i would like to teach him. I have heard that its good to save alot of deer blood in water bottles and freeze them. When ready to train them, just dribble a trail leading up to a deer leg/shank. then give them a treat. seems simple enough.

Liver is the best thing. Deer you have to track (and actually have a chance to find) are often liver shot and it's got a distinct smell.

IMO, sticking to just a blood drip isn't the best thing. The dog is going to track the deer, not just blood. I prefer dragging something that's got some blood/liver on it.

It all works though. A freshly shot deer is cake for a dog to smell and track, it just needs to know that's what you want it to do. It gets tougher with things like long times between shot and track, or plenty people tromping around causing a distraction and messing the track up. It just takes time and practice and a dog with some drive.

Mines really good at it and I have more fun tracking deer than I do shooting them.

Half lab half bloodhound.

I tried a purebred working bloodhound and it didn't work. She was far more interested in running something than finding something dead. Hell of a nose but if she jumped a deer while on the track she was going to run it out of the country and I couldn't break her of it.

I think a hound/lab cross is perfect. Hound nose with lab demeanor and far less chase than a purebred hound.

We had a blue lacy which is basically a Texas catahoula and she was pretty good. She didn't have the nose my dog now has and he's found some deer she wouldn't have but she was smart and easy to handle. She found several deer. My uncles lacy has found several also. I think hearding/treeing dogs work fine with some effort. They're far easier to track with on a leash than a big block headed lab cross if you're planning to leash track.

If you're going to get a dog strictly for tracking shot deer, get some type of 50% or more lab mutt or a purebred lab. Hoss is our 4th tracking dog and I'd say he's every bit twice as good as the 2nd best one was. Labs are boring because everybody's got one, but they're so easy to work with and they don't get credit for good their noses are.

I have a rescue hound that has done really well and is currently at 100% in finding deer. Most have been good kill shots though.

One thing you want to keep in mind is a tracking dog is going to be the most beneficial on a poor shot with little to no blood. At least to the eye. For this reason, I found that using a deer hide is the best training tool.

I started him with some blood on the hide and very simple tracks. Straight lines usually less than 20 yards. We gradually made those more difficult and longer.

We then moved to hide only with no blood. Again, simple straight lines of less than 20 yards and gradually made them more difficult.

Eventually, a good tracking dog, will be able to track based off the smell of hide, freshly disturbed dirt/leaves, and whatever blood/DNA falls on the trail.

The most difficult thing with my hound was getting him motivated and in the mindset of "time to track." I guess that's just part of a hound's stubborn nature.

You can check out Dog Bone Game Recovery System if you want to get started this summer and are out of blood/hides

Buy the Dog Bone recovery system, this is what I started with and it gives some good pointers. I started mine out of deer season so I just used beef liver and would ask a butcher to save me some blood. The main thing I worked early was staying on track and distractions, I have a GSP and like labs they can get easily distracted as puppies and there are lots of distractions in the woods.

Like others have said once deer season starts take the pup on as many tracks as possible but start with tracking short distances on deer that have been located.

My bloodhound (deceased) would have laughed at your lab.

Friend of mine has a dachshund at his camp that has tracked something like 200 deer in 12 years. Crazy little bastard

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Take him on every blood trail this fall, especially easy ones when you know the deer is dead 50 yards into the woods. And celebrate every time he finds one like he just won the powerball. My best tip: Get a separate collar and attach a bell on it. Only put it on him when it's time to track. He'll learn to associate that bell with tracking, as well as making it easier for you to follow along.

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Pretty much hit the nail on the head right here. I would also do as other have suggested and keep a little blood and a liver or legs when you kill a deer to train him on your own. The blood can be diluted with water, so you don't need much.

This is the Bible for blood tracking with dogs. I refer to it frequently during the season and usually re-read before start of the season.

Liver drags is the way to go. Make it a fun game for the dog. Once they figure out the game, the biggest hurdle is learning to read your dog and most importantly trust their nose. I try to learn something every track. My biggest "break through" moment was when I realized that, as her handler, I am the weakest link of our team. They will do what they'll do, it's my job to read her body language and not screw her up.

Always stay positive while on track. There's some voodoo that makes my inner doubts of a successful track travel from me and then infect her with the same doubts. If you decide to work with any dog for tracking, put the time in and be willing to travel long distances for friends, family or whoever needs help for your dogs sake. They will benefit with every track you do, but you will benefit just as much if not more.

One more thing.....be ready to experience some of the most exhilarating and rewarding experiences you will ever have in the outdoors. There is nothing better than finding a kids first deer and see the pure joy you helped to provide them and their parent. My pup has found 4 different kids first deer and I get choked up just thinking about it.